TRAILS OF TIME

Trails of Time

My brother, Len , and I wandered the  Sheep Brook area, approximately three miles east of St. George’s in the great Val of Sheep Brook, a  journey on Mine Road, that brings my thoughts back in time, to the eighteen hundreds. 

This is where Grandfather John Muise carried loads (lode) of iron ore from the Bishop Mine, (founded in the 1880’s by local prospector), with his pack on his back, for 10cents a day on a trail that lead the St. Georges. This natural trail was used to hike from Helch Gulch, Shack Town, and small settlements along Flat Bay Brook. This trail still exists and  is visible to humans, who want to travel  these parts of our forgotten past.

On the east of Sheep Brook lies beading of gypsum, leading to the ore body at Flat Bay Gypsum Plant. People say  this has  one of the richest percentage  in the world. This plant no longer exists.

We arrived at the forks of the paths in Sheep Brook, one path leading to the Path End, that is to the south near the river bank, a settlement that was established there for a long, long time.

 I found an apple tree, (three hundred years old), on the north side where there’s remains of a grassy field approximately  four acres of farmland. Years ago, this was a good size farm, the apple tree still bearing fruit.

Here is  a trail leading to the Big Marsh, St. Georges. I walked this trail. It was like a T.C. H. There was another trail leading to Muddy Hole, Flat Bay. Across the brook from this small farmland lies another place (O'Reiley's  Peace), people would call it, and those people would stay here when cutting pulp in 1930 , and south a trail leading to Little Level for trappers, before the pulp wood days.

The other path leads to the east, on the North side of the new road, (in 1995 ore was mined  to be brought to HIBERNIA for there rigs bales, east of the Grand Banks oil riggs  near St. John’s.) The trails of mine lead was never established. It was always there, used by many trappers and hunters with dog team of yesterday, (another ‘Main Trail” to the SW. country from Bay St. George area).

Just ahead, south- east, at the back of the great Steal Mountain, on top 1200 feet above sea level, is the remains of a Mound or Carom, used there  by surveyors and navigators that could use it as a conical pile. Who erected the Mound?

 Old William Young or Cooke (some Mi’kmaq even yet today are not sure of their sir names) told me one story, It was told to him. James Cook used this land mark in 1767 to survey this area of the island. I then took pictures of the existing trails, mountain and Gypsum. I never did do any research on the stories that William told me, and not many people know the real truth of this land. I firmly believe that statement of his.

We foraged on a little farther  glancing at the natural surroundings. But, Old Eagle Catcher (My Brother Leonard) was worried that day. He had this thing with eagles.  We left the spot where he and Timmy Drew (born in Conne River, and a very close friend of mine), caught /saved a hurt eagle. We then cracked a few rocks mostly Anorectics with iron and traces of platinum. We were near the contact zone from the Anorectics part of the Long Range Mountains and the base rocks of the bay, where the ocean at one time covered this earth.

We had a mug up, then decided next to go see our sister ,Gladys, who lived at Journois. When we got two miles from Flat Bay Junction, again Len saw another eagle flying over the old country trail that led to the Path End and led to the Big Marsh, St George’s where Carmack ended his travels across NFLD.

 We drove on and talking about his times with eagles, I could not under stand what he was saying, but I know the Eagles had left this area for a long time and now they are back. Anyway we turned right and drove on.

On arriving our sister Gladys and her husband , Mike Kindle, greeted us with a scoff of ribs and chicken, the works, and as usual, we had a  discussion on the old days.

Then an elderly lady  arrived.  She addressed herself as "King",...she was beautiful , dark complection, average  beauty, and very smart to the past events of Bay St. Georges . She was only 72, she stated. She told me that the generation before hers young girls/boys would walk from Fischels /Journeys to attend dancing on Flat Island when the ships would dock to bring supplies to the settlement. She said, " That has all ended, all our young are leaving there ."

There is  no work. There are only 200 people left up here, and only eight small children. The Gypsum plant is gone,  everything is gone. Every one has their say, but I listened to the Elders. (Stories I heard are through out this book, but lie in the minds of quite a few people.)

After some time,  I drifted out from my sister’s cottage. I walked a small road that leads me to the seashore where Journais’s Brook dips into the salt water. As I stand on the bank of the ocean at ease, the land beneath my feet, the river gently flows.  My senses tell me why the Mi’kmaq called this their  home, of the ancient one’s ,and a gravesite to me appeared. I returned to fetch my brother as the hairs on my eyebrow stiffened with mist from the middy sea.

