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- 1889-04-09
- Letter states that settler John Roy's land has been purchased for the use of the Indians for farming and logging, but only "for their own use not to sell or allow a member of the band the same."
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- 1889-04-12
- Letter explains that there is no funding that could be used to purchase the Roy land at Merigomish for the Pictou Landing band.
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- 1889-05-03
- Bray asks DIA accountant to check and see if funds are available to purchase more land and Pictou Landing.
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- 1890- Financial Return for Indian Expenditures for Province of Nova Scotia
- Financial Record showed funds allocated for relief and seed grain for Indians of Pictou County, delivered by Indian Agent R. McDonald., "Rev. R. McDonald... Grant for the purchase of relief for Indians in District 8 ...$135.00" "Rev. R. McDonald...Grant for the purchase of seed and implements for Indians in District 8...Spring of 1890...$103.00" "Rev. R. McDonald... Over-expended, seed grant, spring of 1889... $9.29", Annual Report of the Department of Indian Affairs for the Year Ended 31st December 1890 (Ottawa: Dominion of Canada, 1891), part 2, 25-26.
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- 1890- Indian Agent Rev. R. McDonald Report (Pictou County Indian District)
- Annual letter from Rev. R. McDonald, reporting on the Mi'kmaq in District No. 8, Pictou County. McDonald made several interesting comments regarding the falling use of wig wams, as well as the erection of a "glebe house" for the use of the priest on Indian Island., PICTOU, N.S., 3rd November, 1890. The Honourable The Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, Ottawa. SIR, - I have the honour to submit my annual report, with tabular statement, of Indian affairs in this district. I have much reason to be pleased with the progress shown by the Indians of my agency. It is true that a few among them show occasional signs of drunkenness when they frequent the towns and villages, but the general tendency is towards sobriety; and I am not aware that we have an habitual drunkard on the whole reserve, and they are also exceptionally moral in other respects. The general appearance of their houses and,surroundings indicates a desire for ordinary comforts. The wigwams are fast being dispensed with, and comfortable houses taking their place. It is difficult to instil into their minds the necessity for making provision for the future. They are sufficiently industrious, but lack economy. Comparing the present with the past, I feel confident that physically and morally there is a steady improvement going on. There has been, no school among them for the last four years for want of a teacher. We have erected this summer on Indian Island, Merigonish, a glebe house for the use of the priest while attending to the spiritual wants of the Indians, and also a very pretty and substantial wooden church with a stone foundation. The interior of the church is not yet finished, but the building must be used until more money shall have been collected. The buildings as they stand at present cost, apart from, labour given gratuitously by the Indians, about $1,800. A thousand dollars of this amount are the collective contributions among the Indians for some years past. The balance is the result of a successful pic-nic held this summer on Indian Island. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant RODERICK McDONALD, Indian Agent, District No. 8., Annual Report of the Department of Indian Affairs for the Year Ended 31st December 1890 (Ottawa: Dominion of Canada, 1891), 186.
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- 1890- Special Appendix -IMMOVABLE PROPERTY, LAND CULTIVATED AND FRESH LAND PLOUGHED AND PERSONAL PROPERTY
- Special Report on implements and agriculture on Pictou County reserves. Lists various categories relevant to built architecture, owned implements, and cleared land. Also lists populations., At the time of upload, only one page was visible on the Library and Archive website. All the information can be retrieved by going to the URL and opening the full PDF transcription in plain text., Annual Report of the Department of Indian Affairs for the Year Ended 31st December 1890 (Ottawa: Dominion of Canada, 1891), xl.
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- 1890-TABULAR STATEMENT No. 3. - Census Return of Resident and Nomadic Indians; Denominations to which they belong,
- Annual census report for Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq- shows Pictou County population as 171., "Micmacs of Pictou...171...Roman Catholics", Annual Report of the Department of Indian Affairs for the Year Ended 31st December 1890 (Ottawa: Dominion of Canada, 1891), 238.
