It used to be said if you wanted a job in Miawpukek First Nation, you had to walk through the woods for about three or four days until you found a road leading to the next closest town.
Today, young people no longer have to leave Miawpukek, as Chief Joe and many others did, for opportunities. The Mi’kmaq of Conne River are creating jobs for generations to come and becoming an increasingly important centre of economic activity in Newfoundland and Labrador. “It’s a long-term project, and it’s about building a future for our children,” Chief Joe said. “What we’re building now, we won’t see the payoff tomorrow. It’s for those next generations.”
The band, the only reserve on the island of Newfoundland, is pursuing opportunities on both land and sea. It’s started tourism ventures, launched a hunting outfitting company and recently purchased a motel in Exploits River, N.L., just off the Trans-Canada Highway, where it plans to expand reserve territory.
“Anyone who wants a job now can have one,” he said. “We don’t have to go begging for anything anymore. The dream has always been if we can have enough of our own revenue, we can take care of ourselves.”
no... the colonial band council does *but you're not about reality... or anything