Upon finishing our feast/visit we drove slowly down to Flat Bay, (Young’s Cove).  This is one of the greatest Historic Sites I’ve ever seen. Right then I knew that Indian, other than fur traders, dare not enter this neck of the sand.

 We stopped at the Gap, an area where  one could walk  to Sandy Point, an healthy some seven miles.  It was  known to Spanish and Basque whalers, who obtained food here . That lead to nothing  but a rare bird that George Kitchen and I talked about thirty-two years ago.

 Sandy Point provides habitat for many birds that frequented the whole of Bay St. George. It was once the main center of settlers from many countries, people that arrived centuries  ago. There is  so much history in  one area. The ancient ones  knew the Piping Plover, the American Widgeon, Black Duck, Green-Winged Teal ,etc..

 A salt marsh, graves, and stories,....that’s what remains.

"The rise and decline as the sea covered the land,
Only our friend’s pebbles stuck with this sand,
 He then shows us woe’s the leaders of man."

A valley directly across the Gap, Flat Bay to the (south) would be an area to journey on the country by dog sled and reestablish another trip of fur. Another ancient path along the oceans banks, to Journey, Middle Brook, Fischles River to the southwest, where Indians wandered about. My old friend, Gus White's house still remains  and most of his family  is in this area.  Many memories dodged  through my mind and I could look back at the good old days.

As we departed from that area we stopped and got some crestless gypsum at the remains of a plant that no longer exists. It had been started in 1952. Once it was  the main economic base for Flat Bay and St. George’s. This plant changed the economy and way of life for many people in the area of St. Georges. Jimmy Renoir worked all his life here but stayed at his cabin in  Flat Bay Brook .

I also worked ,but not on shore ,but with the Upper Lake Shipping Company ,four years after I left school.

 The plant is now barren. Now it’s the oil coming on stream in 2005. For me this is centuries ahead, and poison to our environment. Yet they say this is progress. The human race, minds are prone to intelligence, yet our bodies need natural substance to survive and another 10,0000 years another human form could be created on earth.

Then we departed and decided to see our old Indian friend who lived directly across from our old home stead , Dog's Town. It got it's name from  the Mi’Kmaq and their dogs.  Each family had kept two or more dogs . It was part of survival. It is now called Old Mill Road

We arrived at his home and met his wife Karen, (Bennett, was the family name). She told us that he was at the fire in the bush, near his home in the backfield. We walked down a trail of memory for both Lin and me. Proceeding to the fire we were greeted by the CHIEF, Violet Bennett, in the Mi’kmaq custom along with Melvin White. I called him "Old Memento". So we gathered around the fire for a mug up, to which we were accustomed, tea steeped three times and drank black. We all had a spell to talk. Many topics arose. One was on trails and I listened.  I could feel the spiritual strength around the fire, and the strength from the women. Those moments with Mi’kmaq people still exists in our society of today.


I felt kind of exiled with the whole ordeal and the moment of that day. My mind ebbed when Melvin’s dog barked , reminding me of years long ago in 1962 when I was only young boy.

Dogs were an important part of travel  generations before me .I could recall my aunt Loretta and I taking the team of dogs to the Black Brook, a small stream running across what they call Steal Mt. Road,. It was seven hundred feet down Muise's  Lane. My sister ,Doreen, many tines helped fetch water in this manner.

Some time you would see Math Garner and Donald Perrier pass our trail heading to the Path End and farther to the country on hunting trips. Another trail 220 feet directly West led to the Big Marsh.  Old Mose Muise  resided along side of the trail.  That’s where Bishop Neal Ma Neal (the first Bishop of the Diocese of St.George’s), put a Mission Cross  at the height of St.Georges in 1910, reasons are unknown. I think it’s to mark  a battle zone, for the dead buried there. This was the oldest trail on Steal Mt. Road. It led  to the cemetary  and to the Catholic Church built in 1904 assisted by old Mose Muis. He had a forge and did all the steal work for the Bishop to build the church. The Bishop had his own sawmill and himself was a great carpente. All members volunteered their time to this historic event. The Court House was built after that. (The memories of the Mi’kmaq people remain as the Indian Band Council in1993 took over this part of St. George’s history under the Direction of Chief Victor James Muise (SAKE) .

