Community leader, environment groups recognized for reconciliation efforts on P.E.I.
Two P.E.I. organizations and a local community leader were honoured Tuesday at the fifth annual Reconciliation Recognition Awards in Charlottetown as part of Indigenous Awareness Week.
The week is dedicated to honouring and celebrating Indigenous peoples, their cultures and contributions.
Jenene Wooldridge, executive director of L'nuey, said the occasion not only highlights Indigenous culture, but also celebrates the work non-Indigenous people are doing on reconciliation.
"We always look forward to kicking it off with our annual Reconciliation Recognition Awards to highlight Islanders who have done such good work in promoting allyship and reconciliation through their actions and their work all year long," Wooldridge told CBC News.
"These are folks who don't have to do that work, and it's not necessarily easy work, but they choose to be good allies to the Mi'kmaq and so we are honoured to be able to highlight their actions and the work that they do."
As part of the week's events, L'nuey will be launching two new traditional Mi'kmaw place names on signs in Rustico and Cavendish, adding to a growing list of more than 40 traditional Mi'kmaw place names on road signs across P.E.I.
Honouring reconciliation through arts
Julia Campbell, founder and creative director of P.E.I. Fashion Week, was recognized for using her platform to support reconciliation through the arts.
Campbell has created inclusive spaces that honour and elevate Mi'kmaq and other Indigenous designers, artists and storytellers, the organization said.
Through her leadership, P.E.I. Fashion Week has evolved into more than just a celebration of style — it's become a venue for cultural expression, education and healing, L'nuey said in a news release.
"This is a huge honour for me. I was very surprised and humbled to… be recognized for work that has been very enjoyable for me, collaborations that have meant so much, and an immense amount of learning and unlearning that has come through through this allyship," Campbell said.
"It's been very easy for me to honour, through art and fashion... Indigenous peoples. Their work is so deeply rooted in storytelling and the culture around Indigenous design and Indigenous fashion, and Mi'kmaw fashion here in P.E.I. It's been beautiful for me to be able to see their work through their lens and be able to share that with people across P.E.I. and across Canada."
Recognizing land-based reconciliation
Two environmental organizations, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Island Nature Trust, were also honoured for their efforts in land-based reconciliation and partnerships with the Mi'kmaq.
The organizations have worked closely with Mi'kmaq on the Island on areas like the Pituamkek National Park Reserve and have integrated Indigenous knowledge into their conservation efforts.
Lanna Campbell, the P.E.I. program director for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.
"I just feel incredibly honoured and humbled to receive this award. I think when you're doing the work, you're unsure if you're doing it right, and so it just feels really wonderful to be recognized by our Mi'kmaw partners," Campbell said.
Simon Andrea, the land acquisition manager at Island Nature Trust, accepted the award on behalf of his organization.
He mentioned a recent collaboration with L'nuey and the Epekwitk Assembly of Councils to acquire land for protection as an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area. So far, they have helped protect about 1,400 acres.
"At Island Nature Trust, we're the largest private landowner on P.E.I. We own over 12,000 acres of land, and we recognize that that is the unceded lands of the Mi'kmaq people, and ... being able to incorporate cultural uses, uses that have been going on for thousands of years, is really important to us," Andrea said.
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