b'COVER STORYChief Terrance Paul of Membertou, left, with Ian Smith, CEO of Clearwater SeafoodsHISTORY IN THE MAKINGBy Gavin JohnH i o w a c o i a l i t i o n o f M ik m a qT he Clearwater Seafoods purchase caught everyone off guard. The ground-breaking acquisition of the F r s t N a t o n s b e c a m e aglobal seafood giant by a coalition of Mikmaq First Nations and B.C.s Premium Brands, finalized early m a j o r p l a y e r i n t h e g l o b a lthis year, marked a colossal turning point in the push to build sustainable Indigenous economies. Even more s e a f o o d i n d u s t r y, f o r g i n gsurprising was its timingthe historic deal was announced on the heels of a vicious attack on a Mikmaq fishery on the a p a t h t o a s u s t a i n a b l ecountrys East Coast. I n d i g e n o u s e c o n o m y Looking back to the fall of 2020, relations between Mikmaq and non-Indigenous fishermen on the Nova Scotia coast were at an all-time low. Lobster traps were destroyed, Mikmaq assaulted, Nations livelihoods threatened, and property vandalized, all while the RCMP stood by and watched. 18A CCAB PUBLICATION2021'