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Mi'kmaq Holdings Resource Guide

Letter from James Sparling to William Ross regarding white encroachers on Mi'kmaq land at Wagmatcook. Asks government to do something.
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Indians in their possession of some thousands
of acres of Lands which [comparatively] speaking
is of [very] little benefit to them; [?predatory]
habits being natural to them they do not
cultivate their lands [?nor ] never will, they have
already used up the timber suitable for
their purposes and they are stationary [nowhere]
but are continually going from place to place
pillaging every man's land in the County
of its best Timber and I hesitate not to
say that I have sustained a loss by the Indians
in this way of not less than fifty pounds and
I cannot prevent them While the law protects
them they injure others with impunity and
it is time now that this matter [illegible] [?inquired]
into and some remedy afforded [Will] You
be [good] enough in [conjunction] with Mr.
[?Gammell] to communicate with the Gov,
with our [delay] in order if possible to stay
proceedings against [these] poor people
stating every extenuating circumstance
in their favour and if it is necessary for
them to co-operate with You by petition [in]
[illegible] [illegible] You will please let me know
and I shall be [most] happy [illegible] [complying]
with your instructions
Your Truly
James Sparling

William [Ross] Esquire
I have [illegible] [illegible] with Mr [illegible]
I sent a copy of this to Mr. [Gammell]


Date: 1861

Retrieval no.: Commissioner of Public Records — Mi'kmaq and Government Relations series Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 volume 431 number 130

Nova Scotia Archives — https://archives.novascotia.ca/mikmaq/archives/?ID=366

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