There was a fork in the road, now called Court House Road. The trail then lead through the center of the cemetary, then cut across what is now Steal Mt. Road, down through Harview's Lane called today, and to Molly Ann's Brook),Seal Rocks, where ,mountaineers after the harp seals, settled in years gone by and then Mi’kmaq. I guess these would be the same people? There is the  only fresh water creak in the area, draining to the west into the sea where before the railroad was put through a settlement was established.(Settlement meant one or two house , a total of  seven to twelve people).


As departure came the sunlight fell at a 16-degree temperature that day, and an  ease of silence arose as we went on our way.

The Big Marsh  was a place every person knows, south of a pond called Hayse's Pond. There’s a path leading down  the Dribble. Dribble Brook flowed into Flat Bay Brook approximately  2 and half kilometers from it’s mouth. Along this river there were paths leading everywhere, One leadto the Path End, I used to carry potatoes from the Path End to Steel  Mt. Road. Liveries built huts up the river. VictorMuise had two, one cabin and  one barn for storing hay in winter, also a cellar to keep vegetables in. My dad cleared four acres with his brother Walter before he went to war. This land was cleared, worked, and planted each spring.... tilling the soil with a pick ax and shovels, throughout summer making hay and then mending broken handles, healing muscles, sores,  and blisters. The land is located up from Dribble Falls, used as a swing area for liveries from St. George’s. Joseph Muis and Jim Blanchard  had cabins also up North from  the present bridge, Jim stayed here in his last years of his life. I travelled here many times, picking apples along the way.

Still, in my mind I never forget the two war guns .I sold mind for tobacco.  Walter,  my cousin,  and I found them on the North side of the Big Marsh, just south west of Melvin White's house. I guess it was  some sort of battle field I would imagine .

 After all, in 1858 there were warships from England and France patrolling the Bay St George area with an uncertain ownership.

I also noted from the Provincial Archives  that five families, amounting to thirty-two individuals, have withdrawn from the settlement under fear of want for winter.

Also I noted from church files, that in 1862, in the woods about 12 miles from civilization, nine persons perished from hunger. A funeral service was held for these persons. They were all Indians. A brother of the father brought the news.

Inspired by these hardships  are uncertain questions that I dare not ask...... but times were tough. Only the strong survived, and  the weak withered away.

(Ancient Spirit of the White Wolf) Pikto'l Sa'ke'j Muise..

SPIRITUAL GATHERINGS

    Kwe ,

Spiritual Gatherings  should specialize only on Sacred Ceremony and on sacred grounds . These are  all that lives  and exists , in the  air, on  land and sea, in the oceans,streams and fields . The Creation  gives all for nothing .

In return Mother Earth asks....such as: Sweat Lodge Cleaning. That was adopted from other nations that entered in our Traditional Territory,.  The Mi'kmaq  Nation which was divided into seven Districts.

 For countless generations the Mi'kmaq governed their own affairs, and flourished as a distinct society of aboriginal peoples within the context of tested tribal values , societal norm, and tribal territory, as one of the many aboriginal people which inhabited the North American continent, and travailed the eastern sea board by their water ways with ease.

  Except for sporadic contact with European fishing fleets of early 1500's , Mi'kmaq religious belief, social conduct, economic, political and territorial sovereignty remained in BALANCE WITH BOTH THE PHYSICAL / SPIRITUAL  WORLD  AND MAN MADE ENVIRONMENT OF THEIR LAND.

  There were  sacred Gatherings ,  AFTER which  came   the first permanent European settlement on the North American continent at PORT POYAL in the early 1600's to approximately the 1700's .

The influence and treatment of the Mi'kmaq by the French, was largely based on mutual respec,t as to the sovereignty of both societies, with no impact upon religion.

 The adoption of Christianity , and the life style  change,  as influenced by European tools, and dress. (As to all other elements of Mi'kmaq society) the period of the French, did not undermine the political and territorial sovereignty of the Mi'kmaq Nation.

Their Spiritual Gatherings,  such as feasting , was a normal every day Ceremony.

 Pipe Ceremony ,as the sun rises to the Eastern door,  was the biggest responsibly  until sunset on that person,  mostly women.

 Sweetgrass Ceremony , from SUNRISE, was also   any time of day until sunset (Wabanaki).

