Wolastoqiyik Ajemseg
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The People of the Beautiful River at Jemseg V olume 1: Important Stories and Spoken Histories The People of the Beautiful River at Jemseg Volume 1: Important Stories and Spoken Histories edited by Karen Perley and Susan Blair New Brunswick Manuscripts in Archaeology 34E Archaeological Services Services d'archéologie Heritage Branch Direction du patrimoine Culture and Sport Secretariat Secrétariat à la Culture et au Sport Wolastoqiyik Ajemseg The People of the Beautiful River at Jemseg edited by Karen Perley and Susan Blair Volume 1 Important Stories and Spoken Histories Jemseg Crossing Archaeology Project The final version of this report was compiled with financial support from the Grand Lake Meadows Project Management Committee. Archaeological Services Services d'archéologie Heritage Branch Direction du patrimoine Culture and Sport Secretariat Secrétariat à la Culture et au Sport 1998 This series is designed to facilitate the distribution of manuscripts relating to New Brunswick archaeology. They will be published in small quantities and will generally be available by special request only. © Karen Perley and Susan Blair and the Province of New Brunswick New Brunswick Manuscripts in Archaeology 34E, 2003. Edited by: Karen Perley and Susan Blair Published by: Archaeological Services, Heritage Branch Culture and Sport Secretariat 2003 P.O. Box 6000 Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5H1, Canada ISBN 1-55396-147-1 Printed in Canada CNB 2204 Wolastoqiyik Ajemseg, Vol. 1 Mawlukhotapun - Working Together Acknowledgements The Jemseg Crossing Archaeology Project was only made possible by the philosophy of “working together”. In business settings, this approach is often called the “team” approach. However, the concept of a “team” is a simplification of how it actually worked at Jemseg. “Teams” are usually formal concrete working groups, usually formed to compete against other teams. Our “working together” was less formal. We were united by our desires to salvage an important site as respectfully and carefully as we could. In a basic way, the project only moved forward through the hard work and contributions of hundreds of individuals. We thank you all for your effort, courage, time, patience, and care. These contributions were often multifaceted, and many gave freely of their expertise and hidden talents in ways not initially envisaged when they came to the site. Many project members, such as John Keenan and Bazil Nash, worked tirelessly to provide information about the project to their communities, and yet were also fundamental in the group approach to solving the archaeological field work problem of working through the winter. The fieldwork was enabled by a core of archaeological supervisors, including Colin Varley, Chris Blair, Katherine Patton, Sam Gallagher, Bazil Nash, Pamela Dickinson, John Keenan, Darcy Dignam, Vincent Bourgeois, Joel Calabrese, Jason Jeandron, Michael Saunders, Shianne MacDonald, Phillip Atwin, Paul McEachan, Mike Nicholas, and field crew, including Viktoria Kramer, Frank Lewey, Jennifer Butler, Barbara Oldford, Clifton Sacobie, Elvis Sacobie, Mike Smith, Nathan Atwin, Donald Paul, Joe Brooks, the late Gerry Pickles, Philippe McKay, Alexandra Francis-Steward, Ian Steward, Wesley Atwin, Terry Smith, Carol Smith, Fred Masters, Doug Solomon, Ryan Francis, Frank Atwin, Dale Nash. The “Week-enders” filled in for us on Saturdays and Sundays, and included Patricia i KCI AKONUTOMAKONAL Important Stories and Spoken Histories Looman, Daniel MacKenzie, Larry Orechia, Starr Perley, Chkwabun Nicholas Sappier, Wade Perley, Lisa Maher, David Wilson, Chris Nason, Melanie Doerig, Sonja Harding, Brad Lamey, Cory Lavender, Randy MacBeth, Amanda White, Shelly Perley, Forest Boudreau, Alphonsus Bourgeois, Jeff Dobson, Jeremy Farris, Brent Francis, Ryan Francis, Jamie Gullison, Hazel Haneveld, Mark Hiscock, Wendy Hogan, Ben Hood, Greg Houston, Gary Jonah, Janice Keenan, Sherry Morin, Mona Nicholas, Mike Niski, Brad Paul, Karri-Lynn Paul, Richard Paul, Scott Paul, Leslie Perley, Marie Perley, Robert Perley, Danny Sabattis, Bert Sacobie, Joseph Sacobie, Paul Tomer, Janet Wainwright, and Kathy Weeks. The conservation, laboratory work and analysis was facilitated by a dedicated crew of analysts, cataloguers, technicians and a conservator. These included Frances Stewart, Alexandra Sumner, Brent Suttie, Valery Monahan, Paula Paul, Ramona Nicholas, Erica Bear, Tanya Bourgeois, Janice Keenan, Bonnie Atwin, Margaret Stennitt, Diane Paul, Wendy Hogan, David Black, and Stephen Monckton. The methodological problems were overcome by considerable brainstorming by Tim MacAfee, Bazil Nash, Phil Atwin, Frank Atwin, Dale Nash, Chris Blair, Peter Jardine, and Patrick Polchies. As the educational component