The community of Miawpukek (Conne River), honor their elders this week beginning with a community supper on Tuesday. This celebration also marks the second anniversary of the Elders group. On Wednesday as many of the elders as possible will go on an outing by boat to the Roti Bay area. Then on Thursday there will be a community dance.
Like all aboriginal first nations, Miawpukek Mi'kmaw recognize their elders as a vital part of their community. Their continued contribution to the life and development of the community is both respected and appreciated. This celebration is one small sign of the community's thanks for this contribution.
Sponsored by their First Nation Government, It's Department of Health and Social Services, and Se'tanewe' School, the celebration is coordinated by Louise Organ, the community's family violence worker.
Miawpukek (Conne River) The vehicle highway into Miawpukek still leaves much to be desired but it should be smooth sailing on the information highway, thanks to Se'tanewe' (St. Ann's) School in Miawpukek, which is bringing the Internet to Baie d' Espoire in a big way.
Within the next month they will be installing Cancom's Internet Outpost Network in the community, and thus connecting the Bay to the Internet world via satellite instead of through telephone lines. Telephone service from the Bay to the rest of the province is very poor and this makes surfing the net quite aggravating as well as expensive.
People throughout the Baie d' Espoire area can now only connect with the Internet through long distance lines to major centers, where most of the net servers are established.
At present their options are limited to going through Stemnet, which is available only to educators; visiting the Data Services International's Business Information Technology Center; or calling long distance to the various servers established at such places like Memorial University and elsewhere.
With this new system residents of the bay will only have to make a local call to the node at Miawpukek. Presently there are only two other sites in the province similar to this one.
Cancom states that It's "Internet Outpost Network is a unique Internet access service offered by Cancom, usually known for it's cable TV service." And that "Cancom has a strong history in the telecommunications industry, being the first to offer cable TV to small and remote communities, being the first to commercialize mobile satellite communications for Canada's transportation industry and, this most recent effort, being the first to provide a unique turnkey solution for Internet access in small and remote Canadian communities."
In the Internet world speed is essential to truly experience and enjoy the net. Miawpukek/Cancom's Internet Outpost Network service will permit Internet users to access information at 192 kbs out of Baie d' Espoire and 514 kbs in the inbound direction. This will translate into much faster action on their computer screens and much faster uploading and downloading of files and much more fun. With the outdated telephone lines into Baie d' Espoire at present, surfers on the net now have to sit by their monitors and practically watch their information being drawn out on their screens. And it can take up to an hour downloading a lot of today's computer program information.
Se'tanewe's service should be up and running within the next month. This service is not free and is supposed to be a money making venture. Costs are yet to be decided, but will be comparable with similar services by land lines within the province. Plans are to have a minimum of 20 telephone lines at start-up. And word is that the telephone company has plans to upgrade the telephone system within the area.
Internet services have been lacking in the Baie d' Espoire area for a while. People wanting to access the net at any faster speeds than at present would not be advised to hold their breath while waiting for telephone services out of Baie d' Espoire to be upgraded. Various organizations have been working at improving the Internet service in the area for the longest time, but have always seen their efforts stymied by the poor telephone system. Miawpukek's Se'tanewe' School believes what they are offering is an even better proposal and is one more example of their community's contribution to the economic life of Baie d' Espoire.
(Miawpukek) The Powwow 96 committee was out in the chilly weather Friday, washing and vacuuming the cars and trucks of the community.
Early on Friday, in answer to notices posted around town, cars and trucks were lined up to be cleaned. The lineup began even before the small but enthusiastic group could even get set up.
But set up they did, and clean they did, and vacuum and scrub. A complete job cost $10.00. And if ever a group of volunteers worked for their money, this group did. With the kind of roads around here, you'd half expect people would be coming back for a redo an hour after they were finished. No one did of course, but there was plenty of work.
Notwithstanding the weather, Tammy, Laverna and Denise, the last remaining members of a much larger volunteer squad, and their hardy group of assistants slaved happily from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. One group cleaning and the other serving up food and refreshments.
