9 - Origins

Last week, I received a large box of books about the Mi'kmaq people from my father. My father is a collector and has been picking up these books on his travels for years. He probably never imagined that I would be using them in this manner. I was thrilled because information is hard for me to find in Massachusetts. There is no shortage of Native American information, but not specific to the Mi'kmaq. I am anxiously awaiting my annual trip to Nova Scotia when I can do some exploring and obtain some new resources.

The first thing I would like to do is to gain some information on the origins of my ancestors and how they came to be in Cape Breton. I don't feel the need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to research, so I am looking to Daniel Paul's book, We Were Not the Savages,  as well as a book called LeJeune and Youngs, An Acadian Mi'kmaq family by Lark Blackburn Szick, for answers. The latter being in the shipment of books sent to me by my father. The information presented here comes from these two books.

In 1604, the French came to the maritime provinces to attempt to set up a colony. The first attempt at settlement was a failure with many dying of disease and the cold weather on a small island called St. Croix. The settlement was relocated to the current Port Royal location in Nova Scotia after the first winter, but was abandoned in 1607. The French returned in 1610 with the idea of trying once more. The settlement survived with Mi'kmaq assistance and soon Jesuit missionaries arrived at Port Royal. The Jesuits kept records of births, deaths, christenings and marriages that took place. There were documented marriages between these early traders and Mi'kmaq women.

Both the French and the English were in Acadia to acquire power and wealth through the fur trade and by extending their presence in the new world. The Mi'kmaq had formed a special attachment to the French. (My own Mi'kmaq ancestors would list themselves as being French on census records 100 years later.) Daniel Paul says the following regarding the relationship between the two nations:

"the Mi'kmaq were willing partners of the French. The French respected them as human beings, ate their food and were quite willing to learn of Mi'kmaq cultures and adapt to their ways while enjoying the people's hospitality. Most importantly, although they also thought their own culture to be superior, the French did not exhibit an overwhelming desire  to make the people conform to French cultural values. And they extended to them many courtesies. For example, if a Mi'kmaq family or individual moved to France, they were accorded all the benefits of citizenship , and full French citizenship if they desired. No genocidal actions were taken. Consequently, French settlement in Nova Scotia did not encounter organized Mi'kmaq resistance." (page 50, We Were Not the Savages)

As friends of the French, the Mi'kmaq naturally become enemies of England. They were certainly a concern for the British. Daniel Paul comments, "the Mi'kmaq, having a relatively large population to draw upon, presented an imposing force of Warriors who had to be reckoned with. This simple fact would have motivated the English and French to court Mi'kmaq neutrality or alliance." (page 55)

Port Royal Habitation, replica

Source: Wikimedia 

I am a descendant of the Young (Lejeune -Briard) family in Bras D'or and it appears that our Mi'kmaq history is intertwined with these French fur traders and Jesuit priests who arrived in Nova Scotia in the 17th century. We know that one of our distant ancestors was named Pierre Lejeune dit Briard and arrived at Port Royal from France in 1632. He married a Mi'kmaq woman. In addition, I know that many of my ancestors came from the villages of Cap-de-Sable and LaHave. These were both Indian villages in Nova Scotia.

According to 

Lark Blackburn Szick, Germaine Lejeune (my G6 grandfather), came to Bras D'or around 1750 from Petite Riviere in LaHave. The exact reason why, I will explore later. This history must be confusing to research, because it is confusing to read.  It is not unusual to find many family members with the same name in one generation and also in previous generations. The communities are very small and there are close relationships between families, often with cousins marrying cousins. It appears that we are descended from many lines because of these close relationships. More than once, I discovered myself tracing back the wrong person while reading. 

In summary, after piecing together these bits from my history, I have learned from these readings that the Lejeunes came as Fur traders and missionaries to Port Royal. They married Mi'kmaq women and their descendants continued to live within the villages of Cape Sable, Le Have and Port Royal and married other Mi'kmaq in these villages. They had a strong alliance with the French and therefore became enemies of the British by association, no doubt paving the way for their exodus to Cape Breton.

16 - PowWOW!

Greetings from Mi'kmaqi!  I have arrived in Nova Scotia and spent my first day at the Mawiomi Powwow on Halifax Commons.  Luckily, I arrived in time to take in the last day of the ceremonies. What a day! This is the largest Powwow east of Montreal and includes an international dancing competition with dancers from all over North America. The celebration is only in its second year. It was started last summer to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the baptism of Chief Membertou of the Mi'kmaq nation on June 24, 1610.  Last year's powwow even included a visit by Queen Elizabeth II.

