Nature Conservancy of Canada buys P.E.I. island to give to Mi'kmaq

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has officially purchased an island off Western P.E.I. with the intention totransfer it to the Epekwitk Assembly of Councils four years from now.

It's called Kwesawe'k(pronounced gweh-sah-wehk), andis also known as Oulton's Island. The 85-hectare land mass is located near Alberton in Cascumpec Bay.

"This is a huge, huge thing for the Mi'kmaq people," said Lennox Island First NationChief Darlene Bernard, who is also the council's co-chair."It's reconciliation in action."

The total project budget to purchase the island was a little over $1.3 million. It's home to colonies of great blue herons and double-crested cormorants, as well asbald eagles and squirrels, according to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).

"We have learned that it is of great cultural significance to the P.E.I. Mi'kmaq," said Lanna Campbell, the program director. "We thought, 'Well, if we can conserve this island, it should not be part of NCC's portfolio we should transfer ownership for their care and stewardship.'

"That's what we're going to do. We're going to fully transfer it over."

But that won't happen for a few years yet.

"We're just really happy today to be announcing that we've met phase one of our goal, which was to make sure the island was purchased and protected," said Campbell.

'Great things will happen together'

Now, it's on to phase two conserving the land together with the Mi'kmaq living on Epekwitk, or Prince Edward Island.

"It's been really wonderful to learn from each other," said Campbell.

In this case, thatmeans learning some of the environmental principles important to the Indigenous community.

Example of those concepts are netukulimk, meaning "only take what you need," and etuaptmumk, meaning"two-eyed seeing," which looks at ways to combine traditional and western strengths.

"We have a shared history ... a lot of bad things happened," said Bernard. "But by working together, moving forward and respecting the First Nations, a lot of great things will happen together."

"Chiefs or elders and knowledge keepers, they say that there is no reconciliation without land back. So here we are having land back."

While it's a step forward in reconciliation, Bernard said there is still more work to do.

"We're at the cusp of something new, a new age, a new time, but we do have to make sure we're doing it right and slowing it down a little bit and making sure everybody's voices are heard," she said.

'I would be in tears'

As for Campbell, she hopes this inspires other organizations in the country to take similar action.

"Nature needs us to work in partnership," said Campbell.

"Nature doesn't need us to sort of be waving our own flags and that. When we work together is when we can create really magical things."

And come 2027, Bernard said having the land transferred to the Epekwitk Assembly of Councils will be a moment she thinks would makeher ancestors proud.

"If I am blessed to be there, I'm sure I would be in tears tears of joy," she said.

"It's a great friggin' day."