Arguing in court that the Sipekne’katik Band is a conquered people and that therefore the duty to consult does not apply is exactly the wrong thing to do for the McNeil government, writes contributor Art Bouman. But he isn’t surprised, it’s all about money and fossil fuels.

This story / interview was originally published on the Halifax Media Co-op website in April 2014. We are running it again because it’s a necessary reminder that the Muskrat Falls development affects multiple marginalized groups in Labrador and it clearly addresses Nova Scotia’s complicity through the Maritime Link.

“What do I miss most about the place? The fun and the beauty. It used to be a very beautiful place,” says elder Molly Denny of Pictou Landing First Nation. Boat Harbour, or A’sek, Mi’kmaq for the other room, is a documentary about the transformation of Boat Harbour from a beautiful body of water, great for swimming, fishing and hunting, to a poisoned dumping ground for first Scott Paper, and now Northern Pulp.

Chances are that Justin Trudeau,federal ministers and Stephen McNeil are going to find their inboxes and Facebook and Twitter timelines rather full this week. The group that is trying to stop Alton Gas from dumping brine into the vulnerable Shubenacadie River kicked off a one-week social media blitz to make the politicians aware of the issues.