Hi. My name is Allison Bernard. I'm employed with the Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative. I've been involved on the fisheries file for the last 10 years, really. I've seen a lot of ups and downs, and I've seen two different governments try to pursue this.

My experience with this has been somewhat concerning a lot of times. I see that the Mi’kmaq never really get a chance to move ahead, even though we've had this treaty right or this Marshall decision since 1999, which is 21 years. It certainly brings a heartfelt feeling, because my father was the chief for our community when this came through. Everybody thought that they would go out there fishing and go on with their lives, but, in any case, that didn't happen.

There's been a lot of talk on both sides between the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs and government, DFO, right up to the minister's office. It is steady, but progress hasn't really been made.

This is somewhat like the third-generation movement into the Marshall decision. My father, as I said, was the initial person. I'm the second generation. I was a band councillor for about 10 years. Now my son is out there fishing and he's having a really hard time, because there's inconsistency with whatever is happening out there.

Our people are told by our own that we have a right—and the courts recognize that right—but being part of this whole scenario, what's been unfolding in the last many weeks.... I was in the dead centre of Saulnierville, southwest Nova Scotia, where all the protests were happening between the Acadian fishermen, or the area fishermen and the Mi’kmaq. It's really hard to look at your own people, especially the youth—who were so excited going out there—and industry coming in and destroying traps, cutting gear, taking traps and chasing boats out of the water. As an ex-police officer, knowing what's going on out there, there should have been measures and activities by either DFO or the RCMP to prevent such distasteful activities by angry mobs and fishermen.

We practise our livelihood fishery, and we have been practising for thousands of years under the concept of netukulimk. Netukulimk is a very strong word in our culture. It limits activities, and it certainly puts you to a point where you respect everything in the ocean and everything around you, including plants, birds, air, water—everything around you. We don't disrupt anything.

In any case, I was really happy that I was invited tonight. I've seen a lot in my days. I think there needs to be something done between the consistency of DFO also, when it comes to the relation of C&P and the regular management of DFO. They're not collaborating, in my opinion, in terms of what's going on region to region. As I said, there have been more seizures of traps in St. Peter’s Bay over the last few days, and the RCMP has actually said that. They haven't had any word from Ottawa or the minister's office that they should not seize any gear. The only gear that's left out there is for our food fishery, and that's food, social and ceremonial stuff.

As I said, I was part of a lot of the actions that are taking place right now. Everything is moving along well. There was a quiet protest today by the Mi’kmaq fishery—fishery committee, I guess—the people who support our youth fishers who are out there. When I say “youth”, I have to say youth because this is, again, the third generation of people. I'm not able to go fishing, so it's my sons who are out there.

The inconsistency, in my opinion, is by DFO and how they convene and conduct themselves, whether it's C&P or whether it's the minister's office. That has to change.

As I said, I've been involved in the moderate livelihood issue over the last many years, but I've also been involved in the consultation side of everything, so I see how everything is connected, whether it's conservation, food, social or industry. It's really disheartening that a group of people, all Nova Scotians, don't seem to be able to get along and find answers to a situation, when clearly there are smart enough people within industry and in the Mi'kmaq and the Mi'kmaq government system.

We have to be recognized. When we assert our rights, we do have a governance structure. We are the third level of government in Nova Scotia. We have the provincial level, we have the Mi'kmaq and we have the federal department.

The Mi'kmaq hereditary rights to implement their own governance structure have been ignored over the last many years, and it took the last month, when the Mi'kmaq said enough is enough.... We have to do what's right for our people, and we have to go fishing.

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