People of the DAWN ceremonies:

......Feasting every thing in the Creation of the Creator.

....Talking Circle with different age groups,  was an every day event 

.....Healing Circle with shaman, medicines women and men.

In my vision participants transform to  a more selective and respective atmosphere and recognize the life of our ELDERS and  SHAMANs.

Women and the importance of our youth  are holding on to  both sides of cultural values ,  and customs, for future generations. 

Before the SPIRITUALITy  of our people almostno longer existed. Many died practising their  SPIRITUALITY.

They were at this time cast out of European  society and the Mi'kmaq Medicine women and men, were sadly put to death.

 As I  write this belief  in the Infinite  World: who is to judge? 

Our Mikmaq people almost became extinct  as our SISTER'S and BROTHERS the Beothics.

 The  so called Red Indians that still exist and roam  the country are slowly bringing back their Spiritual Cultural that was a void in their inner soul........now wanting  to exist as a proud and noble People of the Dawn.

  As I write  I shed tears, not blood or hate,  but tears of the lifting of our youth's  teachings for the next seven generations…

I have researched and lived through my life.  I humbly offer  my words,  spoken from a sacred breath of TRUTH.

(Sa'qewei-wjijaqamijl wipe's paqt-sm) Ancient Spirit of the White Wolf …Pikto'l Sa'ke'j Muise..VJM..

 POST SCRIPT: (Mandiewagque) Some older people called this place Skull Valley ,or place of many holes or ancient Burial sites.....It's up Flat Bay Brook..

THE WAMPUM BELT

 The Wampum Belt,  also called Peag:

Beads made from the interior parts of  shells often  were worked into belts and necklaces. 

Formerly used as currency by North American Indians, the beads were either black, dark purple and white. The dark Beads had double the value of the white.

From the archives of FNI website:

The Newfoundland Native Women Association gave a presentation to the Federation of Newfoundland Indians (FNI) Board of Directors at the Holiday Inn on September 21, 2002. It was of cultural significance to the Mi’kmaq people,which made the presentation all that much more meaningful.

The president of the Newfoundland Native Women Association, Ms. Dorothy George, gave the Board of Directors a brief background of how the project originated. 

Doreen Swyers spoke to the directors about the Wampum belt which was made by many Mi’kmaq people under the direction of an elder Ms.Jessie Alexander (Nee Muise).

The belt represents the plight of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians for the past 30 years in their attempt to

obtain federal recognition with the Department of Indian & Northern Affairs on behalf of the Mi’Kmaqmembership.

It reminded us of the struggle of the Mi’kmaq people to get to where we are today and it refreshed the hopes the Mi’kmaq people have for  tomorrow.

Ms. Alexander presented Brendan Sheppard, president of the FNI, with the belt. Mr. Sheppard thanked her and all

those involved and praised them on their cultural and creative idea displayed in the Wampum Belt.

The belt consisted of aboriginal symbolism to demonstrate aboriginal culture from the beginning of time through

today.

Sheppard vowed to keep the belt and preserve it for future generations to come ,to ensure people can see and understand the Mi’kmaq people’s way of life of yesterday and today.

Pictures to follow...Pikto'l..

This is the picture of the Wampum Belt.

Holding the belt  (from left) is ELDER VICTOR  MUISE, ANCIENT SPIRIT  OF  THE WHITE  WOLF .

The ELDER is a teacher , speaker, activist,  Shaman, Spiritual Warrior, and Leader.

Also present are the Elder's sister, Doreen, his Aunt Jessie,  Brenden Shepard , and Dorothy George

NUMIK: THE FIRST NEWFOUNDLANDER

Numik, The First Newfoundlander

NEWFOUNDLAND LEGEND ABOUT FIRST MOTHER EARTH STORYTELLER 

The Great Spirit stopped the large ice fields from creeping over the frozen, distant island located at the end of the ocean. After the mountains of ice went away creatures did not returned to the rocky island at the end of the world. The Great Spirit asked Glosscap, his spirit world helper, to arrange for different creatures to inhabit the place where the sand blows, that large island at the end of the world. Glosscap tried several times to keep creatures alive on the island. He first sent eel, walrus, seal, salmon, mussels and other water creatures but the waters around the island were still too cold from the melted ice and they perished within an eye-blink. Next he sent different birds, bear, beaver, caribou and other land creatures but there was nothing for them to eat; no grasses, scrubs, or small trees. All the animals perished within several moons except one. That creature left alive on the island was none other than “Niskan tal Mumin” who is spirit bear of the People. Unknown to Glosscap, the Great Spirit have sent Niskan tal Mumin to this remote place as an observer to find out first hand why living creatures could not survive on that faraway island nearly at the end of the universe where the natural world and the spirit world meet. Some call that sacred place the “crack between worlds “ but nothing else will be mentioned here about that particular place because this is another story.

