Bear River First Nation | |
|---|---|
  Bear River First Nation Location of Bear River First Nation inNova Scotia | |
| Coordinates:44°32′59″N65°38′36″W / 44.54972°N 65.64333°W /44.54972; -65.64333 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Nova Scotia |
| County | Digby County |
| Established | 1820 |
| Government | |
| • Chief | Carol Dee Potter |
| Area | |
| • Land | 2.01 km2 (0.78 sq mi) |
| Population (2025) | |
• Total | 402[1] |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (Atlantic (AST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (ADT) |
| Website | http://www.bearriverfirstnation.ca/ |
| Postal code span: B0S 1B0 | |
Bear River First Nation (Mi'kmaq:L'sɨtkuk[2]) is aMíkmaqFirst Nationsband government located in bothAnnapolis County andDigby County,Nova Scotia. As of 2023, theMi'kmaq population is 118 on-Reserve, and approximately 263 off-Reserve for a total population of 382.[3]
Bear River First Nation lies adjacent to the village ofBear River, Nova Scotia. It has a church, Saint Anne's, completed in 1836, and a school which serves toddlers and preschoolers.[4] TheMi'kmaq language is taught to children attending the school.[5] A health centre was established in 1998.[6][7]
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 theMi'kmaq nation.[8][9] The people of Bear River are the Indigenous community whose ancestors welcomedPierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons,Samuel de Champlain and others who settled atPort-Royal in 1605.[10] Thesakmow, or chief, at that time wasHenri Membertou who befriended the French. The area around Port-Royal was the traditional summering site of Membertou's people.[11]
The community were known as canoe builders who used their craft for fishing and huntingporpoise, in theAnnapolis Basin andBay of Fundy. Oil rendered from the porpoise was sold as a machine lubricant into the early part of the twentieth century.[12][13][14]
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.[15]
The Bear River First Nation is composed of three parts as shown, of which the largest is regularly occupied:[16]
| Community | Area | Location | Population (as of 2016) | Date established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear River 6 | 633.8 hectares (1,566 acres) | 17.6 km. southeast of Digby | 138[17] | March 3, 1820 |
| Bear River 6A | 31.2 hectares (77 acres) | 9.6 km. southeast of Annapolis Royal | 0 | March 3, 1938 |
| Bear River 6B | 24.3 hectares (60 acres)[18] | 6.4 km. southeast of Annapolis Royal | 16[18] | October 1, 1962 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| International | |
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