Bedford Barrens Gatherings Project
Sponsored by the Tripartite Forum Fund for Economic and Social Change

Tripartite Forum looks to the Bedford Barrens

In 1983, public attention was cast upon a tract of land known as the Bedford Barrens. This attention was stirred when Michael Ross, while visiting his mother in the area, discovered Mi'kmaw petroglyphs carved into the quartzite ridge that overlooks the Bedford Basin.

Since their discovery, the petroglyphs and the site itself have been the topic of numerous discussions. The site, a 35-hectare parcel of land, is currently under the ownership of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. In 1994, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, at the recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, declared the site a National Historic Site.

To date, although the site is 'protected' by the designation, no major movement has been taken towards options for physical protection and presentation of the site or the petroglyphs themselves. And that is where the Mi'kmaq-Nova Scotia-Canada Tripartite Forum - through its Culture & Heritage working committee - is stepping in to take the lead. The Culture & Heritage committee has been given the mandate to take on this project by the Nova Scotia Chiefs as part of the committee's annual workplan.

In May, two gatherings are planned in the Bedford area with one goal in mind - to gather suggestions on what could or should be done with the site. The first gathering will bring Mi'kmaw Elders from across Nova Scotia together with archaeologists and experts to discuss options for the site. The second gathering will bring together local politicians, community members that live around the Barrens site and other community members and groups that have shown interest in the site over the years - again to discuss options.

From these discussions a report will be developed and later presented to the Mi'kmaq Chiefs of Nova Scotia for their leadership and direction on this important site. The Bedford Barrens Gatherings project is one of 3 projects recently funded by the Tripartite Forum Fund for Economic and Social Change.

"Although we aren't able to invite everyone to the gatherings - we would like to hear from anyone who may have a comment to make about the Bedford site," says David Burton, Federal Co-chair for the Culture & Heritage Committee heading up the gatherings. "We're hoping that people who can't come will visit the Tripartite Forum's web site - and leave comments for us to consider while moving forward on this project."

Anyone can visit the Forum's website - www.tripartiteforum.com and follow the link on the front page to the Bedford Barrens section of the site.

When asked about the possibilities for the site Tim Bernard, Mi'kmaw Co-chair with the Culture & Heritage Committee comments, "We're not sure what the suggestions for the site will be at all. All we do know at this point is we want Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq and other stakeholders to be the leading voices in making the decisions."

The Mi'kmaq-Nova Scotia-Canada Tripartite Forum was formed in 1997 as a partnership between the Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq, the Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada, to strengthen relationships and to resolve issues of mutual concern affecting Mi'kmaw communities. You can read more on the Tripartite Forum by visiting www.tripartiteforum.com.