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- 1939-07-24
- In connection to baskets and axe/pick handles being sent from Pictou Landing Indians to the Welfare and Training Service, a Receipt for $11.25 "to be an advance to pay the Indians who supplied the baskets" was forwarded to Chiasson.
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- 1939-07-24
- Department received an order for 10 dozen baskets for Ottawa Exhibition August 21-26. If they can be provided within the next few weeks an additional order might be made for the exhibition. States that the baskets must be just as good as the last ones or they will not be purchased.
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- 1939-07-31
- Chiasson states that due to work on coal boats and fishing, community relief funds at pictou landing have been reduced from $323 to $187.
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- 1939-08-05
- Chiasson confirms that 10 dozen baskets will be supplied for Ottawa Exhibition. Says order should be ready August 10.
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- 1939-08-15
- Hoey confirms receipt of the shipment of 10 dozen baskets and informs of $15.00 will be made.
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- 1939-08-24
- Receipt for Baskets made out in the following: Levi Syliboy $3.00; Wm. Bernard $3.00; Peter Wilmot $1.50; Max Martin $2.25; Joe Nicholas $1.50
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- 1940- Annual Report for Department of Mines and Resources- Report of Indian Affairs Branch
- Indian Affairs was included under the banner of the Department of Mines and Resources in 1939, and the reports on various Indian agencies were included in the Department of Mines and Resources Annual Reports. Little specific information about individual communities exists in these reports, but the general info does hint at broader themes in the province. This specific report discusses different occupations and agriculture, and also the types of housing on reserves., NOVA SCOTIA Agencies. - There are nineteen Indian agencies in Nova Scotia, namely: Yarmouth, Digby, Shelburne, Lunenburg, Annapolis, Kings, Queens, Hants County (Windsor), Hants (Shubenacadie), Halifax, Cumberland, Colchester, Pictou, Antigonish-Guysborough, Richmond, Inverness, Victoria, Cape Breton (Sydney), and Cape Breton (Eskasoni). Tribal Origin. - The Indians are of Algonkian stock and bear the distinctive name of Micmac. Occupations. - The Indians find employment in lumber camps, sawmills or as stevedores. A number work for farmers, especially in the Annapolis Valley orchards. Generous amounts of seed, potatoes, and fertilizer are supplied, but few of the Indians engage in farming to any extent. During the tourist season they act as canoemen and guides and in all agencies they manufacture baskets, wooden handles, hockey sticks, butter tubs, churns, barrels, etc. In recent years there has been an increase in the demand for Indian handicraft. Dwellings. - The homes in most of the reserves consist of one and one-half story frame buildings, fairly well finished on the outside, but not on the inside., This same report is basically copied for several years in the 1940s., Canada, Department of Mines and Resources, Report of Indian Affairs Branch for the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 1940 (Reprinted from the Annual Report of the Department of Mines and Resources, pages 182 to 210) (Ottawa: Edmond Cloutier Printer to the King, 1941), 195.
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- 1940-03-14
- Department states that Chiasson was both forwarded an advance to pay the Indians for baskets and also given a pay cheque for payment of Indians. Says that he should refund $15 to the department.
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- 1940-03-19
- Chiasson states that there could have been an error as he always pays Indians out of pocket and then gets reimbursed. The government sent a forward of $15 which he had not asked for. He says the mistake could have been avoided had the department not sent him an unsolicitied cheque, and therefore he proposes to pay half the loss. Asks for $15 to be subtracted from his next monthly paycheque, which is $50.00.
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- 1940-04-05
- Chiasson stated that the market for goods from Pictou Landing was increasing, and that many from the reserve were getting 'small' jobs in neighbouring towns which kept relief assistance low., The market for Indian Wares is bout the same as for the last quarter, although better than at this time last year. It seems easier for the Indians to pick up odd jobs here and there in the neighbouring towns and this means much to them along with the little assistance they receive from the department.
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- 1941- Annual Report for Department of Mines and Resources- Report of Indian Affairs Branch
- Indian Affairs was included under the banner of the Department of Mines and Resources in 1939, and the reports on various Indian agencies were included in the Department of Mines and Resources Annual Reports. Little specific information about individual communities exists in these reports, but the general info does hint at broader themes in the province. This specific report discusses different occupations and agriculture, and also the types of housing on reserves., NOVA SCOTIA Agencies. - There are nineteen Indian agencies in Nova Scotia; namely, Yarmouth, Digby, Shelburne, Lunenburg, Annapolis, Kings, Queens, Hants (Windsor), Hants (Shubenacadie), Halifax, Cumberland, Colchester, Pictou, Antigonish-Guysborough, Richmond, Inverness, Victoria, Cape Breton (Sydney), and Cape Breton (Eskasoni). Tribal Origin. - The Indians are of Algonkian stock and bear the distinctive name of Micmac. Occupations. - A certain amount of employment is available in lumber camps, sawmills, and as stevedores. Other Indians work for farmers, especially in the Annapolis Valley orchards. Seed, potatoes, and fertilizer are supplied but these Indians do not engage in large-scale farming. During the tourist season they act as canoemen and guides and they manufacture baskets, wooden handles, hockey sticks, butter tubs, churns, and barrels. Dwellings. - The homes in most of the reserves consist of one and one-half story frame buildings, fairly well finished on the outside., Canada, Department of Mines and Resources, Report of Indian Affairs Branch for the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 1940 (Reprinted from the Annual Report of the Department of Mines and Resources, pages 182 to 210) (Ottawa: Edmond Cloutier Printer to the King, 1942), 175.
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- 1941-07-12
- Report of an inspeciton of the Pictou County Agency. W.S. Arneil reported that most of the wages earned came from the manufacture of pick and axe handles for local mines, as well as from the production of baskets. Report gave details about procurement of wood for products, as well as information on some of the current contracts., An Inspection of the Pictou County Agency was made this date and Rev. E. Chiasson, Indian Agent, Interviewed. The main source of revenue derived by the Indians is from the sale of axe and pick handles and fancy baskets. Pick handles are used extensively by the nearby coal mines and are all supplied by this reserve. One Indian, Tom Francis, contracted with the Acadia Coal Company to supply them over a period of one year with 650 dozen pick handles at $1.25 a dozen and had no difficulty completing the contract. The maple for the handles is procured from various sources and in some instances is hauled ten miles. Baskets are also chiefly made from maple as ash is not available.