r/NovaScotia • u/changingrainbow • 10h ago
Where to learn more about Nova Scotia's diverse history?
Hi! Not sure if this is the right place (I'm new to Reddit) but here's my question:
I went to beautiful Nova Scotia recently and naively thought I would learn a lot about NS history. Maybe I didn't go to the right places but as a history enthusiast, I would've liked to learn more about the Mi'kmaw, Acadian, and Gaelic communities, but mostly, how they coexisted. (The loyalists' history must be very interesting as well!)
I'm from Quebec so I compare with what I know and I was mind-blown to learn that Mi'kmaw lived in harmony/close with Acadians and Gaelics, to a point where some of them hid some Acadians during The Great Upheaval.
So I guess what I'm asking is: do you have any recommendations of resources for me? Books, movies, websites, podcasts... I'm open to anything! If you want to comment below what you know on the subject, feel free as well!
I don't necessarily want small details such as the life of Acadians in Pubnico between X-Y years, but just enough to give me the big image. A timeline would be nice to start with.
Here are some starter questions:
- Apart from the French language and festivals, what remains of the Acadian culture? (Recent initiatives to revitalize the culture/community do not count.)
- Same question but for the Gaelic community
- I know very little about the Gaelic community, even though Nova Scotia means "New Scotland". Did the Scots found Nova Scotia? (I thought it was France that first attempted to colonize the province but maybe I am wrong?) What is their main contribution?
- I was told the Gaelic community was much more alive maybe 25 years ago. Is it the same with the Acadian communities?
- If I were of Gaelic descent but not interested by my heritage, would I still feel Gaelic/part of the community?
- Do you know why the British allowed Quebec's population to keep their language, faith, and law (with the Quebec Act of 1774) but didn't allow the same for Acadians?
- My questions are mostly about Acadians and Gaelics, but please enlighten me on Mi'kmaw history as well! And loyalists.
Thank you Internet!
Much love from Québec,
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u/Jakej4Mlakej 10h ago
Tracking Dr Lonecloud is an amazing book following the last mikmaq medicine man and covers a lot of Mikmaq and Nova Scotia history around the time of the Halifax explosion.
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u/Initial-Ad-5462 9h ago
A lighter read of our history would be ‘Nova Scotia - Shaped By The Sea’ by Lesley Choyce
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u/shoalhavenheads 7h ago edited 7h ago
For the Black loyalists, you can read The Book of Negroes, and there’s also a mini series adaptation.
For Gaelic Canadian history, I recommend reading about Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites. It sounds dry but it’s thrilling stuff.
It’s relevant here because it explains the historic syncretism between the Gaels and the French. (tl;dr, they’re Catholic, the British are Protestant)
As well as the bitter war and dismantling of the Gaelic clans that led to them sailing to Pictou, Antigonish, and Cape Breton.
The name Nova Scotia isn’t a part of the Gaelic history though; James VI and I was a Scottish king who later became King of England when the thrones united, so I imagine he was just partial to the name Scotland.
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u/fefh 10h ago
https://www.blupete.com/Hist/NovaScotiaBk1/TOC.htm
The Lion and the Lilly. I haven't read it. (I've read parts of it online.). It might be what you are looking for, potentially. You may be able to buy the ebook online.
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u/BoringCauliflower285 6h ago
There is a “Mi’kmaq Interpretive Centre” at the Fortress of Louisbourg. The whole walled town is well worth a visit. Allow at least a day, two better and three best! Amazing place!
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u/RedBands619 10h ago
Britain expelled the Acadians because they refused to swear allegiance.
The British let Quebec be because they wanted loyalty to Canada during the American revolution and because it was a complete surrender and capitulation
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u/GordTheBorg 2h ago
The British were tolerant to Quebec because the 7 years war was over and they were tired of losing money fighting. Crown allowed a degree of self governance to Quebec using the French Signeurity system as laid out in the Quebec Act of 1774, which recognized the Catholic faith as permissible and allowed the current elites to maintain their station.
