78 Kelly Bannister
• Researchers must “understand and observe the protocol concerning
communications within any Tl’azt’en community” and “observe ethical
and professional practices relevant to their respective disciplines” (Tl’azt’en
Nation, 1998, p. 1).
Mi'kmaq Ecological Knowledge Study Protocol (2nd Edition) of the
Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs (Assembly of Nova Scotia
Mi’kmaq Chiefs, n.d.) – There is an expectation for “free, informed consent”
noting that “education and agreement” are key elements, and a “written Consent
and Release Form” that specifies the “agreement factors” is required. It must be
made clear to participants that the Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Study “is
not Consultation for the purpose of justifying an infringement of Aboriginal
and Treaty Rights” (Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, n.d., pp. 17–18).
The document also includes a lengthy description of what Mi'kmaq Ecological Knowledge is and the principles that must be included in Mi'kmaq Ecological
Knowledge Studies:
Mi’kmaq maintain a deep and profound relationship with their traditional
lands, waters and resources. This longstanding relationship has given rise
to Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge (MEK) – a body of knowledge that the
Mi’kmaq maintain regarding the natural environment.
(Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, n.d., p. 3)
“Mi’gmaq ways of knowing” include the principles of Kepmite’tmnej ta’n
wettapeksulti’k and netukulimk:
• Kepmite’tmnej ta’n wettapeksulti’k translates to “Let us greatly respect our
Mi’gmaq roots” and references that Mi’gmaq acknowledge themselves as
being born from and rooted in the traditional lands of Mi’gma’qi (Assembly
of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, n.d., p. 5);
• Nekutulimk is “the use of natural bounty provided by the Creator for selfsupport and well-being of the individual and community. Nekutulimk
is achieving adequate standards of community nutrition and economic
well-being without jeopardizing the integrity, diversity, or productivity of
our environment” (Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, n.d., p. 6).
The Foreword to the document ends with M’st No’gmaq, which is the Mi’gmaq
way to indicate the end of a prayer “as an acknowledgement to [Mi’gmaq] ancestors and to all creation for giving us the lives we have”. M’st No’gmaq translates to
“All Our Relations”, which expresses the Mi’gmaq
social/spiritual concept of understanding that each and every life depends
on all other beings (animate and inanimate) for survival here on Mother
Earth. Embedded within this concept is the reality that all creation, and all
it encompasses, are interconnected and interdependent upon one another
• Researchers must “understand and observe the protocol concerning
communications within any Tl’azt’en community” and “observe ethical
and professional practices relevant to their respective disciplines” (Tl’azt’en
Nation, 1998, p. 1).
Mi'kmaq Ecological Knowledge Study Protocol (2nd Edition) of the
Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs (Assembly of Nova Scotia
Mi’kmaq Chiefs, n.d.) – There is an expectation for “free, informed consent”
noting that “education and agreement” are key elements, and a “written Consent
and Release Form” that specifies the “agreement factors” is required. It must be
made clear to participants that the Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Study “is
not Consultation for the purpose of justifying an infringement of Aboriginal
and Treaty Rights” (Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, n.d., pp. 17–18).
The document also includes a lengthy description of what Mi'kmaq Ecological Knowledge is and the principles that must be included in Mi'kmaq Ecological
Knowledge Studies:
Mi’kmaq maintain a deep and profound relationship with their traditional
lands, waters and resources. This longstanding relationship has given rise
to Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge (MEK) – a body of knowledge that the
Mi’kmaq maintain regarding the natural environment.
(Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, n.d., p. 3)
“Mi’gmaq ways of knowing” include the principles of Kepmite’tmnej ta’n
wettapeksulti’k and netukulimk:
• Kepmite’tmnej ta’n wettapeksulti’k translates to “Let us greatly respect our
Mi’gmaq roots” and references that Mi’gmaq acknowledge themselves as
being born from and rooted in the traditional lands of Mi’gma’qi (Assembly
of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, n.d., p. 5);
• Nekutulimk is “the use of natural bounty provided by the Creator for selfsupport and well-being of the individual and community. Nekutulimk
is achieving adequate standards of community nutrition and economic
well-being without jeopardizing the integrity, diversity, or productivity of
our environment” (Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, n.d., p. 6).
The Foreword to the document ends with M’st No’gmaq, which is the Mi’gmaq
way to indicate the end of a prayer “as an acknowledgement to [Mi’gmaq] ancestors and to all creation for giving us the lives we have”. M’st No’gmaq translates to
“All Our Relations”, which expresses the Mi’gmaq
social/spiritual concept of understanding that each and every life depends
on all other beings (animate and inanimate) for survival here on Mother
Earth. Embedded within this concept is the reality that all creation, and all
it encompasses, are interconnected and interdependent upon one another