Centralization

In the 1940’s the government had an idea. Their idea was to take all the mi’kmaq and move them to Eskasoni. To get them there the government offered them jobs, houses, farm land and equipment. The government also told them that they will get a new school and church for the community. From We'ko'kmaq more then half moved to Eskasoni. Only a handful of families stayed behind and didn't move to Eskasoni. But after a few months, some of the families that moved, came back when they realized that no jobs were going to be offered, the farm land and equipment was no good. There houses were built bad and the church and school were also poorly built, they were over crowed. The families that stayed behind were the Phillips, Cremos, Sylliboys, and John Sam family. When the families left, the Bishop wanted the church to be burnt down. But the families that were still living here went to him and told him, that they were still living here. So they had that stopped. But they couldn't stop the school being burnt down and the families that did moved had their houses torn down. So when they came back they had to start all over again from nothing.

By Joesph Phillips

Before Centralization, Mi'kmaki was divided into 7 districts. Centralization was a task to take our Mi'kmaq people and gather them in 2 reserves. There was one main reserve on the main land and one main one on Cape Breton Island. All the families were well off before any of our people were moved to Eskasoni and Shubie. They had cattle, sheep, and livestock. Most of the families moved to Eskasoni because it sounded good. They were promised livestock and good homes. But all that was lies. There were 10 houses built on the 2 reserves, Eskasoni and Shubie, which were mot completed. There was inadequate and broken equipment, shortage of skilled labor, and bad weather. Another problem that arose during the centralization was the population in Eskasoni. Many of the people felt that the newcomers were passing through on their property. Malagawatch was a reserve that had 10 families and 8 of the 10 families went to Eskasoni. Mala was then closed down. Mrs.Sylliboy recalls after moving to Eskasoni that Bart MacKinnion was the Indian Agent and he gave out seed potatoes to the newly moved starving people. There was a job offered to men, which only paid 45 cents an hour. All men wanted to work but only few were chosen. There were eventually doctors brought in to the reserve. They were soon fired from working for the native people because 2 children giving a wrong diagnosis by him. Caroline Gould states that Centralization sounded like a message from God. It sounded so good that they had to move.

" Precentalization native People were a nomadic tribe of people, who were self supporting in their lifestyles. Centralization and its policies brought an end to this way of life,"(Diana Denny, April 27, 1990) Mi'kmaq perspective of Centralization.