The Mixed-Blooded People of Paspébiac

321. Further Historical Mention of the Mixed-Blooded People of Paspébiac, Québec in the Nineteenth Century: This folder contains a copy of the Wednesday, July 25, 1866 issue of the Québec newspaper, “Le Courrier du Canada, Journal des Interest Canadiens.” The importance of this issue lies in an article found on page 02, which is properly entitled, “Correspondances: La Gaspésie.” Unfortunately the Author of this article is unknown to me however, I must emphasize that the Author asserts the information discussed in the article is the Author’s own first-hand observations of the Baie-des-Chaleurs, Québec. Therefore, I firmly believe that the information found in this document is very reliable.

That being said, the importance of “Correspondances: La Gaspésie” lies in an excerpt found in the fifth column of page 02. This excerpt concerns the origins of the inhabitants of Paspébiac, Québec that the Author of this article reports to have encountered and is as follows:

“… Paspébiac est célèbre sous bien des rapports. Sa population, de sang français et sauvage, est adonnée à l’usage des liqueurs de feu, est turbulente, chicanière et faisant le coup de poing à propos de tout et à propos de rien. Mais c’est sur le Banc, le fameux Banc, qu'il faut les voir, dans un jour de bacchanale. Le Paspéya en boisson et en querelle a un cri particulier, un hurlement qui ferait l'étonnement des Iroquois du temps de Champlain, s’ils pouvaient resusciter. Ajoutez à cela l'expression de la figure et celle des juremonts, puis l’accent guttural de plusieurs mots, et vous aurez une idée du veritable Paspéya en colère et en ribotte. Il est rare qu’on eu vienne aux coups avant de se prévenir mutuellement pas des menaces, par des bravades, don’t quelques-unes me reviennent à la mémoire: “J’te vas faire (?) basse: j’te vas faire cailler l’sang, toi, ma Babine de coq.” (Ils prononcent sang comme s’il était écrit sangue). Je vous fais grâce des jurements, don’t quelques-uns sont très-anciens et remontent certainement au temps des premiers Français…”

This loosely translates to:

“… Paspébiac is celebrated in many ways. Its population, of French and Savage blood, is devoted to the use of fire liqueurs, is turbulent, quibbling and punching about everything and about nothing. But it is on the Bank, the famous Bank, that you have to see them, in a bacchanal day. Paspéya in drink and quarrel has a peculiar cry, a roar that would amaze the Iroquois of the time of Champlain, if they could resuscitate. Add to this the expression of the figure and that of the juremonts, then the guttural accent of several words, and you will have an idea of the true Paspéya in anger and in debauchery. It is rare that one came to blows before warning each other not by threats, by bravado, some of which come back to my memory: “I will make you (?) low: I will make you curdle blood, you, my lip of cock.” (They pronounce sang as if it were written sangue). I swear to you by oath, some of which are very old, and certainly date back to the time of the first Frenchmen…”

This excerpt is important for a couple of reasons, the first, and most important reason being that it suggests the inhabitants of Paspébiac, Québec in the nineteenth century were of mixed-blood (“French” and “Savage” (First Nations)). Therefore, in my opinion, when this information is combined with other information found in this collection, Paspébiac can be considered a historic “Métis Community.” It’s also important to note that the author of this document refers to these mixed-blooded people as “Paspéya.”

The second part of this excerpt worth noting, is that it suggests the mixed-blooded inhabitants of Paspébiac, Québec in the nineteenth century were somewhat rebellious and “uncivilized” for lack of a better word. This is important because it depicts these people in a similar picture to that which Père Jean-Mandé Sigogne paints the “Sang-Mêlés” (“Mixed-Bloods”) of Cape Sable/Southwest Nova Scotia in his own nineteenth century writings that we’ve discussed throughout this report.

In conclusion, “Correspondances: La Gaspésie” is a very important addition to this collection because it provides further insight into the lives of the mixed-blooded inhabitants of the region of Paspébiac, Québec in the nineteenth century. 
This is important because the information provided to the reader in this document was written based on the Author’s own first-hand experience with the “Paspéya” of Paspébiac, Québec, which increases the reliability of the information discussed in this excerpt.