Two nationally significant historic sites at Metepenagiag

                                                                                                                                                     Madeline Augustine, President and Board Chair; Pam Ward, Executive Director, Metepenagiag Heritage Park, Inc.               In 1972, with a gravel pit rapidly encroaching, Joe Mike Augustine uncovered artifacts from what turned out to be a 2,500-year-old Mi’kmak burial mound. The mound is in the First Nations community of Metepenagiag, known in English as […]

Student excavator now heads Metepenagiag Heritage Park

                                                                                                                                                                                                   Metepenagiag Heritage Park – ©Nelson Cloud           In the summer of 1984, powerful emotions washed over a raven-haired young Mi’kmaq woman as she stared at a few bones in her hand. She realized, for the first time, her connection to ancient traditions and culture and ancestors who had lived on the same spot for […]

Joe Mike Augustine, the spirit of Metepenagiag

                                                                                                                                                                                             Joe Mike Augustine           Everyone who speaks of the late Joe Mike Augustine does so reverently. Most of them mention some of the same things about him that made such a great impression on them.             Augustine was the man who brought to public attention not one but two National Historic Sites, the Augustine […]

“I thought he’d struck gold!” – Madeline Augustine

                                                                                                                                                                                                             Madeline Augustine and her father, Joe Mike Augustine                       Madeleine Augustine, daughter of Joe (Joe Mike) Augustine) remembers the day he brought home samples from what is now the Augustine Mound National Historic Site.             “He had known about the mound for years,” says Madeleine. “He thought it was something, perhaps a […]

Roger Simon paintings commemorate ancient Metepenagiag

                                                  Roger Simon painting photos copyright Metepenagiag Heritage Park Inc., Estate of Roger Simon            The late Roger Simon, of Big Cove, was commissioned, in 1994, to do six paintings of ancient Metepenagiag. At the time, there was a grant program “Access to Archaeology,” through Heritage Canada. Councilor Anthony Haddad and archaeologist, Patricia Allen, co-ordinated […]

Patricia Dunnett never dreamed of Heritage Interpreter job

  Patricia Dunnett with a Black Ash basket, birch canoe model and the first porcupine quill basket she ever made.             A crucial milestone in the life of Patricia Dunnett, Heritage Interpreter at Metepenagiag Heritage Park, was when her good friend, Diana Witheral, coaxed her into taking a porcupine quill basket course she was teaching. […]

Community telling its own story

                                                                                                                                                                                                         The richly decorated embroidery and the more than 13 kilograms of beadwork in the O’Halloran Chiefs Coat is a testament to the 19th century skills of the Mi’kmaq women. The coat appears courtesy of the Canadian Museum of Civilization,              Wayne Kerr would prefer that he and his colleagues, like conservator, Colleen Day, and […]

Metepenagiag Heritage Park NB’s greenest building

                                                                                                                                                                                          Metepenagiag Heritage Park (Nelson Cloud photo)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Mike Hartop is Manager of Engineering and Architectural Services for what he says is among the most energy efficient buildings ever constructed in New Brunswick.                                                                                                                          The Metepenagiag Heritage Park design criteria meet all LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) design standards set by the US Green […]

The magic behind it all is the people says chief

                                                                                                                                                                                      Chief Noah Augustine   (Nelson Cloud photo)                                                                                                                                                                                        A major key to the success of Metepenagiag Heritage Park Inc. (MHPI) is its independence from chief and council says Metepenagiag Chief, Noah Augustine. MHPI was created by an Order of Chief and Council and is mandated to preserve, protect and present the rich Mi’kmaq history and heritage at […]

Uncle’s inspiration, mother’s support lead to Tanya’s dedication to project

  Late Chief Mickey Augustine, Tanya Augustine                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Her mother Linda’s constant support and belief in education gave Tanya Augustine the confidence to leave Metepenagiag to make her own way in the world.             The death of her uncle, the late Chief Michael “Mickey” Augustine, brought her home.             “I came home when Uncle […]

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