MNCC

Tim Paul, As the Executive Director of the Maliseet Nation Conservation Council, it concerns me to see the current state of our beautiful river, the fish and wildlife, and in fact, the entire watershed. It is at the point where we all have to work together. If we wait another ten years to do something, it will be too late for some species.

As Maliseet First Nations people, we have a special relationship with the Earth and the plants and animals. It is time we reclaim our traditional role of stewards of these lands and waters, before it is too late. Human activity has left a major impact on our resources. Many projects are being planned to react to what has happened, but we must also be proactive. We must re-train our youth in the ways of Aboriginal respect for the environment and conservation's crucial importance to future generations. We must collect ancient wisdom from our Elders and pass it on. And we must ensure that we do all we can for the environment if our rights are to still have any meaning in the years to come.

I believe that message is still important today as we embark on a new level of participation and increased capacity in conservation methods and collaborative partnerships. There are many who want to work with us. There are those who are against us. And there is the huge task of co-managing a trans-border watershed that spans 21,000 square miles with approximately one-third located in America. I look forward to these challenges because it is not too late if we act now. As the leader of this organization, I intend to follow the mission statement of MNCC and do everything possible to achieve the goals we have set forth.

MISSION STATEMENT

MNCC WILL PROMOTE AND ADVANCE WOLUSTWIK MANAGEMENT OF THE WOLUSTOQ WATERSHED AND ECOSYSTEM THROUGH CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP, EDUCATION AND RESPECTING OUR TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND THE WORK CARRIED OUT BY OUR ANCESTORS. WE DO THIS ON BEHALF OF OUR PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.