PAQTNKEK MI’KMAW NATION – Traffic on Highway 104 at Exit 36B was slowed and temporarily halted last Thursday (April 2) ahead of the Easter long weekend as members of the local Mi’kmaw community and supporters staged a protest in response to RCMP raids on cannabis dispensaries in Potlotek First Nation.
Molly Peters, an organizer of the Paqtnkek protest, described the action on social media as a “peaceful highway blockade”, an act of solidarity with Potlotek, in protest of “ongoing raids and escalating hostile RCMP enforcement being carried out in our communities.”
That highway stretch – which runs through Antigonish County – was closed in both directions, according to an RCMP announcement, with traffic resuming as normal just before 8 p.m.
Earlier that day, after the RCMP raided the Sikku Shop cannabis dispensary in Potlotek, protesters blocked Highway 4 – a main Cape Breton artery that runs through the community. Along with Paqntkek, shows of support from sister Mi’kmaw communities spread across the province, with highway protests – and traffic slowdowns and delays – taking place along Highway 105 in We’koqma’q First Nation in Cape Breton, along with Exit 10 on Highway 102 on mainland Nova Scotia. Traffic was also down to a crawl through the Millbrook First Nation and Sipekne’katik First Nation.
A press release issued on April 3 indicated that the Northeast Nova RCMP, at approximately 7:30 a.m. on April 2, executed a search warrant under the authority of the federal Cannabis Act at an “illegal” cannabis storefront in Potlotek. Officers safely arrested two men on the premises in relation to the federal act and seized cannabis products.
Following the search, police said a group gathered in protest and blocked the highway “illegally” with heavy equipment. “In consideration of protester safety,” the release explained, “officers chose not to leave the premises using their vehicles. Once officers cleared their vehicles of weapons, they departed on foot and their vehicles remained in Potlotek.”
Throughout the day and overnight, the RCMP said it “continued dialogue” with community leaders. On April 3, at approximately 8:30 a.m., the blockade was removed.
Police said that the seven RCMP vehicles that remained in Potlotek after the search warrant execution were damaged, including broken windows, dents, deflated tires, removed tires, and urine-soaked interior surfaces. They thanked the public, including Potlotek community members, who provided information related to the damaged vehicles.
Premier Tim Houston wrote in a social media post that RCMP officers should be supported, and respected, not confronted.
“The treatment of the RCMP that we have seen is not acceptable. They are doing their job to uphold the law and keep Nova Scotians safe,” he added.
In response to Potlotek leaders rejecting an RCMP description of the protests as an “illegal blockade,” Houston wrote: “The unlawful obstruction of others is not peaceful. It undermines public safety, respect for law enforcement and the rule of law itself,” Premier Tim Houston wrote in another social media post Saturday evening (April 4). “Our roadways are our lifeblood. At any given time, people are travelling for critical reasons such as getting to medical appointments, hospitals, work and caring for their families.”
In a statement, Potlotek Chief Wilbert Marshall wrote, “This raid and the events that followed caused real trauma, fear, and distress in our community.”
He continued, “Because the RCMP carried out this action at approximately 7 a.m., our children were exposed to it as they were starting their school day. Our children, families, and elders should never have had to witness this in their own community. Some of our elders were so frightened that they felt they had to leave the community. What unfolded afterward was the community’s reaction to the trauma and fear caused by these events.”
Although he indicated he and council were “deeply proud” of community members for standing up for their treaty rights, they also condemned the vandalism of RCMP vehicles, urging anyone with information on who may have done it to contact police.
Simmering situation
Mi’kmaw communities across the province have been on high alert since last November when Attorney General Scott Armstrong tasked police agencies to heighten its enforcement of the cannabis law.
In early March, police raided what it called “illegal” cannabis storefront operations in five communities, including one located on the Petow Loop in Paqtnkek.
During the inspections, the provincial RCMP announced officers seized quantities of cannabis, hash, shatter, and various tobacco and nicotine products. Investigators are continuing to inventory the large amount of seized items.
The press release added “six people present at the storefronts were charged under the Cannabis Control Act for operating a store that sells cannabis; the amounts of the SOTs will be determined in court. Three individuals were also issued appearance notices for offences under the Nova Scotia Revenue Act involving illegal tobacco.”
‘Our collective strength’
While blaming Houston and his provincial government for failing “to meaningfully engage in Nation-to-Nation dialogue with Mi’kmaq leadership,” Peters offered in her social media post that the protests “did not come out of nowhere.”
She explained, “They have attempted to impose provincial authority over our Aboriginal title, Aboriginal rights, treaty rights, jurisdiction, and our inherent rights to self-determination and self-government,” adding that the Mi’kmaq “have never ceded our land, our authority, our jurisdiction, or our inherent rights.”
Peters wrote, “If you experienced an inconvenience today during the beginning of your Easter long weekend, it’s a small inconvenience compared to our daily realities. If you were frustrated, please direct your anger exactly where it needs to go, towards Premier Tim Houston and the provincial government directing and condoning these attacks on our people.”
Noting that the Mi’kmaq have the power to shut down highways because they go through their communities, she said, “You hurt one of our communities, you hurt all of us, and we stand together.”
Peters added, “Today, we showed our collective strength,” of the April 2 protests.
Many offered their support on social media, including Chelsey DeLorey who wrote, “Now is the time to stand with the Mi’kmaw people. There is strength in numbers, and this is our moment to show that support is real. We stand for true reconciliation, not systems forced on to them, but respect for their rights, voices and sovereignty.”
