In Conversation with
Charlotte Bernard

On 9 June, 2024 in collaboration with the KCA Engagement Committee, the History Committee of the KCA hosted Mi’kmaq Elder Charlotte Bernard for a dialogue on to the Peace and Friendship Treaties and the impact on herself and her community.

Charlotte shared that she had to overcome many hardships in her life. Eventually becoming a nurse serving her community for many years at the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Center in Halifax. After retirement she  turned her efforts to helping  Mi’kmaw communities throughout Nova Scotia. She is a proud mother and grandmother, who now feels great joy in her life. Charlotte revealed in advance that this was her first time speaking in front of a non-indigenous group and she would be supported by her friend Miranda Pierro. 

In introducing Charlotte, Carole Anne Mosher recounted the oral history in her family that credited the Mi’kmaw people who offered help and advice to the German speaking settlers arriving in the 1750’s. Without this shared knowledge many of the settlers arriving from Europe would not have survived those first winters.  

Charlotte displayed many traditional sacred artifacts and accessories, explaining the meaning of some of them like the drum reflecting the rhythm of the heart, the eagle feather used for spreading the scent of the four sacred herbs over the people, the hand-crafted bead and quill works and baskets which an important pastime and source of income to the indigenous people She started her session with an explanation  of smudging and its importance in indigenous culture. She ignited four sacred herbs used for smudging: tobacco (not the one used for cigarettes), sage, sweetgrass and cedar used in  the sacred ceremony for cleansing the mind, heart and soul. 

The 1726 treaty was the first of a series of treaties negotiated between the British, Mi’kmaw, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy. Additional treaties were signed in 1749, 1752 and 1760/61. These are known as the Peace and Friendship Treaties. One of the main aims of the British was to draw the Mi’kmaw away from their alliance with the French. Charlotte drew attention to the Supreme Court decision of 1999 upholding the Treaties as valid reaffirming the hunting, fishing and gathering rights promised to the indigenous people in the Peace and Friendship Treaties. She outlined the rights and obligations recorded in the Treaties and the impact they continue to have on lives of Nova Scotians and Canadians. The recent dispute regarding the harvesting of eels is just one example. Failure to implement the Treaties was only one means used by the Crown to restrict the lives of indigenous people.

The Indian Act of 1876 defined who has “Indian Status” and regulated many aspects of everyday life including expressions of culture and governance. This included voting rights and who can live on a reservation. The Indian Agent would patrol an area looking for “infractions”. This could include the musical instrument "ji'kmaqn". Made of ash it was easily concealed in the wood pile if the Indian Agent made a surprise visit. 

The establishment of Residential Schools under the Indian Act is responsible for generations of trauma. The school in Nova Scotia located in Shubenacadie served indigenous communities in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and  New Brunswick. The school established in 1929 was funded and run by the Canadian government and the Catholic Church. It was finally closed down in 1967 and demolished after a fire in 1986. Charlotte herself was a day student. Many members of Charlotte’s family were forced to attend this school. She and her family have had to overcome severe health issues and trauma as a result of these experiences. She described how she has found great comfort and strength exploring and learning about her family and her culture. These have been healing experiences for her personal recovery. 

Charlotte ended by saying  that “none of us were even born when the Treaties were signed, but we are now all treaty people. Through reconciliation we can chart a way forward together.”