Unearthing Sight

In the community of Sipekne’katik, Nova Scotia, lies the Sainte-Anne Mission site. This site is a powerful symbol of the Mi’kmaq ancestral homeland and the enduring relationship between the Mi’kmaq people and the Roman Catholic faith.

Established in the 1600s, its historical significance has been lost, and the site is currently lacking any formal monument or recognition. Located only a short distance from the former Shubenacadie Indian Residential School (now recognized as a National Historic Site), the area offers a profound reminder of the complex relationship between the Catholic Church and the Mi’kmaq people, including the lasting impacts of colonial policies. 

The Mission Sainte-Anne project is a community-led initiative, run in partnership with local organizations, that will revitalize and formally recognize this historically significant site. Its story is one of resistance, resilience, and continuity. Situated within a landscape long occupied by the Mi’kmaq, the mission served during the colonial period as a bridge between the Mi’kmaq and the French Crown and later became a centre of resistance to British imperialism. Since 2001, archaeological investigations have been undertaken to determine the precise location of the mission. Finally, researchers have successfully narrowed its potential location. The project will continue these efforts while supporting future recognition of the site, creating opportunities for education, cultural revitalization, and the eventual return of community gatherings and ceremonies to this important place.

The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) believes in the importance of this project to help strengthen relations between Indigenous Peoples and the Church, while encouraging the return of Sainte Anne celebrations to their original location. The sound of the grandmother drum will once again resonate across this sacred landscape.

Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth