A sense of place, a sense of belonging

What does it mean to come from a place and how does that place shape the person you become?

This is among the many questions Barachois Brook native James Butler hopes to answer as he prepares to write the dissertation for his PhD in culture and society through the University of Calgary.

Mr. Butler previously obtained a masters degree through Memorial University of Newfoundland. His research project for that degree included studying the people and stories of Sandy Point in Bay St. George.

"In my masters I was looking at identity construction but in the process of doing that I got to thinking about the area's Mi'kmaq people," he says.

"Some of the people involved in the project with me were of aboriginal ancestry and I started thinking about identity in this area - how complex it is."

What it means to be aboriginal in a mixed race setting, to be aboriginal in Newfoundland, are some of the questions he hopes to answer.

The lives of many of the area's Mi'kmaq will change because of the recent agreement in principle between the Mi'kmaq and federal government. Mr. Butler says while he understands there are politics involved regarding some of the issues with the agreement, he hopes to look at it from a cultural point-of-view.

"What does it mean to them individually, what does it mean to them economically, what difference does it make in their world," he says.

While Mr. Butler has no aboriginal ancestry, he says three of his children are members of a local aboriginal band, through their mother.

Having a younger generation interested in the culture and history of the area's Mi'kmaq, he says, is already playing an important role in encouraging older generations to embrace some of the culture and traditions which were lost through assimilation.

"The person I interviewed today spoke about how his parents no longer recognize it or didn't want to acknowledge it," he says. "What was interesting is it was his children who brought him back to thinking about his aboriginal identity and getting him engaged in it. They wanted it and felt like this was something they could be proud of."

Part of his research will involve interviewing the area's band chiefs, and band members. He is also interested in stories from youth.

While many aboriginal groups around the country have been studied extensively, Mr. Butler found little documentation and research on the Mi'kmaq of the Bay St. George area. His hope is that his research will be a worthwhile contribution.

"Bay St. George has always been different from the rest of Newfoundland," he says. "We never sort of fit in some measure in most of the models people think of Newfoundlanders."

He says he always wondered what the difference was, and now realizes is the area's large concentration of aboriginal peoples.

"There's a significant population of aboriginal people, whether they're in positions of power or any power or being totally marginalized, their very presence changed our society," he says.

Because of this, he says the agreement in principle could further change things.

"They are taking on something that could become economically significant to this area, certainly it will be culturally significant."

When his work is complete, Mr. Butler says he has agreed to give a copy of it to the Federation of Newfoundland Indians.

"I'm not sure what the final product will look like, but I hope to collect stories about experiences," he says. "At the end of the day, this will be a snapshot, if you will, of a moment in time. Where are people coming from, where are they now, and where are they going."

To learn more about his work or to share a story or experience with Mr. Butler, he can be contacted at: jcbutler@ucalgary.ca.