Mi'gmaq Ecological Knowledge

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Copyright 2012 Gespegewaq Migmaq Resource Council

Gespegewaq Migmaq Resource Council

1 Marshall Way

Listuguj, QC G0C2R0

Tel. 418-788-3017

Fax 418-788-3192

[email protected]

Contents1. Plamu/Wild Atlantic salmon .................................................................... p ii2. Introduction .............................................................................................p 1

3. Migmaq Role in Species at Risk Management ......................................p 1

4. Galipu/Eastern Woodland caribou ..........................................................p 2

5. The Gespegewaq Migmaq Resource Council ......................................p 3

4. Our Species at Risk Work ......................................................................p 3

7. Jigaw/Striped Bass ................................................................................p 4

8. Gatej/American Eel ................................................................................p 6

5. Previous GMRC AFSAR projects ...........................................................p 7

6. Species at Risk Found in Gespegewagi ...............................................p 7

7. Appendix A

..........................................................................................p 8

ii) Aboriginal Funds for Species at Risk ................................................p 8


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1

Like many First Nation groups in Canada, the Migmaq all have a deep

connection with their natural environment, which includes many plant and

animal species. For generations, these species and their habitats havesustained the Migmaq by providing food, medicine, clothing, shelter,

and tools. These species have also contributed socially, culturally, and

economically to Migmaq society.

The Migmaq language and culture have evolved over thousands of

years of interaction with these species and habitat, which has also

shaped many of their traditions and social connections. However,

due to numerous human activities, many species are now at risk of

to the Migmaq way of life. Currently, the Committee on the Status of

Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) lists over 340 species as at

risk of disappearing from Canada.

If not prevented, the decline of species in Canada will have a negativeimpact the Migmaq way of life for current and future generations. There-

fore, it is important for the Migmaq people to be more actively engaged

in species at risk (SAR) management in order to protect their way of life.

Migmaq Role in Species at Risk Management

Migmaq people play an important role in SAR management. Their long

relationships with the land have made the Migmaq very knowledgeable

on a variety of species and habitat, which includes many species at risk.

This knowledge is known as Migmaq ecological knowledge (MEK).

Recently, the Government of Canada (GoC) has acknowledged the value

of MEK in SAR management. The GoC aims to collect and combine

MEK with western science and incorporate both in recovery strategies,

MEK is the science and knowledge of the Migmaq people that is derived

from the thousands of years of interaction, observation, and adaptation

of Migmaq with their natural environment. It is found in the language,

culture, and traditions, and has been passed down through the genera-

tions.

Western science is the systematic study of the structure and behavior of

the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. It en-

hypotheses, performs experiments and draws conclusions. It is another

type of knowledge that differs from the Migmaq world view. MEK and

western science differ in the following ways:

Migmaq elders pass down this knowledge orally through the generations

versus western science, where it transfers data through academic mate-

rial and literature.

MEK involves thousands of years of observations, versus shorter

observations as seen in western science.

MEK is holistic, where it views everything as being connected, including

the people, unlike western science, where scientists separate them-

selves from nature and the object of their studies.

Introduction


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Although both world views have different approaches to science, both can

The Gespegewaq Migmaq Resource CouncilSince 2006, a goal of the Gespegewaq Migmaq Resource Council

(GMRC) has been to combine the best of MEK and western science

practices in activities that aim to support the recovery of species at risk

and their habitats within the traditional Migmaq district of Gespegewagi.

Gespegewagi extends from the Miramichi River to the tip of the Gaspe

Peninsula and straddles the borders of modern day Quebec and New

Brunswick. It is the seventh and largest district in the Migmaq nation,

which the Migmaq have occupied for thousands of years.

Located in Listuguj, Gespegewagi; the GMRC works closely with the

three Migmaq communities of Listuguj, Eel River Bar, and Pabineau inactivities that support sustainable resource management and facilitate the

recovery, maintenance and development of the resources. Their role in

resource management has led them to work with numerous species at risk

and their habitats. GMRC believes that the Migmaq must be the stewards

of our natural environment in order to protect our resources for current

and future generations.

Our Species at Risk WorkIn the past years, GMRC has worked with the Aboriginal Fund for Spe-

cies at Risk (AFSAR) along with numerous elders, resource users and

community members, in activities that aim to build capacity, educate and

raise awareness on SAR issues. Working closely with local Migmaq com-munity members has also given GMRC the opportunity to collect MEK.

The GMRC believes that with the proper collection, implementation and

combination of both MEK and western science, they can help support the

protection of species at risk and their habitats.

Most recently, the GMRC undertook a project titled A Community-

Based Approach to Gathering Historical Knowledge, Educating and

Raising Awareness within our First Nation Communities on the Striped

Bass, American Eel, Atlantic Salmon, and Woodland Caribou.

The purpose of this project was to:

Gain a larger understanding of the Striped Bass, American Eel, Atlantic

Salmon and Woodland Caribou as it pertains to the Migmaq of Eel River

Bar and Pabineau community members through the collection of MEK

Build the communities own capacity to collect qualitative data

Help protect the species and habitat through education and raising aware-

ness material

The GMRC focused on these four (4) species, as they are important to

the Migmaq but are also at risk of disappearing from Gespegewagi.

Currently the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada

(COSEWIC) lists the following statuses on these species:


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American Eel - Threatened

Atlantic Salmon - (Gaspe Southern gulf of St. Lawrence) Special concern

Striped Bass (Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence) - ThreatenedWoodland Caribou (Atlantic-Gaspsie) - Endangered

Striped bass and Woodland caribou once sustained the Migmaq in

Gespegewagi, but due to a number of threats, these species can no

longer be accessed. Striped bass are threatened by by-catch from

Striped bass is the limited spawning grounds available to this species.

Currently the only known spawning ground of the Striped bass found

within Gespegewagi is located in the Miramichi River. This limited

spawning ground has resulted in the suspension of all recreational

Woodland caribou are currently at risk of becoming extinct. They have

already been extirpatedfrom the Maritimes due to

habitat loss by industrial

development, where the

only remaining populations

found in Gespegewagi

today are located in the

Atlantic-Gaspsie area.

American eel and Atlantic

salmon continue to

contribute to the Migmaq

in Gespegewagi today,

but due to a number

of threats, our access

to these species may

become limited just as

with the Striped bass and

Woodland caribou. Dams

and other barriers threaten

American eel, as these

structures block their natural migration routes, which can affect spawning

and access to available habitat. Also, dam turbines can injure or kill

migrating adult eels.

available spawning grounds. Atlantic salmon spawning grounds require

fresh, cool, and well-oxygenated water for egg survival.

Human activities such as industry, pollution/environmental contamina-

species decline and continue to impact the Migmaq way of life. The

GMRC hopes that though our SAR work, we can help prevent these

species at risk from disappearing from Gespegewagi, or worse, being

completely wiped out of existence.

GMRC does not claim ownership of

any knowledge or information col-

lected through its projects. Owner-

ship of such knowledge remains

with those who shared it. All data

collected by GMRC is without preju-

dice. It will be collected, digitized

and stored in a database within

GMRC. This saved data will be used

to develop future SAR work along

with preserving this knowledge for

future generations.

For more information on our projects

and species at risk, please visit our

website at www.migmaqresource.

org/species.


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Previous GMRC AFSAR Projects

Year Project Title Species

2010-2011

To Conduct an Ecological As-

sessment Between the Ameri-

can Eel and the Maritime Ring-

District of Gespegewagi

American Eel

2009-2010

Estimating Relative Abun-

dance of Juvenile American

Eel (Elvers) in Gespegewagi(present day Miramichi River,

New Brunswick area to south-

ern parts of Quebecs Gasp

Peninsula).

American Eel

2008-2009

Capacity building, historical

traditional ecological knowledge

and current status investiga-

tion of endangered species on

aboriginal lands of the Resti-

gouche River

Gulf of St. Lawrence Aster

Harlequin Duck

Species at Risk Found in GespegewagiAll the species and habitat that GMRC works with are found within Gespegewagi,

Here are a few species at risk found in Gespegewagi:

Atlantic Salmon

Woodland Caribou

American Eel

Striped BassAtlantic Sturgeon

Peregrine Falcon

Piping Plover

Gulf of St. Lawrence Aster

Harlequin Duck


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Appendix A

COSEWIC - The Committee on the Status of EndangeredWildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is comprised of indepen-

assess the status of wildlife species in Canada.

Extinct- A wildlife species that no longer exists.

Extirpated- A wildlife species that no longer exists in the

wild in Canada, but exists elsewhere.

Endangered- A wildlife species facing imminent extirpation

or extinction.

Threatened- A wildlife species that is likely to become

endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading

to its extirpation or extinction.

Special Concern - A wildlife species that may become

threatened or endangered because of a combination of

- A category that applies when the available

eligibility for assessment or (b) to permit an assessment of

the wildlife species risk of extinction.

Not At Risk - A wildlife species that has been evaluated

and found to be not at risk of extinction given the current

circumstances.

Recovery Strategies - A recovery strategy is a planning

the decline of a species. It sets goals and objectives and

-

tailed planning is done at the subsequent action plan stage.

Action Plans - An action plan outlines the projects or

activities required to meet the goals and objectives outlined

in the recovery strategy. This includes information on the

species habitat, protection measures, and an evaluation of

of the two-part recovery planning process and is used to

implement the projects or activities to improve the species

status.

Management Plans - A management plan differs from a re-covery strategy and action plan, as it sets goals and objec-

tives for maintaining sustainable population levels of one or

more species that are particularly sensitive to environmen-

tal factors, but which are not in danger of becoming extinct.

Critical Habitat - Habitat that is necessary for the survival

or recovery of a species.

Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk

The Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk (AFSAR) wascreated as an important element of the implementation

of the Species at Risk Act. The protection of species at

risk in Canada depends upon a meaningful collaboration

with Aboriginal people and organizations in the imple-

mentation of programs under the Species at Risk Act.

The Act recognizes the role that Aboriginal people play

in wildlife conservation and requires that Aboriginal tra-

ditional knowledge be taken into account when assess-

ments of which species are at risk are carried out and

when protection and recovery measures are developed

and implemented.


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