Last act of Premier Dwight Ball a 'long time coming' for one Innu Nation member
The outgoing provincial leader named slew of bridges after prominent Innu in Thursday ceremony
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball toured the Big Land for the final time as an elected official on Thursday, leaving a smattering of announcements — and feelings of relief from Innu Nation members — in his wake.
Ball and members of the Innu Nation gathered in Sheshatshiu for a ceremony as part of Ball's exit trip. Four bridges along the Trans-Labrador Highway were named in tribute to Innu members who had made an impact in their communities, the premier's office said.
They include the Kanikuen Penashue Memorial Bridge, Tanien Ashini Memorial Bridge, Penote Michel Memorial Bridge and Munik Pone Memorial Bridge.
"The time of assimilation, Discovery Day and residential schools are over," Ball said at the unveiling in Sheshatshiu on Thursday afternoon.
Yvette Michel, daughter of the late Penote Michel, said the ceremony was an emotional surprise for her and her family. "He was my hero," she said of her father. "He was one of the reasons I got into politics … to carry on his legacy."
Michel described her father, the former president of the Innu Nation, as a strong leader and activist dedicated to helping his community.
"He had so much respect for the land," she said.
"It feels like it was a long time coming," said Jodie Ashini, daughter of Tanien Ashini, another former Innu Nation president. "He worked hard. He missed a lot of our lives as kids … but he taught me how hard to fight for your people."
Her father was the youngest chief ever elected, Ashini said. "He led a lot of the protests," she recalled, with a particular interest in protecting forests and keeping watch over the mining industry.
"Every supper we sat down to, it was political."
Place names essential step
Ashini congratulated the premier's office on acknowledging the significance of Innu place names, a process headed by her father and others within the Innu Nation in the 1970s.
"The path to reconciliation means recognizing that history is not just written in books. It is recorded on the land," said Grand Chief Gregory Rich.
"It's finally [put us] on the path to reconciliation," Ashini said. "It maps the footsteps of where we've been on this land … and to finally acknowledge we were here? That's a huge step."
Her father's bridge crosses a salmon-running river that fed Innu ancestors for thousands of years, Ashini said.
"I have all these memories, but to see his name there, and to be able to drive past it, it brings that connection again."
Ashini noted the premier's gesture, suggesting it symbolized an anomaly in the history of the province's leadership. "Compared to the people behind him, he's actually come to the community. You don't see that often. So for him to take time out of his busy schedule to be here, it means a lot."
Ball's office said last week a scheduled tour of the north coast — at which he was slated to deliver long-awaited formal apologies to residential school survivors — would not go ahead, citing COVID-19 disruptions.
Later Thursday, his office announced it would retain former provincial court judge James Igloliorte, originally from Hopedale, to provide input on the upcoming inquiry into ground search and rescue prompted by the death of 14-year-old Burton Winters in 2012 near Makkovik.
Ball's government also announced a replacement facility for the Labrador Friendship Centre, setting aside more than $1.5 million in government funding for the project.
With files from John Gaudi