The Canadian government unveiled the name of a new campground in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Nova Scotia).
Photo courtesy of Parks Canada
According to a press release, Parks Canada is responsible for protecting nationally significant examples of the natural and cultural heritage and telling the stories of these treasured places.
Today, Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria, and Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton-Canso, on behalf of the Honorable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, along with representatives from La Societe Saint-Pierre and the Parks Canada-Unama’ki Advisory Committee, unveiled the name of a new campground in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
“The Government of Canada is taking important steps toward reconciliation and commemoration and is committed to ensuring that Canadians have opportunities to learn about the full scope of our shared history. Working in partnership with Parks Canada, the Parks Canada-Unama’ki Advisory Committee and La Société Saint-Pierre provided significant contribution in the naming of Le Terrain de Camping Cap-Rouge/Mkwesaqtuk Campground in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. This name symbolizes a strong sense of shared pride achieved among partners, and we greatly appreciate the guidance, advice, and stewardship of both Acadian and Indigenous communities in the development of this name,” said Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria
The campground is scheduled to open in July. Terrain de Camping Cap-Rouge / Mkwesaqtuk Campground will be the first French and Mi’kmaw facility name in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
As construction of the new campground nears completion, Parks Canada has worked together with members of La Societe Saint-Pierre and the Parks Canada-Unama’ki Advisory Council to choose an appropriate name that encourages Canadians to discover the entirety of our shared history.
Its name, Terrain de Camping Cap-Rouge / Mkwesaqtuk Campground, honors Indigenous connections to the region and commemorates the Acadian peoples who were expropriated for the creation of the national park in 1936.
Cap-Rouge / Mkwesaqtuk Campground offers visitors an opportunity to be in touch with nature and Acadian and Mi’kmaq cultural heritage. Mkwesaqtuk is a Mi’kmaq term that refers to a place or feature that distinctly changes to red.
The Mi’kmaq term would have been used to describe the coastal area that Acadians later called Cap-Rouge, on the western side of Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
The French and Mi’kmaw names capture the intent and spirit of Etuaptamumk, also known as the Two-Eyed Seeing approach, which combines Mi’kmaq and Western perspectives.
This name demonstrates Parks Canada’s commitment to incorporating Etuaptamumk into its cultural heritage and conservation initiatives and projects in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
The collaborative naming process honors the location’s history and offers opportunities for celebrating Mi’kmaq and Acadian cultural and linguistic connections.
Reservations for Terrain de Camping Cap-Rouge / Mkwesaqtuk Campground will launch today, May 12, via the Parks Canada Reservation Service.
As the country’s leading tourism provider, Parks Canada is committed to providing unique and meaningful experiences at iconic destinations like Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
Featured image from Parks Canada.