For their efforts a job well done. For the committee a little more money to be added to the pot to pay for this summer's Powwow. For the vehicle owners a clean machine. For the community, another lesson in community spirit.
(Miawpukek) On April 18, an important event in the recent history of the Mi'kmaw of Miawpukek (Conne River) will be remembered. It commemorates that time in 1983 that nine Mi'kmaw from that community "Fasted", in a last ditch attempt at convincing the provincial government to come to their senses regarding direct federal funding to the community.
In April 1983, Miawpukek Mi'kamawey Mawi'omi, the governing body of the Miawpukek Mi'kmaw had gone a full year without any operating funds. The community receives all it's operating funds from the federal government. However at that time the funds would only come to the community through the provincial government. And it was their policy to scoop a sizable amount of the top of those funds for "Administrative purposes".
The Mi'kamawey Mawi'omi had been unsuccessfully negotiating for these funds to be released directly to the community. In a show of power in April 1982, the provincial government decided to flex it's muscles by freezing the funds in their bank.
A year later the community still hadn't received it's funding. On April 18, one hundred Mi'kmaw went to St. John's for a protest that later turned into an occupation of the offices of the Minister responsible, Hon. Joe Goudie. Once again in a show of it's might, the Newfoundland government flexed it's muscles and in a completely unnecessary attack, broke down the walls of the offices, roughly rounded them all up and carted everyone off to jail.
After their appearances before the court, a very somber group of aboriginals once again languished in their beaten state. The group were down-hearted. All the following night they despaired. There were no avenues open to them anymore.
But after a night of contemplation alone in his room, their Saqamaw, Misel Joe, got everyone up at six o'clock the next morning, and told them his new plans. Amid voices of protest and doubt, eight of the protesters made a commitment to put their lives on the line. The decided to Fast until they died or until the government came to their senses.
At noontime on April 22, 1983, in a continuing effort in many failed attempts by previous leaders to make their lives better, Saqamaw/Keptin Misel Joe, Sul'ian (Philip Joe), Salusal (George Drew), Chesley Joe, Ricky Jeddore, Aubrey Joe, Andrew Joe, Micky (Michael) Benoit and Wilfred Drew began their Fast.
On the evening of the seventh day following, they received word that the provincial government had indeed come to it's senses and that legally there was nothing wrong, and everything morally right, with letting the people receive direct funding. The Fast came to an end. The Mi'kmaw of Miawpukek in their long road from Miawpukek to Conne River to Miawpukek had reached their turning point.
At one time when the Mi'kmaq culture was still strong in the community which they called Miawpukek, a steady influx of non natives and interference by the local priest, started the people on a long road to the Community called Conne River.
The real Mi'kmaw kept up their customs and sacred ceremonies and traditions as best they could. Their efforts cumulated with the actions of these brave men and the community reached a turning point. Today because of the unselfish and heroic action of nine common men, Miawpukek is a much different community.
Today spiritualism is alive and well in Miawpukek. Custom and traditions are no longer frowned upon as much. The people have found their way. The community is succeeding economically.
The traditionalists within the community now believe this would be a good time for the community to revert to it's rightful name of Miawpukek. Then truly, the road back will have ended and this one circle of many in their history will have been completed.
That would need some understanding and acceptance by the community however. Although the Fast had been marked as a special occasion in the past, remembrance ceremonies on April 18 has fallen by the wayside and no community wide events are planned this year.
Miawpukek (Conne River) Power and telephone service was lost for much of this community for most of today. A large transport truck owned by a company making it's regular delivery of grocery to local stores knocked out the power. As it was passing under some low hanging wires it caught on the wires and burst off power lines as well as taking the top half off of one hydro pole.
One resident said the accident "…tore the panel box right out of one house". Local Newfoundland Hydro officials could not be reached before press time. But their people were quickly on the scene. They erected another pole, restored power to part of the area affected and then continued with the repair work.
Estimates of damage were not known at this time. Power still had not been restored to some homes in the vicinity of the accident at press time, but repairs were expected to be completed before nightfall. Telephone repairs however, were expected to take a bit longer.