Learning to Fish in High School

MIAWPUKEK MI'KMAQ OF CONNE RIVER (NEWFOUNDLAND)

Located on the coast of Newfoundland, the Mi'kmaq community of Conne River is nestled among forests and mountains. It's easy to understand how nature has been an inspiration to this small community and their ability to live.

It hasn’t been very long since it became a reserve, but the community has become a model of Indigenous enterprise. It owns and manages several businesses, like the fish hatchery program, hunting and fishing lodges and a logging company. The community vision is to make their town work on traditional ways.

Miawpukek Aquaculture is a good part of this idea. Using traditional knowledge of the sea, the community created a company that collects, processes and markets fish in large numbers. What makes it super cool is that they use the high school students in this business. The students watch and learn as the fish grow and then become food. This teaches them about the lifecycle of the fish and how it supports the community.

The information for this article was obtained through an interview with Jackie Leclaire, Mi'kmaq from Conne River who taught at the Kahnawake Survival School.