of the project grew under the guidance of Karen Perley, project members offered their expertise and interest, so as to bring information about our work and New Brunswick’s Wolastoqiyik community to the public and to the large number of young people who came with school or community groups, such as Ramona Nicholas, Valery Monahan, Cynthia Adams, Teana Pickles, Shelly Perley, Tim MacAfee, Pamela Dickenson, Chris Blair, Alice Paul and Erica Bear. The site was originally found due to the diligence of Colin MacKinnon, who recovered artifacts from the beach in the early 1990s, and reported them to Archaeological Services. Volunteers came to site and contributed labour, including Stella Nicholas, Rodney Bear, Tasha Moulton, Doreen Francis, Perry Perley Jr., Mike Moulton, Carl Perley Jr., Storm Perley, Baquahason Sappier and Heather Smith. Site security and transportation was handled by a number of individuals, including Daryl Paul of Oromocto First Nation, Joe Paul, Donna Paul, The Peacekeepers, including Tina Nicholas Bernard, Raymond Nicholas and Tina Nicholas Martin, and the RCMP provided additional support to these efforts. Additional legal advice was provided by Ron Gaffney. The project was coordinated by a team consisting of Susan Blair, the field director, Karen Perley, the education coordinator, Patrick Polchies the project manager, and Chris Turnbull the director of Archaeology Branch. Together with Patricia Allen of Archaeology Branch, this group ‘liaised’ between provincial and aboriginal governments. Pat Allen also provided an important support role in the field and in the main offices of the Archaeology Branch. Further office administration was provided by Amanda Howlett, Crystall Joscak, and Ernest Merasty. ii Wolastoqiyik Ajemseg, Vol. 1 A project of this magnitude benefits from the contribution of many organizations and government offices, and we received a great deal of assistance from the New Brunswick provincial government, especially Louise Gillis, Jennifer Pollock, Marsha Hello, Shirley Phillips, Mike Randall, Sharon Pond, Wayne Burley, Denis Lachappelle, Dan Horseman, Mike Phillips, Brian McEwing, Doug Johnson, Bernard Richard (Minister of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs, Sheldon Lee (Minister of Transportation), and Ann Breault (Minister Municipalities, Culture and Housing), as well as from the Maritime Road Development Corportation, especially Bob Burdette and Bob Hodgins. First Nations governments have contributed greatly to this project, including Karen Kierstead and Roger Nason (Oromocto First Nation), and Daryl Paul (Kingsclear First Nation), and especially the Chiefs at the time, including Chief Robert Atwin, the late Chief Rufford Sacobie, Chief Edwin Bernard, Chief Patrick Francis, Chief Arthur Bear, Chief John Wallace, Vice Chief Len Tomah, Chief Tom Green and Chief Floyd Bernard. This support continues to the present Chiefs in their appointment of members to the Maliseet Advisory Committee on Archaeology, and these Chiefs include Chief Jean-Guy Cimon, Chief Stewart Paul, Chief Jeff Tomah, Chief Robert Atwin, Chief Arthur Bear, and Chief Roger Atwin. The first Maliseet Advisory Committee on the Jemseg Crossing Project involved a great deal of time and support from a number of individuals, including Irvin Polchies, the late Charlie Paul, David Perley, Karen Perley, Ned Bear, Dick Paul, Robert Bernard, Chris Turnbull, David Keenlyside, Brian McEwing, and Mike Phillips. Many individuals have continued to provide time and support through the second Maliseet Advisory Committee on Archaeology, including Charles (Diamond) Nicholas, Vincent Nicholas, Patty Paul, Mae Perley, Linda Paul, Marjorie Paul, Rocky Paul, Sharon Paul, Tim Nicholas, Phil Atwin, Ned Bear, Robert Bernard, Dianne Pelletier, Barb Nicholas, Amanda Howlett, Karen Perley and Patricia Allen. Many individuals independently came to the site or provided support, insight and knowledge, including Wayne Nicholas, Marlene Shumate, Shirley Bear, Gwen Bear, Darrel Paul, Alice Paul, the late Christina Nash. We would like to thank the following Elders who took part in the Spoken History project: Tina Brooks, Pat Laporte, and Josephine Paul (Sitansisk/St. Mary’s First Nation), Richard Polchies Junior (Sitansisk/St. Mary’s First Nation), the late Theresa Sacobie (Pilick/Kingsclear First Nation), Ronald Paul (Sitansisk/St. Mary’s First Nation), Charles Solomon Sr. (Pilick/Kingsclear First Nation), Rose Atwin (Pilick/Kingsclear First Nation), Gina (Jeanna) Polchies (Woodstock First Nation), Bob Nash (Gagetown), Noel Francis Junior with Kathleen Francis (Madawaska Maliseet First Nation), Elizabeth Paul (Welmooktuk/Oromocto First Nation), Charlie Bear (Neqotkuk/ Tobique First Nation), Pat Sacobie (Welmooktuk/Oromocto First Nation), Pious and the late Harriet Perley (Neqotkuk/Tobique