United we Fish

Martha Steigman

Adapted from an article that originally appeared in Alternatives Journal: Canadian Environmental
Ideas and Action, 29:4 (2003). <http://www.alternativesjournal.ca>

In Esgenoopetitj - also known as Burnt Church - a Mi’kmaq village on New Brunswick’s
Miramichi Bay, the Marshall decision was greeted with high hopes and much celebration. With
few options for work in the area, the chance to catch enough lobsters to feed the family and sell
a few on the side was big news. But for Burnt Church First Nation the ruling meant much more
than a modest economic opportunity. It meant that finally Canada recognized their right to live
according to Mi’kmaq culture and traditions, including their right to fish.