 In
the early 20th century native people began to use the trains
for transport because they could often travel free. Family
groups migrated from winter settlements in Rocky Point or
Lennox Island They continued to come for the summer because
they could earn a living with their skills in the woods, their
crafts and their knowledge of the region.
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| They sold mayflowers door-to-door in the community
and took special orders for quantities of whichever fresh berries
were in season for making preserves. Crafts included baskets
and peeled-wood furniture. Children’s toys including bows
and arrows and tiny birch-bark canoes were also sold this way.
Capitalizing on the introduction of rail travel they did well
selling to crews and passengers on the trains. At least partially
for that reason, they lived in what became know as “the
Indian woods”, on the Bell property a short distance west
of the railway station. There is fresh water on the site and
apparently raw materials nearby for their crafts. They also
gained a reputation for making handles for tools like axes and
picks and they made hockey sticks which were sold in and out
of the region. |
 Baskets
were a favored specialty. At least a dozen different types from
heavy work models for potatoes and apples, to ornate decorative
ones with covers for sewing or knitting or storing buttons.
In between were fishing creels, hampers, picnic and shopping
baskets. They were made mostly from black ash wood but also
red maple. Both are pliable hardwoods that grow close to the
wetlands. |
Ash logs 4” to 8” in diameter were
pounded while still green to separate the annual growth rings
of the tree, then cut into strips for weaving the baskets. An
entire family would be involved, younger members learning the
skill from their elders. Handles and upper rims were often made
of maple or white ash and occasionally decorated with sweet
grass. All were known for their tight weave and durability.
In peak times a family would produce 100 baskets a week. Individual
basket-makers became known for designs that featured intricate
projecting weaves in diamond or snail patterns. Special designs
from PEI have been presented to the Pope and the Queen.
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This native industry was recorded
by photography A W Mitchell from Charlottetown before his
death in 1906. The Ray Sark Collection of Mi’Kmaq Baskets
is on display at Lennox Island.
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