Toquktmekl agreement provides governance framework for co-management of Parks Canada administered places on PEI
Today, Chief Darlene Bernard, Lennox Island First Nation, Chief Junior Gould, Abegweit First Nation, co-chairs of the Epekwitk Assembly of Councils, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, and the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced the signing of a co-management agreement between the Mi'kmaq Epekwitnewaq Kapmntemuow and the Government of Canada.
The agreement, called Toquktmekl (doh-gook-t-may-gul), Mi'kmaw for "tackling projects together", provides the framework for Parks Canada and the Mi'kmaq Epekwitnewaq Kapmntemuow (the Mi'kmaq Nation Government of PEI) to continue to work together and share resources. The agreement embodies the shared commitment to ensure ecological integrity and the Epekwitnewaq Mi'kmaq Way of Life are maintained and promoted for the use, benefit, education, and enjoyment of future generations.
The Epekwitnewaq Mi'kmaq and Parks Canada have been working collaboratively for many years, and this agreement formalizes this relationship through a shared governance structure that will provide guidance through a co-management board. Through Toquktmekl, the Epekwitk Assembly of Councils and Parks Canada will cooperate in the planning, management, operation, and in the monitoring and evaluation of Parks Canada administered lands on PEI.
The cultures and identities of Indigenous peoples are rooted in the land, and honouring connections to place is an important element for actions and outcomes related to reconciliation. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring Indigenous connections are honoured, and Indigenous rights are respected. Toquktmekl advances reconciliation in a concrete and meaningful way - by acknowledging the contributions of the Mi'kmaq, Mi'kmaw history and culture, as well as the special long-standing relationship the Mi'kmaq have with traditional lands and waters on PEI.
This agreement will ensure Epekwitnewaq Mi'kmaq expertise, knowledge, and traditional practices are incorporated into all aspects of management and programming. It represents a meaningful step in the path to regaining Mi'kmaq self-determination and self-government and is an evolution of an already positive and well-established relationship between the Mi'kmaq Epekwitnewaq Kapmntemuow and Parks Canada. For L'nuey, the PEI Mi'kmaq Rights organization, the agreement represents an important milestone in the fulfillment of the mandate from the Mi'kmaq leadership to protect, preserve and implement Mi'kmaq rights in PEI.
Parks Canada is committed to working collaboratively with Indigenous peoples and honouring their contributions to our shared heritage, history, and future. Collaborating with numerous Indigenous communities across Canada, Parks Canada and Indigenous peoples are partners in conserving natural and cultural heritage and sharing the stories of these treasured places.