 Niskan, the Spirit Bear, reported back to Great Spirit that no living creature could survive on the island until Mother Earth warmed herself, thereby allowing grasses, trees and other plant life to start growing on that distant island. Only then could living creatures, especially the People, survive in that place so remote from where the People currently lived with Mother Earth.  Glosscap was disappointed about the apparent failure of his latest venture; he would have to try something else in order to have the island inhabited with living creatures. He promised himself that next time things would work out so that Great Spirit would be proud of his accomplishment.  

A long, long time passed and the isolated island at the end of the world began to show signs of life because Mother Earth started to warm herself by basking in the sun that now showed itself each day. Grasses, flowers, and other scrubs began to flourish all over the island. Soon afterwards a small assortment of different type trees began to grow. It was soon time to introduce insects and animals and shortly afterwards the People to the isolated island haven located at the end of the world. 

Glosscap was somewhat hesitant to try sending more insects, animals and then People to the island. He had failed several times in the past and Great Spirit only gave so many chances before using someone else to complete a special assignment. Glosscap believed that he needed help to solve this problem so he went to visit Niskan tal Murnin in his den one cold, winter night. He recalled that long, long ago Spirit Bear had spent time in that faraway place. Niskan was a little upset from been awaken during his winter slumber but Glosscap was an old friend with a problem so Niskan welcomed Glosscap into his winter den. 

Niskan told Glosscap that the solution to his problem was very simple. All that was needed was a special person to lead all the creatures at the same time across the sea to that land at the end of the world. For simplicity sake every creature, along with the different groups of People, would travel on a great pan of winter ice. The chosen leader had to be very agile and persistent because keeping all those different creatures together while crossing the sea on a single ice pan could result in a lot of different problems. After much discussion, Glosscap with the help of Niskan tal Murnin, came up with a failure proof plan that would help get all the different creatures and many different families of People to that distant place.

 Glosscap, with the help of Niskan tal Murnin, would turn into a human and disguise himself as one of the People. This Glosscap like person would lead the group across the sea; Glosscap named this newly made leader “Numik” which literally means the eyes and ears of the people. Glosscap figured that Numik would need exceptional sensory perception; perfect hearing like Niskan, the Spirit Bear and faraway vision like Gitpu, the Spirit Eagle. Numik would also have advanced sensory perceptions for touch, smell and taste. Glosscap also gave Numik a generous spirit, one that was compassionate and kind. He also placed in Numik’s memory all the stories and legends of the People. Not only would Numik become the leader of his people but also their top storyteller. The knowledge entrusted with Numik could be passed on to the People by Numik at appropriate times in their new home across the sea. All these special, spirit derived traits would be necessary to a leader with the momentous task of leading a large group of different animals and people across an ocean on a large ice pan.

Numik, with the help of Great Spirit, assembled on the ice pan all the different creatures and many couples of People. Immediately they encountered their first problem.  All the creatures and People including Numik had gathered on one section of the very large ice pan. This caused the ice pan to tilt very dangerously in one direction. Numik, because of his special powers bestowed on him by Glosscap and Niskan, quickly came up with a solution. He separated the people and creatures making them all spread out equally to different sections of the ice pan. Each section now held some people and at least one set of each creature that was present. 

The next problem created by separating the big group was that Numik could only be in one place at a time and all the different groups of people and creatures want Numik to be with their group. Confusion was rampart throughout the entire ice pan with every section crying out for Numik to come with them. Glosscap, who was watching at a distance [because he wanted everything to work out just right] quickly came up with a solution. He thought that if each group had their own Numik things would work out and the different groups would settle down in their section of the large ice pan waiting for the right wind to start blowing towards that distant island far out at the end of the sea. He quickly conjured up many, many Numiks, one for each group. Each new Numik had exactly the same powers and disposition as the original Numik. The ice pan was so large that each group could not see anything else except their own immediate surroundings so that only Glosscap, and of course Great Spirit, knew about the many, many Numiks. Maybe Niskan tal Mumin, the spirit bear of the People also knew about the Numiks; but bears are very secretive beings and it is not certain if Bear Spirit knew for sure. 