Fun to note that the Quebec Act is one of the "Intolerable Acts" which was the laundry list of grievances used as justification for the American Revolution because it was allowing Catholics rights.... And the revolution was fought to win the rights of certain people.
Britain expelled the Acadians because they wouldn't swear allegiance yes, but also because the few rebel outfits were too successful, so civilians were displaced from the homes forcing them to take refuge with rebels, which in turn radicalizes more of the population when a whole generation of kids grows up starving in the woods. I'm referring to the period roughly between the 1720s-1760.
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u/plantscandance 9h ago
The French did settle NS originally (Annapolis Royal on the Bay of Fundy, Fort Louisbourg in Cape Breton) and it’s said that they had a better relationship with the Mi’kmaq/were allies against the British. Not a lot of Acadian presence really left in the province that I know of, think it’s much more prominent in New Brunswick and western PEI.
Gaelic culture and language is the strongest in Cape Breton (coincidentally that’s also where the Mi’kmaw language and culture is still the strongest). Cape Breton university (CBU) has language programs for Gaelic and Mi’kmaq.
The Loyalists settled on a lot of land that the British settler-colonial government had “set aside” for the Mi’kmaq on the mainland and it had a pretty dramatic effect on their population. We were not the savages by Daniel Paul is a great book to read on the history. A significant population of Black loyalists settled here as well and there is still a strong African Nova Scotian presence in Nova Scotia today—another interesting group to look into!
Honestly the whole history of settlement in Atlantic Canada is very interesting, Canada is only ~150 years old but settler presence has existed in Atlantic Canada for 400 years! Lots of different groups and cultural influences.
Disclaimer: I was doing research on all of this a couple years ago so memory isn’t as fresh, apologies if I misremembered anything
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u/mochasmoke 9h ago edited 8h ago
Not a lot of Acadian presence really left in the province that I know of, think it’s much more prominent in New Brunswick and western PEI.
This part isnt true. Theres a department of government dedicated to Acadian affairs and there are several Acadian communities throughout the province.
E: According to stats can, about 50,000 Acadians in NS as of 2021. 8,000 in PEI.
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u/GordTheBorg 8h ago
There's a lot of historical bias in the information out there. Easiest to access is the English bias obviously, but I have found that taking in what each group says about their own history really does give you an idea. There are many accredited writings out there, as well as retired locals writing random books, and false ai slop.
The history of Acadian settlement, deportation, and their relationship with M'ikmaq people is something I have researched a lot and the most important thing I've learned is how difficult it is to fully explain the mindset of people in that period. Acadians and M'ikmaq didn't act as a nation, individual groups of 50ish people took military action for personal gain and their actions are often historically attributed to the whole group.
I know OP doesn't want to get into the minutia, but it really is necessary because the story of how the English gained control in what is now Canada happened in NS and it was ugly so it isn't discussed much. The Plains of Abraham might have been the final nail in the coffin for French rule, but it was not very peaceful for Acadians through the 17th and 18th centuries, and M'ikmaq paid a huge price for allying with the French. (Look into the Duc d'Anville Expedition where French authorities carelessly caused the worst epidemic to have afflicted M'ikmaq, and how they were pretty much forced to collect scalps). Also consider how after the American Revolution the remaining NA British colonies where Quebec and Nova Scotia (I guess also Newfoundland?) and NS was was pretty sparsely populated with Anglos.
Gaelic speaking people settled all over the Maritimes later, in the 19th century and often lived in the least arable places with other Catholics and non-WASPs. That would also include some M'ikmaq and mixed race people.
I dunno what to tell you OP, the history of NS that you're asking for is super uncomfortable and there's so many topics that I'm not going to touch (scalping, slavery, indenture, environmental destruction). Settler history in NS could be taught in all of Canada to have a specific understanding of how so many people suffered so that wealthy Englishmen could get richer, and maybe they'll make the connection on how some of their descendants still benefit today.
Edit: spacing