This Mi'kmaw activist is blazing trails: from sacred land protector to law school grad

Trudging through the brush in the New Brunswick wilderness, through a path only accessible by dirt road, this trip to the sacred lands looks a little different for Sophia Sidarous.

She is being followed by a production team to the Tomogonops. She explains the cultural importance of the land and how it holds pipestone, used by the Mi'kmaq for crafting ceremonial items.

Picture This Productions and APTN are filming for the docuseries Warrior Up!  The series profiles young Indigenous activists who are making waves across Turtle Island.

One episode will feature Sidarous, a 22-year-old Dalhousie law student. In the episode, she travels to the Tomogonops and to a traditional powwow in her home community of Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation in eastern New Brunswick.

The Tomogonops holds a lot of traditional significance to Sidarous and her community. Once she became familiar with the spot, she said she felt the need to take care of it and check in periodically to be sure that the area is safe from industrial threats. 

"I definitely think it's important to be connected to the territory that you're on and part of that connection for me is the responsibility that comes with it," she said.

"That's a really big part of how I view stewardship and how I view activism."

She said it is more than acting on a particular issue but rather "an overarching responsibility to the land and making sure that it's still going to be there for future generations."

Her energy as a land defender and the sense of responsibility that Sidarous speaks about is what drew production teams to her.

Stephanie Joline, an Indigenous film director from Nova Scotia who also does work for CBC, directed the episode featuring Sidarous.

Joline said she is impressed by Sidarous's bravery for someone her age.

"When I look at Sophia, I see somebody who has passion," Joline said. "She has interest in self-growth, passion for bettering her community and the larger Indigenous community, learning and educating herself.

"It's nice to see a young woman doing so much in the community."

Elder George Paul, a respected Mi'kmaw knowledge keeper who is also Sidarous's uncle, is also featured in the episode.

He first brought her to where the pipestone is harvested. He said he is very proud of her drive and her advocacy for Indigenous rights.

He said he spoke frequently with peers about the importance of speaking up on the sacredness of the Tomogonops. He said he's happy to see Sidarous carrying the torch and speaking out on those values.

'She is going to be a very strong influence'

"It has the name from our ancestors Tmaqnapsk, meaning pipestone… it's a sacred place where we used to gather." Paul said.

"She is going to be a very strong influence for our youth and bring pride to our nation and other people as well."

He said she's a dedicated student. "Her mother's a lawyer so I guess she picked that up from her," he said.

Sidarous will graduate from Schulich School of Law this month. She will be one of the youngest to graduate from the program this century. 

She is graduating with a specialty in Aboriginal and Indigenous law and criminal justice.

"[Filming] was a really good experience, everyone was really supportive and I was able to share some protocols and the filming crew and producers were really respectful of that," said Sidarous.

Sidarous's episode of Warrior Up! will be streaming on APTN beginning June 29.