Category Archives: Print

A new television drama began airing on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network called Blackstone. The hour-long show deals with tough issues such as addictions, family violence, suicide, corruption and nepotism on the fictional First Nation community of Blackstone in western … Continue reading →

I’ve know the story of Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash my entire life. It’s one of those stories I often heard told by the adults during my childhood. Anna Mae, although her friends and family affectionately refer to her as “Annie Mae,” … Continue reading →

I figure that I’ve made three dramatic moves away from home in my entire 37 years of existence. The first time was when I was 18. I had recently graduated from high school and got accepted to Saint Mary’s University. … Continue reading →

For as long as I can remember, the St. Anne’s Mission has been in Chapel Island and in Merigomish. The “mission” is an annual summer gathering of Mi’kmaq to honour St. Anne, the patron saint of Mi’kmaq people. St. Anne’s … Continue reading →

As a journalist, there are times I find it difficult to remain unaffected by the stories I cover on a daily basis. That’s especially true when it comes to dealing with the topic of suicide. I found myself in one … Continue reading →

Last month, I travelled to the Pleasant Point Reservation near Perry, Me., to speak to people in the Passamaquoddy community and surrounding area about a controversial proposal: An Oklahoma-based company called Quoddy Bay LNG wants to lease land from the … Continue reading →

(Note: This column is the unedited version I submitted to the Ryerson Review of Journalism. The edited version can be read by clicking here.) It was August 2000 and here I was in Burnt Church, N.B. covering the daily showdowns … Continue reading →

Earlier this month, I travelled to Cape Sable Island to interview two representatives of a group called the Confederacy of Nova Scotia Metis regarding the issue of Metis people in Nova Scotia. The group formed approximately six years ago and … Continue reading →

Last fall, I spoke to a group of Grade 7 students at Riverside Education Centre in Milford about my career as a journalist and writer. Their teacher invited me because she wanted to get them excited about writing and expressing … Continue reading →

I was 14 years old when I was first diagnosed with asthma. It was summertime and my family drove into Halifax one day to watch my brother participate in a long-distance road race. But as I was continually losing my … Continue reading →

Since this is my last column of 2005, I thought I would reflect on a few news stories that were, in my opinion, significant in the aboriginal community in Nova Scotia this year. • The Supreme Court of Canada decision … Continue reading →

Three years ago, I received a call from a woman who belonged to a Bedford group that was trying to protect a wooded area from residential development. Shirley Jerram informed me that the proposed new development might put in jeopardy … Continue reading →

As an aboriginal journalist covering aboriginal issues on a daily basis, I meet and interview many people within the community. Sometimes, this job can get stale, covering the same issues over and over again. So, it’s such a treat when … Continue reading →

As a Mi’kmaq person, I look forward to Treaty Day every Oct. 1 in Halifax. It’s the one opportunity when I get to see everyone I know in one place. I guess that’s the spirit of the annual celebration – … Continue reading →

Talking about the Indian residential schools is a touchy matter for both the Church and aboriginal peoples. After all, remembering what happened in those schools would make anyone feel uncomfortable. There was one such school in Nova Scotia, located in … Continue reading →

When Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949, the Mi’kmaq communities were left out of the Indian Act. Whether that exclusion was deliberate or not depends on whom you talk to about it. Many in the Mi’kmaq community believe it was a … Continue reading →

Last year on Aboriginal Day, I attended the funeral service of Mi’kmaq activist and community member Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash. The day, June 21, marked the return of Indian Brook’s own woman warrior to her home community. As a member of … Continue reading →

My significant other and I were watching the documentary Indecently Exposed on television one night several months ago. It was produced by Michael Snook, and it profiled former grade school teacher Jane Elliot and her workshop on racism and prejudice. … Continue reading →

I’ve learned the history of my people from covering court cases. It’s a revelation I had while I was in Ottawa several months ago. I was there covering the court hearing of 35 Mi’kmaq loggers charged with cutting trees on … Continue reading →

I never imagined that the occasional conversation about aboriginal issues with a certain unnamed weekly columnist and staff editorial writer in this same section would turn into a monthly column for me. But about a year ago, he and I … Continue reading →