Lake Ainslie Watershed By: Monica Ragan
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Exploring the Complex and Competing Relationships of Resource users within the Margaree- Lake Ainslie Watershed By: Monica Ragan A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Subsidiary St. Francis Xavier University Anthropology and Interdisciplinary Studies in Aquatic Resources Programs Advisor: Dr. L. Jane McMillan Second Reader: Dr. Jim Williams March 25th, 2019 i Acknowledgements I am grateful for the love and support of my family. The completion of this thesis would not have been possible without your continuing encouragement. Over the past year, I had many ups and downs along my academic journey. At times I did not believe in myself or what I am capable of doing. You all kept me grounded and pushed me to achieve my best. I cannot thank you all enough. To my supervisor, Dr. L. Jane McMillan, thank you for having me as one of your honours students. I learned a vast amount from you over our last year together. You have taught me how to become an ethical researcher and anthropologist. I cannot wait to take these skills into my future endeavours. I want to thank Dr. Jim Williams, my second reader. I am thankful for your excellent suggestions and guidance throughout this process. Thank you to all my interviewees for taking time out of your day to assist me with my research. Sharing your knowledge has not only helped my research, but I have learned much from all of you. Finally, I would like to thank the RBC Foundation Undergraduate Summer Research Internship Awards. Without your monetary support, I would not be able to complete this thesis. ii Abstract River systems are a common feature across the Canadian landscape, and yet few hold the title as a Canadian Heritage River. This research uses the Margaree-Lake Ainslie watershed, a Canadian Heritage River located on Cape Breton Island, to assess the cultural, natural, and recreational relationships found with Atlantic salmon between various players. This study is grounded in the anthropological research methods of participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and political ecology theory. The findings from this research reveal that the designation of the watershed as a Canadian Heritage River has not eased tensions between recreational salmon anglers, other recreational watershed users, Mi’kmaw harvesters, and landowners. Controversial issues remain regarding salmon management, economic development, and who has the right to use the watershed. This research only scratches the surface of the complex relationships found in the Margaree-Lake Ainslie watershed and does not speak to other complicated issues surrounding the gaspereau fishery, debates on rocking the river banks, or addressing the difficulty of encouraging young adults to live in the region. The findings from this study contribute significantly to the scarce literature and research on Canadian Heritage Rivers and their outcomes. iii Acronyms CHRB: Canadian Heritage Rivers Board CHRS: Canadian Heritage Rivers System DFO: Department of Fisheries and Oceans ECCC: Environment and Climate Change Canada FSC: Food, Social, and Ceremonial KMKNO: Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Negotiation Office MAPS: Mi’kma’ki All Points Services MSA: Margaree Salmon Association NCNS: Native Council of Nova Scotia NSDFA: Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture NSE: Nova Scotia Environment PHP: Port Hawkesbury Paper TEK: Traditional Ecological Knowledge UINR: Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources UNSI: Union of Nova Scotia Indians iv List of Figures and Table Figure 1: Map of the Margaree-Lake Ainslie River System (CHRS 2017c). ________________________ 2 Figure 2: Looking upriver the Margaree River. The photo was taken in East Margaree. Photo taken by author. ____________________________________________________________________________ 3 Figure 3: Photo taken from Trout Brook Provincial Park, East Lake Ainslie. Photo taken by author. __ 5 Figure 4: Natural and cultural values (CHRB 2017, 53). _______________________________________ 55 Figure 5: Recreational Values (CHRB 2017, 54). _____________________________________________ 56 Figure 6: River etiquette sign near Garden and Brook Pools in North East Margaree. Photo taken by author. ___________________________________________________________________________ 68 Figure 7: One of the signs created by the Margaree-Lake Ainslie Heritage River Society overlooking East Lake Ainslie. Photo taken by author. ______________________________________________ 75 Figure 8: Cost of a 2018 salmon license in Nova Scotia (NSDFA 2018a). __________________________ 80 Figure 9: The starting point, Tanner’s Run, for the 2018 Anything that Floats Race. Photo taken by author. ___________________________________________________________________________ 88 Table 1: A summary of what the Canadian Heritage Rivers designation means and does not mean for each of the four key players and residents as indicated by participants. ______________________ 94 v Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction to the Research Site ____________________________________ 1 Research Design __________________________________________________________________ 4 The Scope of the Research __________________________________________________________ 4 Recruitment of Participants _________________________________________________________________ 5 Methodology _____________________________________________________________________ 7 Case Study: The Margaree-Lake Ainslie Heritage Rivers Designation ____________________ 11 Key Organizations _______________________________________________________________ 12 The Margaree Salmon Association __________________________________________________________ 12 The Mi’kmaw Nation and the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR) _______________________ 14 Margaree-Lake Ainslie Heritage River Society ________________________________________________ 15 Government Agencies ____________________________________________________________________ 15 The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) _____________________________________________ 15 The Nova Scotia Department of Environment (NSE) _________________________________________ 16 The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (NSDFA) ____________________________ 17 Conclusion ______________________________________________________________________ 18 Thesis Outline ___________________________________________________________________ 18 Chapter Two: Theoretical Literature Review ______________________________________ 20 Theoretical Literature Review______________________________________________________ 20 Biodiversity ____________________________________________________________________________ 22 Biodemocracy __________________________________________________________________________ 23 Social Movements _______________________________________________________________________ 24 Incommensurability _____________________________________________________________________ 24 Gender ________________________________________________________________________________ 25 Theoretical Application in this Research _____________________________________________ 25 Conclusion ______________________________________________________________________ 27 Chapter Three: A Mi’kmaw Perspective of the Margaree-Lake Ainslie Watershed ________ 28 The Mi’kmaq, Oral Traditions, and the Environment __________________________________ 28 The Importance of Oral Traditions __________________________________________________________ 28 Mi’kmaw Relationship with the Margaree-Lake Ainslie Watershed Before European Arrival ____________ 30 Historical Context of Atlantic Salmon in Mi’kmaw Society ______________________________ 31 The Meaning of Plamu ___________________________________________________________________ 32 The Mi’kmaq, Settlers, and the Desire for Salmon _____________________________________ 33 Indigenous Rights, the Fisheries, and the Supreme Court of Canada ______________________ 35 The Sparrow Outcome ___________________________________________________________________ 35 The Sparrow Test _______________________________________________________________________ 36 The Marshall Decision ___________________________________________________________________ 37 Netukulimk ______________________________________________________________________ 38 Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge Importance _______________________________________ 41 Two-Eyed Seeing _______________________________________________________________________ 41 Conclusion ______________________________________________________________________ 42 vi Chapter Four: The Arrival of Settlers (1750s to 1983) ______________________________ 43 The Early Salmon Fishery _________________________________________________________ 44 Historical Anecdotes of Personal Salmon Use _________________________________________ 48 Conclusion ______________________________________________________________________ 50 Chapter Five: The Canadian Heritage Rivers System (1984 to 1998) ___________________ 51 The CHRS Program ______________________________________________________________ 51 Designation and Nomination Process ________________________________________________________ 52 Governance of the Margaree-Lake Ainslie Heritage River Designation ____________________ 53 Why the Margaree-Lake Ainslie Watershed? _________________________________________ 54 Margaree-Lake Ainslie’s Heritage Values ____________________________________________ 58 Residential Resistance Towards the CHRS Designation _________________________________________