Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

ESGENOOPETITJ (Burnt Church) - On Sunday August 26, 2001, as the community of Esgenoopetitj wound down the weekend's annual pow wow (a two day festival of Native culture and family reunions) with a free lobster dinner offered to the general public, a string of lights was seen moving across Miramichi bay. From the shore, about 26 non-native commercial fishing vessels were visible, circling in the water over the community's lobster traps. It was reminiscent of a Sunday in October 1999 when non-native boats entered the bay and destroyed over 3000 of the community's traps.

The CPT team and visiting delegation drove to the Burnt Church wharf, about 1km from the reserve, where an RCMP trailer and several police cars were parked, as they have been for several weeks. CPTers, led by Natasha Krahn, asked the RCMP officers, "What are you doing about this situation?" The only response they received was "Actions are being taken." CPT then spread out, with some members observing the bay, while others maintained a silent presence in prayer. Some delegates stood close to a group of non-natives who were making comments such as "I hope [the boats] cut their [Native] traps" and "The Natives should get out of my yard."

RCMP Chief Inspector Kevin Vickers drove up to the wharf, and immediately approached CPT delegates, Heather Toews (Waterloo, ON) and Lorraine Snyder (Kitchener, ON). In a reassuring tone, he chatted with them, informing them that there were 35 RCMP boats and two helicopters "out there." When the CPT team came over with a video camera asking him to repeat his information for the record, he refused to respond, threatening to arrest Natasha should she continue asking questions. Vickers then spent time approaching various other CPT delegates with conflicting information, telling some that there were about 5 boats on the bay, and others that the RCMP were monitoring the home wharves of the non-native boats. Meanwhile, no one was able to spot an RCMP boat on the water. One helicopter was observed overhead. As CPTers returned to the reserve Mi'kmaq warriors prepared to close and guard two roads leading into it.

In a delegates' meeting the next day, American participants recalled the famous incident at Little Rock, Arkansas, when, due to a Supreme Court ruling desegregating schools, police officers risked their lives to escort nine black children to a white school each day, past hostile members of the surrounding white community. Delegates expressed their deep concern that the RCMP was not adequately protecting the Native community, who have a constitutional right to their lobster fishery, from possible attacks by non-native fishers. The next day, the Native community informed CPT that traps had been cut during the incident.

Delegation members in Esgenoopetitj were Rob Burdette (Butler, OH), Robin Buyers (Toronto, ON), Tom Cavanaugh (Lennoxville, QC), Bob Carlsten (Denver, CO), Jill Foster (Champlain-Hull, QC), Don Heap (Toronto, ON), Rodney Orr (Cuba, IL), Marilyn Roper (Houlton, ME), Abigail Smith (Gibson City, IL), Lorraine Synder (Kitchener, ON), Shira Taylor (Toronto, ON), and Heather Toews (Waterloo, ON).