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- 1891- Nova Scotia Financial Returns- Relief to Destitute Indians, Medical expenses, and Seed Grain for Pictou Indians
- Financial Return showed reimbursement to Indian Agent McDonald for Seed grain purchases and relief for Mi'kmaq of Pictou County., "Relief to Destitute Indians...District No. 8...$135.00...Seed Grain...$103.00." "J.M. Mcmillan, M.D.... Medical attendance on Indians in District 8...$50.00.", Annual Report of the Department of Indian Affairs for the Year Ended 31st December 1891 (Ottawa: Dominion of Canada, 1892), 22-25.
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- 1891- Report from Indian Agent Rev. R. McDonald, Pictou County
- Annual Report from Indian Agent Roderick McDonald. Referenced various aspects of life at Fishers Grant Reserve, including a lessening of amount of wigwams for housing, a reduction in "begging," wage labour, manufacturing, agriculture, and St. Anne's Day on Indian Island., PICTOU, N.S., 1st October, 1891. The Honourable The Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, Ottawa. SIR, - I have the honour to submit the following as my annual report upon the condition of the Indians and Indian affairs within my district. I am happy to report an improvement among them in the way of adapting themselves to the methods of civilized life. The wigwams are fast disappearing, and houses comparatively comfortable taking their place. Other domestic comforts are also being introduced. The instinct of independence and self-respect is showing signs of life; for they depend less for a livelihood on begging than in former years. The majority of the men are industrious, and look for work, as other labourers do, and command the same wages. Their indigence, as a rule, does not arise as much from not earning as from a lack of domestic economy. The Indian seems to take to a labour that shows immediate results; and I consider this a reason why he takes comparatively little interest in farming. Farming under present circumstances is necessarily unsatisfactory; they have no cattle to enrich the soil with manure, or to restore its exhausted strength, and they are too poor to invest in artificial fertilizers. The principal occupation of the Indians in this locality is in making butter tubs and pick handles for the coal mines, to provide material for which they seem to lay undisputed claims to the forest far and wide. In morals, I must say there lives are commendable - there are a few drunkards, but not so depraved that they do not make an effort to reform. They are essentially religious. They assemble annually on Indian Island, on the feast of St. Anne, their patron Saint, and remain there for about two weeks; on which occasion they attend specially to their religious duties, and also to temporal matters which concern the whole tribe. It is on this occasion that the influence of the Priest and Agent is most effective, and it is for this reason that I wish to offer all the inducements possible to have them assemble there. We have no school on the reserve; because it is not remunerative enough for any teacher to open a school. There has been no contagious disease among the Indians for some years. It may be remarked that the population given in the census of this year is in excess of last years. Some of those who were absent from the reserve for two or three years have returned, and young men getting married in other districts added in each case one more to the population of this reserve, and it is possible also that some, escaped being marked down. The crop promises a fair yield. Fishing is, I may say, abandoned by them, for it is so uncertain on this coast. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, RODERICK McDONALD, Indian Agent, District No. 8, Annual Report of the Department of Indian Affairs for the Year Ended 31st December 1891 (Ottawa: Dominion of Canada, 1892), 41-42., Rev. Roderick MacDonald, Indian Agent, to Edgar Dewdney, Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, October 1st 1891, Annual Report of the Department of Indian Affairs for the Year Ended 31st December 1891 (Ottawa: Dominion of Canada, 1892), 41-42.
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- 1891- Special Appendix- Immovable and Personal Property Census- Indians of Nova Scotia- Pictou County
- List of property holdings and implements for various Indian districts in Nova Scotia, Pictou County included., Annual Report of the Department of Indian Affairs for the Year Ended 31st December 1891 (Ottawa: Dominion of Canada, 1892), xxxvi.
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- 1891- Tabular Statement No. 3 - Census Return of Resident and Nomadic Indians
- Population for various Mi'kmaq bands in Nova Scotia., "Micmacs of Pictou...189,,,Roman Catholic", Annual Report of the Department of Indian Affairs for the Year Ended 31st December 1891 (Ottawa: Dominion of Canada, 1892), 246.