“Vastes Champs Offerts à la Colonisation et à l'Industrie: La Gaspésie

278. Further Mention of Historical Intermarriage in the Region of the Baie-des-Chaleurs in a Government-Published Report: This folder contains a copy of the “Publicist of the Minister,” Alfred Pelland’s 1914 publication entitled, “Vastes Champs Offerts à la Colonisation et à l'Industrie: La Gaspésie: Esquisse Historique, ses Ressources, ses Progrès et son Avenir.” This is a rather important publication, as it was “published under the direction of the Honourable M. Mercier, Minister of Colonization, Mines, and Fisheries” (Honourable Joseph-Honoré-Alfred-Édouard Mercier).

That being said, I was unfortunately unable to locate any relevant information concerning Alfred Pelland therefore, I will begin the current summary by “diving right into” our discussion concerning “Vastes Champs Offerts à la Colonisation et à l'Industrie: La Gaspésie: Esquisse Historique, ses Ressources, ses Progrès et son Avenir.” This publication is a very informative writing concerning the area of Gaspésie, Québec in, and before the year 1914 however, I’ve chosen to focus the current discussion on one excerpt in particular. This excerpt can be found on pages 25 and 26 and according to pages 23 and 24, this excerpt is a summary of observations made by Archbishop Joseph-Octave Plessis during his 1811, 1812, and 1815 travels throughout Québec and what was once known as Acadia. A discussion concerning Archbishop Plessis’ journal from that time period can be found in “Folder #57” of “Volume 1” of this collection and the important excerpt from pages 25 and 26 of “Vastes Champs Offerts à la Colonisation et à l'Industrie: La Gaspésie: Esquisse Historique, ses Ressources, ses Progrès et son Avenir” states the following:

“… De Paspébiac: “C'est l'endroit central du grand commerce de morue des MM. Robin; ils y ont leur comptoir et leur principal magasin, et sont propriétaires d'une étendue de terre assez considérable. Les habitants auxquels ils se sont rendus nécessaires sont des espèces de cerfs, entièrement dans leur dépendance; ils ont concédé à 33 d'entre eux 33 arpents de terre de front sur 10 de hauteur, en sorte que chaque colon n'ayant que dix arpents en superficie, pour sa part, ne peut vivre qu'avec le secours de sa pêche et que se trouvant hors d'état d'en faire les avances nécessaires, il est toujours endetté au bourgeois, toujours à sa disposition, exposé à être mis à bord de quelques bâtiments de la compagnie et de faire le voyage d'Europe en qualité de matelot, lorsque ses dettes sont rendues au point de ne pouvoir être acquittées par la pêche. Aussi n'est-il pas rare d'en trouver qui ont été à Jersey, à Lisbonne, à Cadix, à Messine, etc. Les premiers habitants de Paspébiac s'étant alliés à des sauvagesses, toute la colonie formée par leurs descendants a une portion de sang sauvage, ce qui met entre eux et les autres habitants de la Baie des Chaleurs une différence capitale... Les étrangers, les Acadiens surtout, se croiraient déshonorés en s'alliant à ces descendants de sauvages, et ne les regardent qu'avec un certain mépris. Cependant, il est vrai de dire qu'ils n'ont rien dans leurs moeurs qui respire la barbarie. Ils donnèrent même, lors de la mission, des preuves de prévenance et d'hospitalité qui les mettraient presque au niveau des habitants de Bonaventure; il ne leur manque qu'un peu de la bonne grâce avec laquelle ceux-ci font leurs offrandes."…”

This loosely translates to:

“… Of Paspébiac: “This is the central place of the great cod trade of the MM. Robin; they have their counter and their principal store, and own a considerable amount of land. The inhabitants to whom they have made themselves necessary are deer species, entirely in their dependence; they conceded to 33 of them 33 acres of land in front on 10 in height, so that each settler having only ten acres in area, for his part, can live only with the help of his fishing and that being unable to make the necessary advances, he is always in debt to the bourgeois, always at his disposal, exposed to be put on board some of the company's ships and to make the voyage to Europe as a sailor, when his debts are rendered so that they cannot be paid by the fishery. So it is not uncommon to find who has been to Jersey, to Lisbonne, to Cadix, to Messine, etc. The first inhabitants of Paspébiac having allied themselves with Savage women, the whole colony formed by their descendants has a portion of Savage blood, which puts between them and the other inhabitants of the Baie des Chaleurs a capital difference... Outsiders, mostly Acadians, would feel dishonored by allying themselves with these descendants of Savages, and look at them with some contempt. However, it is true to say that they have nothing in their morals that exudes barbarity. They even gave, during the mission, proofs of thoughtfulness and hospitality which would put them almost at the level of the inhabitants of Bonaventure; they lack only a little of the good grace with which they make their offerings. "…”

As you may notice, this excerpt was partially discussed in our discussion concerning “Folder #57” of “Volume 1” of this collection. Therefore, I won’t go into great detail concerning this excerpt in the current discussion and I’ll simply state that this excerpt is important for two reasons. 

The first reason why this excerpt is important is that Archbishop Joseph-Octave Plessis observed the people of Paspébiac, Québec in the early nineteenth century to have been the descendants of people who had “s'étant alliés à des sauvagesses” (“allied themselves with Savage women”) and therefore, “toute la colonie formée par leurs descendants a une portion de sang sauvage” (“the whole colony formed by their descendants has a portion of Savage blood”). Based on this observation, I believe it appropriate to conclude that Paspébiac was a “Métis” community by the early nineteenth century.

The second important part of this excerpt is that Archbishop Joseph-Octave Plessis observed during his travels that “étrangers, les Acadiens surtout, se croiraient déshonorés en s'alliant à ces descendants de sauvages, et ne les regardent qu'avec un certain mépris” (“outsiders, mostly Acadians, would feel dishonored by allying themselves with these descendants of Savages, and look at them with some contempt”). Therefore, we can conclude based on this excerpt that the mixed-bloods of Paspébiac, Québec were highly discriminated against by outsiders in the early years of the nineteenth century. This is a similar situation to what we’ve seen throughout this collection in relation to other mixed-blooded collectives residing in Eastern Canada at that time, such as the “Sang-Mêlés” (“Mixed-Bloods”) of Southwest Nova Scotia.

In conclusion, although I’d already discussed this excerpt in our discussion from “Folder #57” of “Volume 1” of this collection, I’ve chosen to include Alfred Pelland’s 1914 publication entitled, “Vastes Champs Offerts à la Colonisation et à l'Industrie: La Gaspésie: Esquisse Historique, ses Ressources, ses Progrès et son Avenir” in this collection because it was “published under the direction of the Honourable M. Mercier, Minister of Colonization, Mines, and Fisheries.” 

Therefore, I included “Vastes Champs Offerts à la Colonisation et à l'Industrie: La Gaspésie: Esquisse Historique, ses Ressources, ses Progrès et son Avenir” in this collection because it’s a document that was published under the direction of the Honourable Joseph-Honoré-Alfred-Édouard Mercier, which in turn, means that this is an official Government document that discusses a distinct and discriminated against group of mixed-blooded people historically residing at Paspébiac, Québec.