The site of the Halifax Commons is significant. This is the location of the actual burying of the hatchet ceremony on June 25th, 1761. The ceremony, which included Mi'kmaq Chiefs and British officials, took place in Halifax in an attempt to forge a new relationship together after the fall of Louisbourg in 1758.

I have been fortunate in my life to have attended many powwows, but I have never seen one of this magnitude. The organizers set up an interactive cultural village of Wigwams where you could take in cultural displays throughout the day including different aspects of Mi'kmaq culture. This was great because the intimacy of the setting in the wigwams allowed people to watch closely and learn from the artisans as they worked. I attended demonstrations of basket making and quill work, which I will write about specifically in upcoming entries. There was also a sacred fire which is tended and burns throughout the duration of the powwow.

There were many vendors set up and I had great conversations with many artists throughout the day.
The highlight of the day however, was the grand entry and the dancing. The site of those flags and and dancers gets me every time. I am including a slide show below. I think the pictures say it all.  I hope you will enjoy them. Most of the dancers are Mi'kmaq, but there were many from other parts of Canada and the United States. The dancers wear regalia (not costumes) and it is the tradition for each man and woman to make their own, including the detailed beadwork and quill work. It takes years and most will continue to add to it throughout their lives. The regalia was nothing short of magnificent as you will see. Thank you to all those who took time to speak with me, answered my questions, and allowed me to take pictures. I learned so much from all of you and am richer for it.

The music in the slideshow is by A Tribe Called Mi'kmaq. The song is called Calling All Warriors and is off their album We Honor the Water. Thank you to the band who allowed me to use this with permission. The album is available to purchase through itunes or by contacting the band directly. Enjoy!

15 - Exile

What a history I am learning of my family and home province of Nova Scotia. It reads like something out  of a work of fiction.  My post today is taken from information that I learned from reading Lejeune and Youngs, An Acadian Mi'kmaq Family by Lark Balckburn Szick. This part of the story is attributed to Elva E. Jackson with notes by Lark Szick. This is a great resource for those of us interested in the history of the Bras d'Or area as well as the specific history of the Lejeune and Young families. If you have an interest after you read some of this today, you can purchase the book through the author at lark4u@gmail.com. There is much more than what I have included here.

The peace found at Little Bras d'Or after escaping the British on the mainland of Nova Scotia was not to last long. The instability in Nova Scotia was to reach Ile Royale (Cape Breton) soon after they arrived. While official war between the English and French resumes in 1756, fighting began almost two years earlier in the new world.

We know by records and from Ms. Szick's book that many of the families  were settled in the area of Little Bras d'Or (or French Village) by 1750."The men of French Village fished during the summer and felled trees and cleared land during the winter. With the strong fortress not far away, they felt comparatively safe." (pg. 40c) On the mainland there was much upheaval, as mentioned in my previous post, and the "news of these tragic happenings gradually filtered through to Little Bras d'Or and other isolated French communities on Ile Royale. Because they were devoted to the families they left behind, there was great anxiety and sorrow. With the seeming impregnability of the fortress of Louisbourg, however, they were probably thankful that they had left the mainland for French territory five years earlier." (pg. 40c)

Unfortunately for these families, The Fortress did fall to a large British force. "As the siege went on, the Acadians in the outlying settlements subject to British marauders, began to despair. After Louisbourg's capitulation 26 July 1758, the British, determined to rid Ile Royale and Ile St. Jean (present day Prince Edward Island also French territory) of all the Frenchmen loaded them on ships, and sent them to France. The Lejeune and LeRoi families, caught in the maelstrom, their homes burned, were among those deported." (pg. 40c)

This is where a bit of the confusion begins in my mind and perhaps is a part of the answer to my original
question as to why they begin to hide their identities. It is obvious that the Mi'kmaq and French had a close relationship. There were a few French ancestors originally, but I cannot find much evidence in my own line that they were French beyond those ancestors. They are Mi'kmaq according to the documentation that I have and remain in clusters in this community with marriages common among them. I can only assume that it may have been safer to identify with these French communities, or perhaps, this is simply how they viewed themselves due to the influence of French ancestors generations before. They were, according to Szick's book, and to the records we have of births abroad, a part of these communities who were deported.

