This portrait of Ron Tremblay, Wolastoq Grand Chief of the Wolastoq Nation was presented to him at a public town hall gathering last month, in recognition of his dedication to the revival and preservation of his traditional language, culture and the rights of his people. A fellow activist and dear friend and brother, Grand Chief Tremblay is a constant in the environmental movement, committed to the sacredness of, and the connection between all living things. He works tirelessly to educate the public as to the content of the treaties established in the 1700s and of the inherent rights of the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet people).  What most people don’t know is that, in this area, the treaties did not involve a forfeit of land or rights, but were strictly agreements between the Wolastoq Nation and the settlers to share the land and resources in good stewardship. They were, in fact, Peace and Friendship agreements designed to facilitate trade between the nations while respecting the sacredness of the land. Of course, the spirit of the agreements was distorted over the years and morphed into the incorrect belief that the land no longer belonged to the Wolastokiyik and their rights were consequently disregarded by politicians and the public at large.  Grand Chief Tremblay has dedicated his life to exposing the truth of it and reestablishing the spirit of Peace and Friendship between nations. In the profound words of Leonard Cohen, “There is a crack... a crack in everything... that’s how the light gets in” So, Ron... a tribute to you. May you live long and continue to let the light in. ​