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Mi'kmaw Teaching and Learning Resources

Letter from William James Anderson of Pictou to G.R. Young regarding Joe Wilmot, a Mi'kmaq from Pictou who desires to send his sons to Pictou [?] Academy. Anderson recommends that the boys be removed entirely from their families and sent to board with a white woman, Miss Wilson, a teacher at the Infant School, and only allowed to visit their families occasionally.
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Suitable clothing, and to pay for washing &c ~

I can say nothing more than this that I have thought it would be prudent not [underlined] to attempt to break them in to the whole discipline of the Academy at once, and that it will be wise to send them for a portion of the day in the first place to the Infant School, the exercises in which tho well calculated to instruct and improve would not appear so much in the nature of the tasks.

Both his Excellency and Mr. Howe have considerable acquaintance with the habits of the Indians, and will readily judge of the feasibility of the Project- If the Government think our plan worthy of encouragement, I for one, will cheerfully [?devote} my time to aid in carrying out, but I would rather that nothing should be done, than that it could be commenced and abandoned.
I remain very faithfully Yours
Wm. Jas Anderson

P.S. What is the meaning of the dishonouring of the
draft of the Trustees of Pictou Academy. By order of the Board
I write Mr. Howe in reference to it this day.


Retrieval no.: Commissioner of Public Records — Mi'kmaq and Government Relations series Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 volume 431 number 57

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