Press Release
Thursday, October 03, 2019
Maliseet Flag to be Flown Permanently on the Edmundston Campus
Following a resolution adopted by the Board of Governors, Université de Moncton
showed a gesture of solidarity yesterday (Thursday) by permanently raising the Maliseet
flag at its Edmundston campus.
“It is an important gesture that
symbolizes the fact that the campus is located on the unceded, traditional territory of
the Maliseet,” stated Jacques Paul Couturier, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor.
He added that “it provides the foundation for a lasting partnership to promote
reconciliation with Indigenous peoples”
“This gesture on behalf of
the Université de Moncton, Edmundston campus, is one step in the long journey of
reconciliation,” said Patricia Bernard, Chief/Legal and Governance Advisor,
Madawaska Maliseet First Nation. Our flag symbolizes our ever presence here in our
traditional territory. Not only since time immemorial, but all throughout time, right up
until today, tomorrow and the future. We are still here, and we have persisted to remain
in our ancient traditional villages no matter how difficult. We have survived colonization
by the British, by the French and by the Acadians. So today, and every day, may this flag
remind you that we were here first, we are still here, and we are not going
anywhere.”
After 400 years of relations between the Maliseet and Acadian
peoples (and other Francophones), our institution recognizes the resiliency and resistance
of the Maliseet people and seeks to develop a lasting relationship with First Nations.
This gesture is one of the elements of a work plan being developed by
Université de Moncton and the Maliseet and Mi’kmaq First Nations, in response
to the call to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
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