Bear River First Nation ( or ) is a Míkmaq First Nations band government located in both Annapolis County and Digby County, Nova Scotia. As of 2023, the Mi'kmaq population is 118 on-Reserve, and approximately 263 off-Reserve for a total population of 382.
Bear River First Nation lies adjacent to the village of Bear River, Nova Scotia. It has a church, Saint Anne's, completed in 1836, and a school which serves toddlers and preschoolers.Community Profile The Mi'kmaq language is taught to children attending the school.Bear River Educational Profile A health centre was established in 1998.Bear River First Nation Health CentreBear River First Nation: Health Centre
History Archaeological evidence suggests the community has existed in the area for 2,000 to 4,000 years. It lies in the ancient District of Kespukwitk, a part of the Mi'kmaq nation.Bear River First Nation: Our History The people of Bear River are the Indigenous community whose ancestors welcomed Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons, Samuel de Champlain and others who settled at Port-Royal in 1605.Bear River First Nation: The French The sakmow, or chief, at that time was Henri Membertou who befriended the French. The area around Port-Royal was the traditional summering site of Membertou's people.
The community were known as canoe builders who used their craft for fishing and hunting porpoise, in the Annapolis Basin and Bay of Fundy. Oil rendered from the porpoise was sold as a machine lubricant into the early part of the twentieth century.Mi'kmaq Resource Centre (UCCB), Brief History of Muin Sipu (Bear River) and Early Porpoise Hunting Bear River First Nation: The Porpoise Hunt* A film by Alexander H. Leighton about a porpoise hunt and rendering of porpoise oil (late 1930s).
Tourism Each summer the Bear River First Nation Heritage & Cultural Centre offers authentic cultural immersion in the life and traditions of the Mi'kmaq, featuring hands-on craft-making workshops.
Composition The Bear River First Nation is composed of three parts as shown, of which the largest is regularly occupied:Mi'kmaq Resource Centre (UCCB), Mi'kmaw Bands in Nova Scotia, 2010
Community Area Location Population (as of 2016) Date established Bear River 6 17.6 km. southeast of Digby 138 March 3, 1820 Bear River 6A 9.6 km. southeast of Annapolis Royal 0 March 3, 1938 Bear River 6B 6.4 km. southeast of Annapolis Royal 16 October 1, 1962
Notable people
shalan joudry – poet and playwright
See also Peter Paul Toney Babey
References
External links Bear River First Nation Seven Paddles - The L'sitkuk to Kejimkujik project "Learning About Native Heritage At The Bear River" Articles about the Bear River community Bear River artifacts in Nova Scotia Museum