Morgan Denny

Protecting the land and preserving culture for the future
Morgan Denny hopes to inspire next generation through work as Earth Keeper

By Melissa Mbeba, Alexander Gallagher and Layla Caplice

On a cloudy spring morning, Morgan Denny arrives for a group hike to Kluskap’s Cave, a sacred site for the Mi’kmaq.

The trail to the cave is part of an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area the Mi’kmaq manage in Cape Dauphin, Unama’ki, also known as Cape Breton.

As an Earth Keeper with the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR), Denny knows the trail well.

“The more time I spend outside, the more connected I feel to my surroundings,” she says.

The group gathers at the entrance to the trail, dressed for the chilly weather. An Elder conducts a smudging ceremony and plays a drum song dedicated to Na’ku’set (the sun).

Hiking to the cave takes about an hour. Denny’s colleague at UINR, Clifford Paul, acts as the group’s trail guide. He points out how the trees support each other, their roots intertwined. Further along, he talks about the Wiklatmu'jk, the Little People.

“The spots that we're stopping at now,” says Denny, “they hold a lot of significant value to me because of the stories that are shared.”

A walk with Morgan Denny. (Video credit: Paul Robinson)

Denny says her work as an Earth Keeper connects her to her roots.

“It kind of ties into who we are as Mi'kmaw people. We understand that we have this inherent responsibility to take care of the world around us and to make sure that critical balance isn't disrupted by anything,” she says.

Born and raised in Eskasoni First Nation, located next to the Bras D’or Lake in Unama’ki (Cape Breton), Denny, 25, became an Earth Keeper just over two years ago.

She says an interest in science and nature led her to the UINR for summer work placements, which then turned into full time employment.

Denny says she’s found her calling.

She researches and monitors plants and a long list of animal species from moose, the at-risk pine marten, Canada Lynx, and wood turtles to bumblebees, bats, monarch butterflies, and barn swallows.”

The Earth Keepers also engage in community education and outreach programming.

“Leading from a two-sided perspective has changed my view on a lot of things. It's made me lead with more purpose,” says Denny. “It's taught me to be more gentle, to be a lot more respectful of the ground that I walk on and of other people and where they come from, what their beliefs are, and their values to mine.”

Morgan Denny stops to inspect fungi on a fallen log. (Photo credit: Melissa Mbeba)

During the hike, Denny stops to inspect bright orange fungi on a fallen tree and takes photos to document and identify the species.

“I feel like Mi'kmaq practices are more ethical. When trying to collect data, we don't take too much of anything if we have to use things for science.”

Denny says her work continues long after her shift ends. Her friends and family often want to hear about what she does and learn more.

“They don't know a lot of that stuff about the natural world when it comes to traditional practices and medicines. They lack that knowledge, they're deprived of it and they're hungry for it,” she says.

Denny says the interest from young people in her community is critical to the preservation of Mi’kmaw language and culture.

“Our youth are really eager to reconnect with all of that. It's nice to see because we've lost so much as Mi'kmaw people, but to see our youth trying to carry on everything that we almost lost, that's huge, that's important,” she says.

Denny is also reclaiming her Mi’kmaw language. She can read, write and carry a conversation. She visualizes the language, which she says experts have told her is a sign of fluency.

“It's just all pictures in my head,” she says. “When it comes to Mi'kmaw, it's all visual, so pictures automatically come to mind for us.”

She gets a chance to use the language when she works with Mi’kmaw speaking co-workers, like Joef Bernard.

“Our people live on the land, so our language comes from the land. Without the land, there’s no language,” he says.

Horse Hoof Fungus on the trail to Kluscap’s Cave. (Photo Credit: Paul Robinson)

Denny stops to point out jiko’qs (horse hoof fungus) at the top of a nearby birch tree. She says that this type of fungus holds cultural significance. The Mi’kmaq harvest jiko’qs for sacred fires and it can be used to help treat pain.

Denny and the other UINR Earth Keepers incorporate traditional Mi’kmaw guiding principles into their work.

“Treat everything around you as a living person. Our Elder Cliff here always says that everything that has a shadow has life,” says Denny. “Whether it can move or whether it can't move or whether it can't talk, you know, it's still alive.”

Netukulimk is a Mi'kmaw cultural concept that guides resource management, sustainability, and way of life. According to the UINR, it means taking only what is needed to support the community, to preserve resources for future generations.

“Everything we do is based on Netukulimk, whether we're doing research studies and collecting data, or simply going for a hike in the woods. We're careful at where we step and what we take. It teaches us to be more mindful of our surroundings in the woods,” Denny says.

The Centre of the Universe near Kluskap’s Cave. (Photo credit: Trina Roache)

With Kluskap’s Cave in sight and the sun finally shining, Denny looks out at the Atlantic Ocean and Bird’s Island in the distance.

“There's gonna come a day where I become an Elder and I'm going to have to pass down the torch to somebody younger than me, and I just hope that Mi'kmaw people are still interested in doing this work,” she says.