- Chief Darlene Bernard, keynote speaker –

Four hundred years ago this June 24th, was christened along with his family. the greatest Mi’kmaq Chief in living memory, GRAND CHIEF MEMBERTOU. The bonds of friendship and understanding that began with him and Champlain, De Monts and Poutrincourt have never faltered and The West Prince Heritage Complex Association wants to mark in a special way this important anniversary on its property on the Chiasson Road in Tignish.
The main reason for this is that our Association has been mandated by its benefactress, Mme Anita Chiasson, to preserve and enhance historical heritage on the property she originally donated in 2001. The very purpose for our existence is stated in Schedule keep of our By-Laws which is to educate the population’’ in regards to all the facets of the history and the development of WEST PRINCE and in particular, but not exclusively, the Acadians, the Irish and the Mi’kmaq.
 Our historical heritage event will take place beginning at 2:00 p-m. on the anniversary date of June 24th (Tuesday), the highlight of which is the speech by Lennox Island Mi’kmaq Chief Darlene Bernard and the unveiling of a plaque in tribute to the Mi’kmaq Nation. Also featured at the event will be a Mi’kmaq flag raising, a smudging ceremony, drummers, an official exchange of gifts, etc. Some of the other items on the programme cannot be revealed yet but promise to be very pleasing.
Grand Chief Membertou whose estimated lifespan was well over one hundred years, was appointed Grand Chief by his peers from the seven Mi’kmaq districts. He was respected and wielded the powers of his office with honour and humility. It was Lescarbot who had said that “Membertou was already a man of great age, and saw Jacques Cartier in the county in 1534, being already at that time a married man and the father of a family, though even now he does not look more than fifty years old”.
Barry McGory has written in 2009 that Port-Royal was but 500 paces from a village of Membertou, “that paramount sakamow of the Mi’kmaq confederation, tall and powerfully built, keen-eyed and white-bearded, who had first met Cartier in 1534. A supernaturally gifted warrior (ginap), prophet (aoutmoin), and medicine person, married to one wife all his life..... and singularly admired by the French commentators who met him”.
Also according to Father Biard, “Membertou was bearded like a Frenchman, although scarcely any of the others have hair on their chin was grave and reserved and felt a proper sense of dignity for his position as commander”.  As is often believed, he did not die at Saint-Mary’s Bay where he was raised and lived, but, according to Biencourt who described his last hours in a letter to his father about six months after the event, Grand Chief Membertou died after Vespers on Sunday, September 18th, 1611 at the Port Royal Habitation and was supposed to be buried. as promised by Poutrincourt before his christening, near his predecessors in the Mi’kmaq cemetery at the entrance to Port-Royal harbour. This reiterated request shocked Father Biard who said that “all the dead in the Mi’kmaq cemetery would have to be disinterred before he could bless Membertou’s plot there’’. Perhaps dissuaded from this eventuality, Membertou on his deathbed asked Biencourt to be buried rather in the Port Royal cemetery “as it is not good that I should be buried at the entry to Port-Royal’’. According to the Jesuit scholar Lucien Campeau, the Port- Royal Roman Catholic cemetery was on the east side of the Habitation. A great cross was erected over Membertou’s grave, bearing his arms. Champlain made a drawing in 1613 showing this very large crucifix. According to a letter written by Poutrincourt in early 1614, Membertou asked his people “to live in concord with the French and to keep harmony within his family”, which was the Mi’kmaq ethos. Biencourt also attests to this.
All are welcome to this grand event which is organized in collaboration with the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island, the Lennox Island and Abegweit First Nations, the John J. Sark Memorial School with funding from the above as well as Adrien Gallant (Ontario). The Community of Tignish and Roy A. Gallant (Maine). Former Chief Jack Sark generously contributed the rock cairn for the monument as well as ample historical information. I personally want to thank Dr. Daniel N. Paul, author of We were not the savages (Fernwood Publishing), for his help in the correction and access to the information above.
We indeed express to the Mi’kmaq Nation our indebtedness for the heritage of sharing and honour that they have transmitted to all of us.
Much obliged,   
 
David Gallant 
President
L’Association du Complexe patrimonial de Prince-Ouest inc.
The West Prince Heritage
Complex Association Inc.