metis of the sea
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=UY3hNwcQ290C&dat=19630516&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
Throughout history, many people passing through the community of Bas-Caraquet have shared their observations about its unique inhabitants. This article, published in L'Évangéline on Friday, May 17th, 1963, echoes the oral histories of our ancestors and further reinforces the unique character and mixed identity of the Bas-Caraquet community. Along with Paspebiac, Bas-Caraquet represents the epicentre of the mixed-blood (Métis) community of the Baie-des-Chaleurs.
“ Je puis dire que les gens d'en Bas de Caraquet… ils sont une race à part, distinguée par un caractère que l'on trouve rarement ailleurs en Acadie. »
“I can say that the people of Bas de Caraquet... they are a breed apart, distinguished by a character that is rarely found elsewhere in Acadia.”
Norman Indian, is a term that is used by the elders and also seen in some research done by the Canadian Government. That government's definition of "Norman Indian" vanished from the web shortly after it was made public.
This article written by the historian Médard Léger, is noteworthy for several reasons. The excerpt highlights the mix origins of the fishermen involved in the narrative, associating them with family names identified through our research as belonging to the mix blood (Métis) families on the peninsula.
“Ce sont des Albert, Blanchard, Boucher, Chenard, Chiasson, Doiron, Frigault, Friolet, Gallien, Gionet, Hébert, Lanteigne, LeBoutheiller, Léger, Mailloux, Mainville, Mallet, Morais, Noël, Paulin, Ross et Sewell. Un mélange de sang Breton-Normand-Indien. »
« They are Albert, Blanchard, Boucher, Chenard, Chiasson, Doiron, Frigault, Friolet, Gallien, Gionet, Hébert, Lanteigne, LeBoutheiller, Léger, Mailloux, Mainville, Mallet, Morais, Noël, Paulin, Ross et Sewell. A mix of Breton-Norman-Indian blood. »
Mr. Médard also notes the profound connection this population maintains with the ocean.
“ D'une robustesse distinctive, avec un amour inné de la mer et tout ce qu'elle contient … l'œil puissamment taillé, clair et franc ou scrutateur, on dirait qu'ils se plaisent peu sur la terre ferme, leur langage, leur physionomie, leur mentalité irradie la vie de mer, dont ils sont totalement imbus. »
" Of distinctive robustness, with an innate love for the sea and all that it contains …with their powerfully carved eyes, clear and frank or scrutinizing, it seems that they do not feel at home on dry land. Their language, their physiognomy, their mentality all radiates the life of the sea, with which they are completely imbued.”
Not only do they love the ocean, but despite their hard life, they also hold a deep respect for its resources and the need to protect it.
« Dans cette section de la côte, on abhorre le braconnage. D'ailleurs même s'ils étaient tentés de le pratiquer étant exposé a une inspection facile pour ce commerce malhonnête et destructif, on s'y prête peu. On les entend condamner fortement ceux des autres cotes qui se livrent à ce commerce illicite et n'ont aucune pitié pour ceux qui s'y font prendre. »
« In this section of the coast, poaching is abhorred. Moreover, even if they were tempted to practise it being exposed to easy inspection for this dishonest and destructive trade, there is little interest in it. We hear them strongly condemn those from other coasts who engage in this illicit trade and have no pity for those who get caught in it. »
This article illuminates the distinctive identity of this Indigenous community, formed at the intersection of European seafaring culture and the Mi'gmaq, renowned as the "People of the Sea." Their Métis heritage is a tapestry woven from these diverse threads, deeply connected to the land and sustained by the sea. This enduring bond is still palpable today to anyone who visits Bas-Caraquet and witnesses the community's reverence for the bay.
Thanks Chris for the article….
