Case Study: Burnt Church

The Burnt Church Crisis was a conflict between the Micmac people of the Burnt Church First Nation and non-Aboriginal fishermen from 1999 to 2001.

Aboriginal fishermen have a traditional right to fish out of the seasons designated by governments. This has angered other lobster fishermen because they believe that this practice will damage the lobster stock and result in smaller catches for them. In 1999, angry non-Aboriginals destroyed several Micmac lobster traps, and the native people destroyed fishing boats and buildings in return.

The Federal government convinced a number of native bands to sign agreements that would limit their ability to fish the area and keep the lobster stock strong. However, the Burnt Church First Nation refused to sign these agreements, saying that they were using traditional conservation methods to keep the stock strong. The Micmacs were ordered to limit their lobster traps to 40 for their entire band.

This escalated the conflict. By 2001, several standoffs occurred between police and native people. Numerous arrests were made. The government offered a solution of building a fishing wharf and providing five new fishing boats for the people, but they rejected the offer.

In April 2002, the government ruled that numerous charges be dropped and that fishermen be compensated for damaged traps and boats. They also recommended that First Nations fishermen not be allowed to fish out of season, and that natives should obtain fishing licences as everyone else despite their treaty rights.