Mi’kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis and asking for First Nations’ support in that effort, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
“The province’s actions through the minister of justice are acts of systemic racism and inciting hate against Mi’kmaw people, labelling us the problem, and this narrative is absolutely disgusting,” Glasgow said.
Her comments are in reaction to Armstrong’s directive on Thursday for all Nova Scotia police agencies to prioritize cannabis enforcement by identifying and disrupting illegal operations and distribution networks. The minister also wrote to 13 Mi’kmaq chiefs requesting their co-operation as they direct police to tackle illegal cannabis sales, saying there are at least 118 illegal dispensaries operating in their communities.
Armstrong’s directive has sparked criticism that the government may be interfering with law enforcement to target Indigenous communities.
“These are abuses of colonial power, and the government of Nova Scotia and the police agencies need to focus their policing efforts to combat illicit drugs — fentanyl and opioids that are being brought into our communities and leaving devastating effects on our families,” Glasgow said.
Maw-lukutijik Saqmaq, also known as the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, said in a statement on Friday they reached out to the provincial government before the 2018 federal legalization of cannabis to discuss its regulation in Mi’kmaq communities. They say the province rejected those requests, and the assembly is disappointed by Nova Scotia’s apparent lack of understanding of treaty rights and their right to self-determination.
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