by Daniel Beausoleil, MCG

This past year, Mi’kmawey Forestry has been working to develop a Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) business aimed at creating new opportunities for Mi’kmaw Communities. We are working toward creating a means for Mi’kmaw artists, craftsmen, creators and guides to harvest, develop, transport, and sell sustainable and authentic Mi’kmaw products.

These products range from visual and physical art work, natural foods and medicines, and eco-tourism. Everything we are looking to develop is for community members, requested by community members, in collaboration with community members and will ultimately be run by and to benefit community members.

Adhering to our guiding principles of promoting and restoring the concept of Netukulimk, we are completing preliminary market research to understand the economic opportunity and viability of selling and operating, what will ultimately be a cooperative business.

To fully understand the reasons for developing an initiative like this, we must take a step back and incorporate the big picture.

Our most important mandate is community. Everything we do is designed with community members at the front and center. When we look at the communities that make up the Mainland Mi’kmaq population we see the abundance of opportunity in the way of creativity, ingenuity and beauty. Community members have immense potential to create and share knowledge within the scope of non-timber forest products and beyond. Things like ...