Deep Roots
Born, bred and still residing in New Brunswick’s
oldest continually occupied village
by Annie Mae Morrison, Metepenagiag / Red Bank, N.B.I
was born and raised in
Metepenagiag (Red Bank,
N.B.) and have lived here all
my life, except for a few years
when I left to attend university.
It is also home to the Mete-
penagiag Heritage Park, which
houses all the artifacts that
were found in the Augustine
Mound and the Oxbow Site, two
National Historic sites. It was
through oral tradition that
these two sites were discovered
by Elder Joseph Augustine
(my father) in the early 1970s.
While on hunting excursions
as a young man of 12 with his
father, and always stopping near
the Mound to rest and have
their lunch on an old caribou
trail, my grandfather told him
that this was where our ances-
tors had ceremonies for their
deceased loved ones. It was only
years later when my father wasin his 60s that his memory
would be jarred by a magazine
article about Native burial
mounds in the United States.
His curiosity peaked, my father
went to investigate and discov-
ered that the mound was indeed
a burial mound. This happened
at a time when a nearby gravel
pit was being dug up. His
discovery halted the digging of
the gravel pit and the rest is
history. The resulting archeo-
logical digs have revived our
Mi’kmaq culture, and allow
us to lay claim to the fact that
Metepenagiag is the oldest
continually occupied village in
New Brunswick,
dating back
more than
3,000 years!Festive Village
The Metepenagiag Pow Wow,
Trout Derby and Washer Toss
Tournament are just a few of the
many family-oriented events
that take place here annually.
Needless to say, I am so very
proud of my heritage and
community. Metepenagiag is
situated along the Miramichi
River, which is world renowned
for its salmon fishery and it’s a
photographer’s dream, thanks to
its beautiful scenery during all
seasons. Photography is my
hobby and I could not ask for a
more beautiful backdrop
to take photos. nMY HOMETOWNAnnie Mae’s father, Elder Joseph
Augustine (right), played a key role
in the recent history of this friendly,
highly active community.41