Later that night, while everyone was asleep, the Great Spirit created a very, very strong wind that billowed in the direction of the distant island. The large ice pan started to gradually move away from the safely of shore into the deep, cold waters of the sea. Now that the creatures and different groups of People were dispersed over all the large ice pan all that wind was not needed to move the ice pan forward. The result was that the ice pan with its treasure of sleeping travellers moved at extremely dangerous speed into the huge waves created by the big wind. The ice pan started to break up into smaller pieces. Throughout the night all sections of the ice pan containing both creatures and People were separated from one another; each with its own Numik. Different groups had different experiences that night; many did not survive the cold, dangerous sea. It is not exactly known how many different groups made it safely to some landform. But it is known that one group with the help of Glosscap, made landfall on that sandy, rocky island at the end of the world because their descendants still live there today.

 If you come to visit that far away island at the end of the large ocean you will hear stories from the descendants of that very first Numik who passed on all that he was told by Glosscap many, many years ago. Glosscap, Niskan and of course Great Spirit are still living nearby in the spirit world just on the other side of the crack between the two worlds.

Written by Elder Eagle Catcher:For (Ancient Spirit of the white Wolf) December 22, 2012

ANONYMOUS GRAVE

Anonymous Gravesite

There are several gravesites situated in Journios Field next to Journois Pond.  There was no record kept of these deceased individuals.

A cabin boy ,aged twelve, died of smallpox on a slope,  in the early eighteen hundreds and was carried up the hill by crew members and buried in a place called  the Gulch,  which was situated between Fischells  and Berry’s Brook.  However, this hillside has foundered since then and most likely; this gravesite went out to sea.

Information collected from generations to generation related stores of passengers who died from smallpox while aboard sailing ships passing through the areas from Fischells to Bank Head.  These victims were laid to rest on the hillsides along the shorelines.  The elders in these communities remember being told as children about several babies and young children who were carried by the crew members up the hillside on Haynes’s in Bank Head and laid to rest.  Today, this information would be impossible to prove because the majority of hills in these areas have foundered and the remains washed into the sea.

A BABY's GRAVESITE

Pikto'l Sa'ke'j Muise... A Baby’s Gravesite
For centuries, people have been intrigued with the mysteries revolving around the location where they reside. Today people are still curious to know who lived in their location generations ago. How they survived, if any extraordinary events occurred and the location of their burial grounds. Newfoundlanders search endlessly for stories involving their ancestors and they investigate the facts they accumulate to acknowledge whether the information is fact or fiction. The most perplexed data to process is the names, dates of birth and deaths of the deceased members of the ancestors who were buried on their own land.

The people who lived along the shorelines and later the railway beds in Journois, Middle Brook, Berry’s Brook and Fischells on the west coast of Newfoundland never kept a record of the births and deaths of their loved ones who were laid to rest on their own land. A record of births, marriages and deaths were recorded in the church registry with the exemption of unbaptized persons, individuals who were living common-law and suicide victims. However, stories were told orally and passed down from generation to generation. The story I am going to relate to you was narrated orally to my children by their great grandmother Jane King, who was eighty years old at the tim

When Jane was a little girl she was captivated by one story her father recited to her frequently. It was about a pirate ship sailing the high seas and one summer evening to settlers’ astonishment the ship was sailing towards the shore.

The captain of the pirate ship had recently married a very young attractive girl. They had a baby and the captain decided to take his young wife and child with him on this journey to ensure their safety and well-being. However, during the long journey the baby fell ill with a very high fever and died. The captain and his crew found themselves in a serious dilemma. The young wife was hysterical with grief over the death of her baby and she requested her husband to go ashore where they could provide their baby with a proper burial and be able to have a gravesite they could revisit whenever they were in this same area. The captain was apprehensive about leaving his ship unattended being aware of other pirate ships in the areas.