At the time of the deportation, these families are originally sent to France. Many died on the voyage either by sickness or shipwreck. According to Szick's book the next record of these people is found at various English and French ports and the Lejeune and LeRoi families are found at Rochefort, a city several miles north of La Rochelle, on the Bay of Biscay in southwestern France. These people were given a small allowance by King Louis XV as "a slight recognition of the losses they had endured for their loyalty." (pg. 40d), but apparently were not happy. After the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763 at the end of the Seven Years war, the Acadians claimed their chance to return to the new world. In the agreement, France was granted two island off the coast of Newfoundland called Saint Pierre and Miquelon. "In April 1763, about 300 fisherman and former residents of Ile Royale arrived at Saint Pierre and Miquelon. During 1774, another contingent of Acadians arrived.....until 850 Acadians were there." (pg. 40d)

Map of St. Pierre and Miquelon. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Miquelon, France. Source: Wikimedia Commons

After a short time at Miquelon, the governor issues a decree and orders the Acadians to France or Cape Breton. According to the book, this was caused by opposition to woodcutting by the Newfoundland Governor. The request to return to Cape Breton confused the Acadians causing them to feel abandoned again because "During this period, though there were still a few scattered communities -chiefly French- settlement was actually forbidden." (page  40d) They returned to the area and many would remain permanently.

After two years, the economy improved and Acadians (some from Little Bras d'Or) were
permitted to return to Saint Pierre and Miquelon. "Forces beyond their control were working against them however, and they were not to remain there long. When the thirteen colonies declared independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, France sympathized with the rebels. War was subsequently declared between France and Great Britain on 6 February 1778. A blockade by the English and the seizure of ships bringing food supplies to Saint Pierre and Miquelon, brought the community to the edge of starvation. Then, the Governor of Newfoundland sent three frigates and an armed vessel to the French Islands and everything was set on fire -237 houses, 126 fishing cabins, 89 storehouses, 6 bakeries, 79 stables and a number of shallops. Without even being allowed to save their clothing, all the inhabitants were deported to France, where they disembarked at several ports. The Lejeune and LeRoi families, once more uprooted, were taken to LaRochelle." (pg. 40e)

La Rochelle, France Source: Wikimedia Commons

According to the book, after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, passage back to Saint Pierre and Miquelon was offered by the King along with a living of six months. Although well treated in France, the Acadians returned to the islands once again. After a short time at Miquelon, they decided to return to Little Bras d'Or (or French Village) in 1785 and they rejoined their family members who had remained there. "At Little Bras d'Or, where practically everyone was related to each other, they were again a close family unit." (pg. 40e)

My next post will be from Nova Scotia. Next stop Mawio'mi Powwow on Halifax Commons with my video camera!

14 - Upheaval

I am counting down the days until I take my annual Nova Scotia trip. Until then, I am going back in time to the point where I left off in the history of the Bras d'Or Indians, in the early 1750's. With this post,  I want to set the political climate of the time, to give you an idea of what was happening in Nova Scotia and the fear that it must have invoked in the Mi'kmaq and Acadians. It may shed some more light on my ancestors story.

Nova Scotia at this time, was a mess to say the least. According to Daniel Paul, in We Were Not the Savages, which I am using for information in this post, "The British government was sending foreign settlers over by the boat load without adequate provisions and they were starving to death. The fort was in a state of decay, the troops were restless and it was feared that the Acadian French might leave the province and dry up the colony's only reliable source of food. On top of all this the Mi'kmaq and the British were at war. Hopson (the new Governor) began at once the tasks of renewing the garrison and put out feelers to several chiefs about peace talks." (We Were Not the Savages, pg. 125)

The treaty signing of 1752, Source: WikimediaCommons

Chief Jean Baptiste Cope, of the Shubenacadie Mi'kmaq answered the call and signed the Treaty of 1752. "In view of the increasing strength of the English and their unyielding attitudes, it can be safely concluded that Chief Sachem Jean Baptiste Cope signed the Treaty of 1752 in a desperate attempt to prevent the complete annihilation of his people. For a while he succeeded because the British needed time to refurbish Halifax's fortifications and bring in more Caucasian Protestant settlers." (pg. 128)


It is also interesting that Paul notes that in 1753, "the once proud and independent band of Cape Sable Mi'kmaq (the home band of some of my ancestors) had been reduced to begging provisions from the English to stave off starvation and pestilence. The great pity is that they were also moved to deny their own people in their bid for survival." (pg. 147)

Governor Charles Lawrence
Source: WikimediaCommons

Back at the Fortress of Louisbourg, the French were hoping that this treaty would fail. "The French knew that such an eventuality would forever end their alliance with the Mi'kmaq, dry up a rich source of military intelligence and assistance, and prove extremely detrimental to their future political and military ambitions in the region."(pg. 130) They went to great lengths to ensure that it did not succeed. Throw on top of it the fact that war between the French and the British begins again in 1754,  a new Governor (Lawrence) who hated the Acadians and the Mi'kmaq takes office in 1755, and a volatile situation is brewing.

