Gespe'gewa'gi: The Last Land

An inside view of Mi’gmaq fisheries and their connection to the people, their traditions, and their homeland

GESPE'GEWA'GI: The Last Land is a 9-part, half-hour documentary series for APTN. The series is a celebration of Indigenous people of Atlantic Canada and the fisheries that sustain them, both culturally and economically. We laugh with them, share their successes and frustrations, and get a glimpse of their life, work and community — a world that national audiences rarely get to see.

We also experience the excitement of their jobs and the volatile—and sometimes dangerous—nature of the industry, and we learn about how Western science and Indigenous knowledge intersect when it comes to managing fisheries responsibly. From an economic and cultural perspective we see how First Nations commercial fishing industries have grown to be a key support for the communities.

Season 3 is premiering early January 2025. It takes place in MI’GMAQ COMMUNITIES IN CAPE BRETON AND PEI where we’ll meet captivating people who love their jobs and want to share their stories. They’ll also take us fishing for lobster, smelt, tuna, trout, eel, oysters, halibut and whatever else they fish or harvest from the water! We’ll continue to learn about the science and conservation efforts surrounding the fisheries, the triumphs and challenges that come with running them – whether it be commercial, Food-Social-Ceremonial, or Treaty fishing – and the rich cultural and political histories in the context of both modern and traditional Mi’kma’ki.

DOCUMENTARY SERIES 🔴9-13 x 30MIN

ENGLISH 🔴 MI’GMAQ

DIRECTOR
Courtney Montour

DIRECTOR
eliza knockwood

DIRECTOR
greg lawrence

DIRECTOR
heather condo

WATCH ALL SEASONS ON aptn+ & CBC GEM!

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Season 1

Episode 1 - Waiting for Ice-Break

The end of winter is here and the community of Listuguj is getting antsy for the opening of the Spring fishing season.
After a long winter, the community of Listuguj is excited for the opening of the 2019 fishing season...but they are stuck waiting for ice out and the winds to die down. Episode 1 is an introduction to the people, the land, the history of the fishery, the stand-off, and the court case that paved the way for self-governance and a commercial fishery.
Episode 2 - Hail out on the Snow Crab Season

After days of waiting, Rodney and Peter's snow crab boats are finally ready to hail out for the 2019 season.
It’s the first trip of the 2019 season, and we follow two crab vessels that are finally sailing out to sea to catch their crab quota, after days of waiting for the wind to die down. Rodney’s trip goes off without a hitch, and he is the first to return to port with his catch, but Peter has mechanical problems, and what should have been a 30 hour trip stretches into three days at sea (and the prospect of lost revenue).
Episode 3 - Mi'gwite'tm: Remembering 1981

It's June 11th, Mi'gwite'tm, the day to remember the raid of 1981, an event that changed everything in Listuguj.
Mi’gwite’tm is a community march and salmon feast commemorating the anniversary of the 1981 raid. It occurs during the middle of the salmon season while the fishers of Listuguj are hard at work on the river. Elders like Madeleine and Gordon are our eyes as we look back on life before and after the raid, and the emotional toll it took on the community.
Episode 4 - Back to the River with Pam

In Listuguj, where salmon are an integral part of Mi'gmaq tradition, Pam brings her signature enthusiasm to the efforts to save them.
We follow Pam Isaac, one of Listuguj’s most lively characters who has been with the aquaculture team from its inception. Through Pam we find out about the efforts being taken to save the salmon and protect the rivers, and how, much like her, they may travel far away from the Restigouche River but always come home.
EPISODE 5 - SNOW CRAB CONTEST

Blayze decides to spice up the crab season with a fun competition for his crew, while Walter spends his time dealing with mechanical troubles.
It’s mid season, and Blayze decides to have a fun competition for his crew to see who picks the best fishing spots. Meanwhile, first year captain Walter gets the worst vessel in the fleet, and struggles to keep it running through a series of mechanical problems. The Captains and crew don’t make money if their boats are not on the water. Complicating life for both, the protected Right Whales are moving into the fishing area, forcing fishers to pull their traps from the water and threatening to cut the season short.
Episode 6 - Salmon Tradition: Passing it on

A family of salmon fishers, Jill, Ricky and Oakley, explore how traditional fishing—and the Mi'gmaq language—are both key to the survival of the community.
Through the life of one family salmon fishing on the Restigouche River, this episode focuses on traditional fishing and passing those practices on to a younger generation. In a parallel story we get a glimpse of the efforts being made to pass on the Mi’gmaq language, which, much like the tradition of salmon fishing, had waned but is being resurrected.
Episode 7 - The Rangers

The Listuguj Rangers are patrolling the river and putting safety and sustainability first.
In this episode, we meet some of the rangers who patrol the river, like mother-daughter team June and Ashley, ex-military Don Leo, and supervisor Sonny. Today, the waters are calm, but as elders like Peter Metallic tell us, it wasn’t always so – from gunshots at night to clashes with the police, finally giving way to the establishment of the communities' own branch of enforcement. The rangers' model is so successful that other Indigenous communities are looking to model after it themselves.
Episode 8 - Lobster & Rock Crab Fishing with Josh

Josh is determined to work his way back up to captain after being demoted to deck hand.
On Captain Timmy Wysote’s boat, former captain Josh Barnaby is back to working as a deck hand. Having been demoted prior to the season for an infraction against one of the fisheries' policies, he is determined to work his way back to his old position. Meanwhile, back in the community, we meet the people who run the Beautification team and Community Garden, both direct results of the money that comes from the fishery.