The pirate ship was between Bank Head and Journois. The captain searched for a landmark he could use in the future to remember the exact location where the baby was to be buried. He noticed a gigantic rock protruding out of the sand near the shoreline. This was King’s Rock and the fisherman of the community used it as a landmark when they set their lobster pots and their fishing nets. Straight across from this enormous rock is a hillside. The captain decided they would all ascend the hill and bury the baby properly.


They began the ascent up the hill and the wind carried the sound of the young mother’s weeping and wailing. One of the crewmembers carried the lifeless baby. The baby was wrapped in a cloth. The captain held on to his wife comforting and consoling her. The remainder of the crew followed behind carrying the tools needed to dig the grave. When they finally reached the top of the hill the grave was dug quickly and the baby was laid to rest. They descended down the hill and when they reached the foot of the hill the young mother gazed intently at the top of the hill sobbing and telling her baby that she would be back soon to visit.

A dew day’s later news of the fate of the captain, his wife and the crew reached the people along the shoreline. After they boarded their ship and set sail they were overcome grief and sorrow, they had let their guard down of impending dangers. Late that night another pirate ship sailed up next to them, boarded the ship and massacred everyone. They threw their bodies overboard and began searching the ship for treasure. Unable to find any treasure the pirates burned the ship in there stoke of rage.

The people in the area believed the treasure was buried with the baby. The grave was never tampered with and yet another mystery goes unsolved.




VJM.....Pikto'l

THE SHAMAN

    Grandfather Prayer

According to Mi'kmaq Tradition we pray to give thanks to the seven directions.

 Daily we give thanks for our blessings. The GREAT SPIRIT is always blessing us and at times will put a lesson in our path; this lesson is also a blessing...and...so... we... also... give thanks for this

Living in thankfulness and following our spiritual path of HUMILITY, HONESTY, RESPECT, COURAGE, WISDOM, TRUTH and LOVE gives us a life that is precious and beautiful ; the way KJI'niskam intended it to be.

Pikto'l Sa'ke'j Muise./Sa'qewei-wjijaqamijl wipe's paqt-sm(Ancient Spirit of the White Wolf) 

(RESEARCH)

SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

                  Water Prayer for Survival

Where once the Red Man frequented hard by the water ways,

Now our warrior saga remains the same, as our ways are  entrenched in the Spiritual Being.

O Great Spirit, who is well in the Spirit Land known as the Universe, look down upon your people the Mi'kmaq Nation. We live here on Mother Earth.  Hear our words. Because CREATOR we have learned to  believe with the Highest Respect.

The law you have set forth. We ask that you bring to us this day, good spirit from the Four Directions: East, South, West,  and North.... So that  we can put blend our minds , and   our lives  will be one heart before we leave.

Bless us with understanding, strength,  and compassion,  and may we always walk in beauty, the path that you made for us..

.Pikto'l...(Ancient Spirit of the White Wolf )

THE HEALER

         'Healing One's Life'

Healing one's mind over twenty five years:

With the use of your hands,

With the breath of Silence,

With the imagery at present.

Spiritual protection to beat the drum in four Directions.

Which means to return to the Spirit World.

Don't stay there.... return  to the path you're most comfortable with.

 (Matnakkewinu)... Fighter to preserve life to the fullest...

( Ancient Spirit of the White Wolf) 

WHO JUDGES YOUR CASE?

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Who is to judge your case?

I guess to be born is  a right, as an historical model of the council of Atlantic Premiers.  I have no idea if this is a fact or where those people came from, I only know of their relations, and mother provides for them a place called EARTH.   

What about the right to be born as a Mi’kmaq ?  When I say,  by that right,  I mean the right to self-government. It came from the Wabenaki confederacy long before the Europeans came to the new world. Maybe that government got lost.  For sure it  would not survive in Canada.

 I know  of the two wars here in this neck of the woods but there were no war before this. I would think  this made a drastic change in Canadian history.  I would guess they got some help?   It was time for a government ideal  of world cooperation?  Maybe just for friendly relationship or lack of resources, I don’t know 

Anyway that is  their  right..

We will  talk about their inherent right.

 Maybe some of  “The People” are still trying to define this because the Mi’kmaq were always self-governing by “The People”,  Mikmaq.  I will not try a definition because it cannot be defined.  It is   a birthright, as is inherent in every country or nation in the world, in his or her governments.  

People tell me it has to do with treaties, sometime in history 1725-1761 about peace and friendship with British Crown.  I guess they had their independence parties, who signed those treaties if they really exist , which is still in question among, “the people....” Mi’kmaq of NL.