The fate of the French Acadians, who had for so long been great allies to the Mi'kmaq, was sealed. "In early 1755 the Acadian Deputies were summoned to Halifax by Governor Lawrence and ordered to swear an oath of allegiance to the British Crown. This they refused to do, contending, as they had with Cornwallis in 1749, that if they did so the French would set the Indians against them and they would be massacred. The English took no time responding. On July 28th, 1755, Lawrence got the full approval of Nova Scotia Colonial Council to start dispersing the Acadians among the American Colonies.... They were loaded into the holds of the ships and scattered to the four corners of the world. Families were separated, never to see one another again, and untold numbers died in transport. " (page 152)

The Deportation of the Acadians, Source: WikimediaCommons

"Many Acadians went into hiding among the Mi'kmaq and remained with them until the British and French ended their hostilities in 1763. A group of several hundred were hidden by Mi'kmaq in an area known today as Kejimkujak National Park." (pg. 152)


This was the climate. It's not hard to see why Ile Royale (Cape Breton) was a haven of sorts.

13 - Tunes

 I am in my concert season for the next few weeks, so my research will have to wait for a bit. I thought I would share a few clips that I enjoy of Lee Cremo, the famous Mi'kmaq fiddler from Nova Scotia. Like the wonderful Denny singers, he also comes from Eskasoni. He seems to have been quite a character and very quick witted by the clips I have seen. The following quote was taken from his obituary in the chronicle herald:

Credited for his natural humour and charm, Cremo was often a fixture at public events like Treaty Day celebrations or Maritime Oldtime Fiddling Contests, where he was rarely at a loss for words. "When it comes to talking, I never stop," he once said. "If I run out of words in English, I continue in Mi'kmaq. If they can't understand, that's their problem."

Lee Cremo was born at what is today Chapel Island in 1938 and moved to Eskasoni at age 4. He started playing fiddle and guitar at the age of 7, often accompanying his father, Simon Cremo. His style shows influence of not only his Mi'kmaq heritage but also the influence of  well known Scottish fiddlers from Nova Scotia.

       Besides his father, Cremo also learned from Wilfred Prosper  and Neil Francis MacLellan, and soaked up the music of Cape Breton fiddling legends like Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald and Dan Hughie MacEachern at local dances. "If I had the money, I'd go in," Cremo once told composer/historian Allister MacGillivrey. "If not, I'd sit outside by the window and listen and learn."  

 He learned, and he passed his knowledge along. Today's Cape Breton musical stars like Creignish fiddlers Ashley and Lisa MacIsaac and Troy's Natalie MacMaster all picked up tips from him. But nobody played quite like him.                                                                                         (Halifax Herald)

He has played everywhere from the Expo '67 for Queen Elizabeth, to the Hollywood Bowl. In a competition in Nashville, he was awarded "Best Bow Arm in the World," and was the subject of a documentary called "Arm of Gold" in 1986.  I thought this was a good name, because the word Bras d'Or,  actually means Arm of Gold. He also won the Dartmouth old Time Fiddling Competition six times. Sadly, he died in 1999 at the age of 60.


I hope you enjoy these clips from You Tube. The first one shows a bit of his wit. The others are from the movie "Arm of Gold" and give a nice glimpse into his world. I love the stories and tradition that they show from Mi'kmaq culture. When I see these things, they make me sad, because these are the parts of my own history that I have missed. I will have to be content to learn what I can from others. Enjoy!

Arm of Gold:

Part 1

Part 2

There are two more parts of this documentary, which can be found on You Tube.   I hope you enjoyed these ones. The film "Arm of Gold" was made by Robert Doan and Robert Petch.

