From Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) by Nangoonskeh Rose Jacobs September 17 2025
Featured photo: Frederick Sylliboy holding a plaque that was made to honour his son Kris. Photo: Angel Moore/APTN.
Frederick Sylliboy stands at the edge of the forest on Hunter’s Mountain in Unama’ki, also known as Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, holding memorial plaque engraved with the face of his late son, Kris.
In the forest behind him once stood a sacred tree marking where Kris shot his first moose in 2000. His son died in 2008 of cancer. The plaque was nailed to the tree to honour Kris’s memory.
Five years ago, Sylliboy said he received a phone call from a friend alerting him that the tree had been cut down. He described his reaction when he received the news.
“My gut fell to the ground, I was so upset, so mad, angry and mad – I got here, looked at the tree and then when I was looking over to the side, I could see all that was going on and these guys were cutting trees and they were on their excavators, I couldn’t even walk up to them” Sylliboy said.
“I never thought I would be up here and sharing my story, my experience, my story to you all and to my people.”
Sylliboy is one of the people guarding a checkpoint on Hunter’s Mountain in an effort to prevent clear cutting and protect the forest.
It began two weeks ago after rising concerns from Mi’kmaq communities over the harmful impact’s clearcutting pose to the moose population, sacred sites and medicines of the land.
Despite threats from the RCMP to detain land protectors, the Mi’kmaw stand strong in solidarity to display their urgency to protect the mountain from further harm. They say the mountain means more to them then fear of detainment.
Ashton Bernard, a father, hunter and fisherman from the Eskasoni, and three other land protectors went to gather drone footage and medicines from Red Cove when they were pulled over on the road and threatened to be detained by the Nova Scotia RCMP.
In an email statement, the RCMP said on Sept. 13, the occupants in the vehicle “were observed inside a secure, gated private property. The occupants of the vehicle were detained for mischief, identified, and then released without charges”.
“They’re still trying to criminalize us even just you know, cruising what’s truly ours” Bernard said. “This is our resources and we let these big corporations destroy our hunting grounds and our medicine grounds – it’s just heartbreaking”
In 2023, Port Hawkesbury Paper (PHP) renewed a 10-year agreement with the province which allows the company to harvest up to 270,000 tonnes of timber a year on Hunter’s Mountain and other areas in Cape Breton. The mill is also paid $5 million annually by Nova Scotia for sustainable forestry management.
The company has recently suspended it operations on the mountain because of the checkpoint.
In a community notice released on Sept. 12, the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs said they have been in active forestry discussions with Premier Tim Houston, numerous provincial ministers, representatives of Mi’kmaw organizations and PHP.
The meetings are to discuss how to address the concerns over the wholistic ecosystem management for the mountain and “to provide a clearer picture of all activities on the mountain and the impact is has on the area.”
“We have been a significant employer in the region for more than half a century, providing livelihoods and supporting community development, we want to help the Mi’kmaq better understand what we are doing, and how we can continue to work together” said Bevan Lock, Mill co-manager of PHP.
The discussions regarding forestry remain ongoing.
Jaime Battiste, Liberal MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations who is also from Eskasoni, arrived at the camp to show his support over the weekend.
“Fred showed us a spot where his son who has passed away, shot his first moose and the fact that the tree that they planted to have a plaque on was cut down, it made me very sad to hear that story and he got to show us this is something of meaning” Battiste said.
“These spots are important to the Mi’kmaq, not just because of the forest habitat but to them they are great places of meaning” he said, “I know that it means so much more than just hunting, it’s about the passing down of knowledge”
Amy Maloney of Sipekne’katik First Nation is at the camp to help protect the forest, she also picks medicines like wild white sage and cedar. She described the overwhelming feeling of “real Indigenous pride” after taking part in a drum circle singing the honor song with other land protectors and supporters on the mountain.
“We decide together as a team on how we’re going to steward this land together and how we’re going to keep our resources going because that’s the most important thing for us and if you’re not going to work with us, then you’re not going to work at all” Maloney said.
Watch Angel Moore’s story on the checkpoint here:
For the Mi’kmaq, the mountain holds memory, knowledge, history, medicines and meaning.
Sylliboy describes how he spoke with Battiste about the urgency to finding solution that will ensure the land will be protected.
“These mountains, are sacred trees, everything is sacred around here, our teachings, our beliefs, our ways are really important like I told Jaime, that needs to be protected” Sylliboy said.
“I never thought I’d be standing here and explaining my story about my son and the hurt that I went through with him and the hurt my people are going through with the sacred mountain – our roots run deep in these mountains and it’s really important to protect the mountain.”
Sylliboy said he hopes that sharing his story will contribute to saving the mountain from further harm.