The Town of Port Hawkesbury is designing a new policy for Indigenous ceremonies.
During the regular public meeting of Port Hawkesbury Town Council on September 1, a new Smudging Policy was discussed.
Since around 2017, Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton said the town has welcomed any and all Mi’kmaw cultural ceremonies, such as smudging, within the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre.
Noting those ceremonies were done informally, the mayor said the town does not have a policy around such ceremonies, and she asked that council create a draft policy to continue welcoming these ceremonies in the safest, most positive manner possible.
Smudging (Confederation College photo)
Chisholm-Beaton said such a policy would demonstrate the town’s dedication to making its spaces culturally inclusive and diverse.
Town Councillor Iaian Langley had an amendment to the original motion passed to have the proposed policy apply to all town properties.
Town council voted to direct staff to prepare a Smudging Policy for council’s review.
