Project: 1940s Mi'kmaw Relocation Policy

The MacEachen Institute is currently supporting research led by Research Fellow Trina Roache and Research Assistant Zach Taylor, entitled "Impacts of a 1940s Relocation Policy on Mi鈥檏maw Access to Resources."

Project Description

"Impacts of a 1940s Relocation Policy on Mi鈥檏maw Access to Resources" builds upon Trina Roache's 2025 MA thesis entitled ""聽 She examined how Mi鈥檏maw people in Nova Scotia navigated a 1940s relocation policy called Centralization which disrupted kin networks, traditional governance, and ties to land. The implications on access to resources post-1950 is understudied. This current research aims to fill that gap.

This summer, research assistant Zach Taylor is undertaking a scoping review to identify relevant literature, policies, and Mi鈥檏maw responses from the 1950s to 1980s. The goal is to understand how Centralization and subsequent policies affected Mi鈥檏maw access to resources and ability to exercise treaty rights, particularly for women, in the decades following forced relocation.聽

Mi鈥檏maw assertions of rights continue to make headlines, whether related to fisheries or cannabis. Part of Trina Roache's agenda as a MacEachen Institute聽 Research Fellow is to understand and communicate the historical context necessary to facilitate public understanding of current events. This project offers an opportunity to both investigate the specific experience of Mi鈥檏maq navigating a new geopolitical landscape post-Centralization and contribute to the wider dialogue around colonial policy relevant to Indigenous studies across Turtle Island.聽

This research is supported by funding from the at the University of King鈥檚 College.