I guess that we were not told ....    in 1949 when Newfoundland formed a government in Canada.

I would say that after the treaty of 1752 , it had had been recognized by the Supreme court of Canada as, I would also say, it is  still in force in Canada..

  I’m not sure if that would take into consideration  my birthright as a Mi’kmaq.

 No doubt I am from, “The People”.  They call me James (Sake) in Mi’kmaq 

This is very serious.

Well, if that’s the case (a mystery) I am  still paying taxes.

 “The People’....Mi’kmaq......of the light....are so proud to be part of uniting with other nations of the world so they can learn from my people and we can learn from them.  

I guess the department of Indian affairs are standing behind our youth, too, in education, human services, justice, cultural and language survival, and economic development.  Maybe I am an Indian from India, and came after Indian affairs.

I think it is  fair.... The judgement is to imply fairness for Canadians no matter where you live or what nation you are from.

I guess we, the people,  Mi’kmaq are so generous that  all the other countries are willing to stay with us forever.  

Now I have to see my “chief,”  to see if I am going to be charged for paying taxes to some other government.  I hope the chief can clear this up for me.

 

I don’t think, “The People,” Mi’kmaq  pay LAND taxes. I am  not sure of any sort of laws. After all we don’t own the rock. It belongs to “the people.”

But we sill have to look after mother earth for our grandchildren , to be happy,  and to have a  healthy environment to raise  up their children.

Maybe it was just a vision I’m having that I could see in the future. 

 Yes, I will offer some tobacco to the sea if, “The People” , Mi’kmaq,    know of their right as a people here in Newfoundland. 

 Maybe I can see some of the politicians and meet with them,. But,  you never see them. They are  always in the air and they don’t know my language . Maybe I can speak to them in Latin because English I have a hard time to communicate with other people and they are a different language.

I may have to send for my kin-friends in NS.  But they tell me they are hard to meet with. They are so busy studying people that put mounds on cliffs in Newfoundland  when they were lost. 

 Will I think they’re just trying to find them, because who would get lost on an island?   

Anyway “I rest my case.”

The judgement is for the “Charter” or “Creator” to take care of for me.

Victor James Muise Jr. 111 (Sa'ke'j ) (Ancient Spirit of the White Wolf)

THE TURTLE

The Turtle teaches us TRUTH. 

Truth is to know and understand all the seven teachings have given to us by the Creator and to remain faithful to them. To know truth is to know and understand all of the original laws as given by the Creator- and to remain faithful to them. 

It is said that in the beginning, when the Creator made man and gave him the seven sacred laws, the Grandmother Turtle was present to ensure that the laws would never be lost or forgotten.

 On the back of a Turtle are the 13 moon, each representing the truth of one cycle of the Earth's rotations around the sun. The 28 markings on her back represent the cycle of the moon an of a woman's body. The shell of the Turtle represents the body real events as created by the Higher Power, and serves as a reminder of the Creator's will and teachings.

SOURCE: tribal teachings

THE BEAVER

The Beaver teaches us WISDOM.

Wisdom is the ability to make decisions based on personal knowledge and experience.

The building of a community is entirely dependent on gifts given to each member by the creator and how these gifts are used. 

The Beaver's example of using his sharp teeth for cutting trees and branches to build his dams and lodges expresses this teaching. If he did not use his teeth, the teeth would continue to grow until they became useless, ultimately making it impossible for him to sustain himself. The same can be said for human beings. One's spirit will grow weak if it is not fulfilling its use.

When used When used properly however, these gifts contribute to the development of a peaceful and healthy community.

SOURCE:tribal knowings

THE WOLF

The Wolf teaches us HUMILTY.

 Humility is being humble and not arrogant.

 Recognizing and acknowledging that there is a higher power than man and it is known as the Creator, is to be deemed truly humble.

 To express deference or submission to the Creator through the acceptance that all beings are equal , is to capture the spirit of humility. The expression of this humility is manifested through the consideration of others before ourselves.

 In this way, the Wolf became the teacher of this lesson. He bows his head in the presence of others out of deference, and once hunted, will not take of the food until it can be shared with the pack.

 His lack of arrogance and respect for his community is a hard lesson, but integral in the Aboriginal way.

 SOURCE: sharing circle