Profanation of the Acadian Métis cemeteries in Escuminac, Hardwick and Baie Anne Sainte Anne in New Brunswick

Approximately, in 1960 in New Brunswick, without any incomprehension, the profanation of our French Métis cemeteries took place. We, the Métis have always known these deplorable facts. Today, it is imperative that these realities are made known to the Canadian public. To achieve our goal, we will take all the means of communication which are at our disposal. In the past, our parents and their parents before them had an innate fear of the English and that is why, they always kept in control an immense fury. They suffered in silence for a very long time. I believe it is time for us Métis of my generation to make known to all the population, the great pain and the prejudice we, our parents and our ancestors have endured in complete silence for too long. Indeed, these disrespectful acts against our deceased ancestors have engendered in us for many years a great sorrow. In Escuminac, my native village, the tombstones of the Métis and French were ploughed out of the cemetery and hidden in the wood under a pile of dirt. In an effort to heal our wounds, a monument was erected on which is written, ‘Ici repose les anciens Acadiens’ `Here rests the Acadian Ancestors'. Here is the sight that awaits us when we, the Métis descendants, enter this cemetery that is named "Escuminac Cemetery" that was formerly named, " Cimetière catholique Stella Maris " the place where our ancestors were laid for their undisturbed rest, thanks to the hatred or the incomprehension of some people, this place was transformed into a place of great sorrows for us, a place of great sadness for the Métis people.



Moreover, the cemetery St Laurent RC Mission of Baie des Vents in Hardwick, New Brunswick (No public access), is the oldest cemetery where our ancestors were buried and it underwent the same fate. In these same years, in order to prohibit the access to this cemetery, a ditch was dug across the road leading into the cemetery, by a so called (McDonald) thus preventing the descendants of the French, Métis and Indians to gather in respect at the tombs of their beloveds. This entire scenario was used to hide the fact, that the tomb stones of our ancestors were used as anchors for their nets. In this cemetery, none of the Métis, Indians and French tombstones are in evidence and there are only two Anglophone tomb stones still standing, for the simple reason; the majority of the English adults were buried elsewhere. Today, they would have us believe the sea destroyed all the graves and tomb stones, yes, this is partially true the sea did destroyed part of the cemetery but it is not the only the reason for the disappearance of all the tomb stones, since we can still see today, the depression in the grounds where our beloved were buried.
Listed below are a few of my Métis ancestors resting in this desecrated cemetery.
Laman Martin, Died March 3, 1815 – age 70 Buried March 15, 1815 - Spouse: Agate Lejeune
Joseph Martin (farmer) Died June 25, 1805 age 61-
Paul Martin – died February 15, 1818 – age about 36
Mathurin Mazerolle (farmer at Baie des Vin) died September 14, 1829 - age 84 (74?)
Paul Mazerolle Died September 9, 1816 –age 62
Listed below are a few Native names in order to show that the Indians and Métis did live together in Baie des Winds.
Marie Pierre Paul, died December 1820 – age 20, Parents Pierre-Paul (native of Richibucto) and Marie Madelaine, witness Lazare Mazeroles and Noël Aillot.
Marie Piminouit, died 1807 age 5, parents Joseph Piminouit (native) and Magdeleine
I will continue with the catholic cemetery of the Sainte-Anne Church, Baie Sainte-Anne, New Brunswick, 300 tomb stones and graves of our ancestors also underwent the same fate, WHY?
Returning to the Cemeteries Stella Maris and the St-Laurent RC Mission of Bay des Vents in Hardwick, New Brunswick, our research will remains for the moment an effort to obtain; all the names of our ancestors, and a promise to repair their resting places that were violated. In Escuminac what do we see when arriving to pay our respects to our ancestors? An empty field where our ancestors were buried for their well earned rest, with no head stones or the slightest depressions in existence where their graves were located in the past, on the other side; the Anglophone ancestors tomb stones are in good condition and well-arranged! How is this possible? All the residents of Escuminac and Baie Sainte-Anne knew what had taken place, but for different reasons they kept their silence, everyone knew the persons that perform the profanations and had deprived our ancestors of their well deserved rest.
In Hardwick, the ground depressions indicate the places of our ancestor’s graves, but there are no tomb stones, because they all rest silently at the bottom of the bay, in Bay des Vents in New Brunswick. We ask ourselves what kind of sentiments and feeling lived in these people who did this?
Today, we are putting forward these facts, because it is very important for the French Métis communities, to remember these acts against our people and to sensitize the general public about this tragedy. The words are lacking to explain, how these disrespects and profanations have affected and have always affected the French Métis families in New Brunswick.


We could cry out for revenge and ask for justice, but all that we wish are public excuses from the profaners and the reinstallation of our ancestors tomb stones on which will be registered their names.
We know by experience, the key part that plays education, culture, and the awakening knowledge of the differences in people and the respect of those in the consolidation in the processes of peace, the restoration of national unity and thanks to the experience we have acquired in similar situations during these past years, we are better prepare to understand and forgive. It is now up to New Brunswick and Canada to assist the French Métis people of Eastern Canada, to find optimism in the future, to ask for restoration of the tombstones of our ancestors and public excuses from the persons responsible for these acts of profanations, (since they are still with us today).
Our visit terminated and the photographs taken, we leave these places, upset and wounded with always with the same and only question, POURQUOI? WHY?

Archie Martin