The Mount Allison Students’ Union has joined others in publicly condemning the violence against Mi’kmaw fishers in Nova Scotia.
Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton and university president Jean-Paul Boudreau have also issued statements condemning the anti-Indigenous violence in Nova Scotia.
In a statement released Wednesday, the union says that Indigenous people at the Saulnierville Wharf have been assaulted, harassed, and threatened. The statement says:
“Thousands of dollars in gear and equipment have been destroyed, compounds have been broken into, lobsters poisoned and stolen, boats and vehicles set on fire, and businesses denying gas and places to stay.
As we witness these attacks, we are reminded that colonialism is not just a legacy from our past, but that it continues to shape our present in violent ways.”
The union highlights that the Indigenous Student Support Group at Mount Allison is currently organizing in support of Mi’kmaw fishers.
The group is collecting monetary donations, and have organized a drop-box for requested items such as warm clothing, blankets, flashlights/headlamps, food supplies, storage bins, toilet paper, and hand warmers. The located in the main lobby of the Student Union building on York Street.
The MASU statement also acknowledges the toll the events in Nova Scotia have taken on the Mount Allison indigenous community.
The statement concludes, “We are all treaty people. As guests on Turtle Island, it is all of our responsibilities in honouring the treaties that benefit us all. Wela’lin (Thank you).”