12 - Refuge

I have been thinking a lot about the political climate of the Little Bras d'Or area in the mid 1700's. I have been trying to piece together some of the history from the limited resources that I have available to me. After a little bit more research, I learned that some of the settlers in Bras d'Or also came from an area in Nova Scotia called Pisquit, which is present day Windsor and Falmouth, Nova Scotia. It appears that some who were living in Cape Sable and LaHave left those areas and some settled here for a time. All of this occurs between 1748 and 1752. The same time frame as the infamous scalping proclamations. The following quote comes from Charlene MacKenzie in the book" Lejeune and Young's, An Acadian Mi'kmaq Family", by Lark Blackburn Szick, 1997:

"The matriarch of the Lejeune and Roy family was Edmee Joseph Lejeune, seventy eight year old widow of Charles Chauvet dit La Gerne. The Chauvet family had lived at the St. John River, and at LaHave and had moved on to Pisquit for safety." pg. 1

Chapel Island, Nova Scotia
Photo by Verne Equinox Source: Wikimedia Commons

 Pisquit, was a Mi'kmaq word meaning "Junctions of the Waters." It was the largest Acadian settlement and was closest to Halifax. Given that the British stepped up their efforts against the Acadians and Mi'kmaq in 1749, Pisquit would not have been a safe haven by any means. In 1750, the British erected a fort in Pisquit, known as Fort Edward and the first commander was none other than Captain Gorham, of the infamous rangers, who were responsible for so many atrocities. It was definitely not a safe place for our ancestors from Bras d'Or to be. Shortly afterwards, in 1755, the Acadians would be deported to Louisiana with some Mi'kmaq among them.


Cape Breton Island (then known as Ile Royale), had been returned to French authority with the signing of a treaty known as "Aix-la-Chapelle" in 1748. Their close connection to the French was the main reason Mi'kmaq populations looked to Cape Breton as a haven from British Authority.  In addition, The Bras d'Or lakes region holds special spiritual significance to the Mi'kmaq people. This area in Cape Breton was the birthplace of the Mi'kmaq God, Glooscap (Kluscap), and the area of Chapel Island in Cape Breton, is considered to be the capitol of the Mi'kmaq nation. It was known as Mniku, which means island, and has been a meeting place for the Mi'kmaq people for as long is as known in the culture. In the early 1750's, a Roman Catholic missionary named Father Malliard, erected a chapel on the island. There is an annual gathering on the island every year which celebrates Saint Anne, the patron saint of the Mi'kmaq. There is a wonderful video by Mi'kmaq film maker Catherine Anne Martin, which documents one of these visits to Chapel island. Here is a link:http://www.nfb.ca/explore-by/director/Catherine-Anne-Martin

According to Lark Blackburn Szick's book by 1752, "a small group had settled at the little entrance to the Bras d'Or under the protection of Sieur de LaBoularderie. It was around this time that the extended family of Lejeunes, Guedry, Benoits, Chauvets and others left Pisquit and settled at Little Bras d'Or and Baie des Espagnols which extended from the little entrance of Bras d'Or eastward to Sydney Harbour. At Sydney Mines, called La Mine by the French, they settled at Indian Cove at the site of future Greener's Mine and at Lloyd Cove near Cranberry. " pg. 1

The French stronghold in the area was the Fortress of Louisbourg and was located only about 35 miles from the Bras D'or area. It was the capitol of the Island and was returned to the French with the treaty in 1748 offering more security to the displaced Mi'kmaq. The fortress had been the most extensive European fortification in North America. It was the third busiest port, behind only Boston and Philadelphia. It was an important investment to the French because the fishing industry in North America was at the time more lucrative than the fur trade. Louisbourg was situated in an area close to the Grand Banks and over 400 fishing boats and 60 schooners sailed daily to and from the port at its height of activity. In 1752, by the time settlement at Bras d'Or had been established by my Mi'kmaq ancestors, the French population in Louisbourg had grown to 4,174 people. You can visit the fortress today. It is currently the largest reconstruction project in North America. Here is a link: http://www.fortressoflouisbourg.ca/Fortress-Louisbourg/mid/12/sid/35

So, I will continue my search. I have been asking people in the Bras d'Or area for help as well, but it appears that much of the history of the area is held by various people and not gathered in one place. I hope I can help dig some of it up. For now, in my search, the people who settled at Little Bras d'Or have refuge for a short time.

Sources: Wikipedia, (Pisquit, Chapel Island, Fortress of Louisbourg)

               LeJeune and Youngs - An Acadian Mi'kmaq Family, Lark Blacburn Szick, 1997