A Mi’kmaq Grand Council flag was vandalized after it was erected on the Membertou overpass near the elementary school.
Shauntel Paul originally raised the flag with her husband and was distraught when she learned it had been spray painted.
“It made a lot of people from our community really upset about it," said Paul.
The 27-year-old first flew the flag to show solidarity with Sipekne'katik First Nation after the community faced backlash from commercial fishers once the Mi’kmaq community launched its moderate livelihood fishery plan. Paul and her husband, William Paul Jr., have multiple family members who are fishers. And Shauntel says one side of William’s family is from Sipekne'katik and after they saw a flag erected at their community overpass, the couple decided to do the same here.
It was raised for about a week and Paul says she's surprised no one has tried to deface it sooner. She’s seen racial tensions rise recently.
“It's almost like what happened in Digby caused a ripple effect and it was crazy, just the amount of racism that came from it,” she said.
Paul says because she looks white in passing she's never had to deal with the overt racism some of her family with more prominent Indigenous feature faces, but she always knew racism was there. But the explosion of online vitriol did catch her off guard, especially seeing a petition to see residential schools return.
Now, she speculates because of the vandalism's closeness to Treaty Day, she thinks they were trying to send a clear message of hate. But her community's response was even more inspiring, once the vandalized flag was removed, three more were raised.
“It's unfortunate what happened but we as a people will always stand up for what we believe in,” said Paul.
And that’s what makes her proud to be Indigenous.
Chief Terry Paul of Membertou said in an emailed statement that he was disappointed to hear about the vandalism and his team will work with the Membertou police for a further investigation.
Arnold Doucette says he was the one to cut down the graffitied flag.
“Instantly it brought a rage upon me but we’re better than that and we didn’t sink to that level," said Doucette.
The 24-year-old then put the vandalized flag in the car and he and his cousin began raising the three Mi’kmaq Grand Council flags, mostly secured with zip ties.
He hopes the person who did it comes forward and begins to learn about the Mi’kmaq. Doucette says the Mi’kmaq are a strong people and nation and whenever the flag is flying, he thinks about his grandfather Noel Doucette and all the other great leaders of his nation.
“Just gives you a great sense of pride being Mi’kmaq, L’nu and it just means a lot flying it so proudly,” said Doucette.
