A Story by Charlie Dennis My stories usually begin in Malagawatch or ‘Big Harbour Island’ as it’s called on the map. My principal Elders are Gabriel Sylliboy and Noel Francis. Other people were involved in some of the stories that were talked about around the campfire about the futuristic view of predicting the next day’s...

A Story by Charlie Dennis Noel Francis was one of the true oyster fishermen that fished oysters in the different oyster beds in the Bras d’Or Lakes. During most of the oyster season, he and his son would be fishing in Malagawatch and River Denys Basin. At times, he would fish alone as the boys...

Alfred MacKay: All-around fisherman from Big Harbour Island, Malagawatch I met Alfred back in the 1970s when I was buying oyster from the public fishery in the fall. Alfred lived southeast of what we call Malagawatch Reserve. In order for him to get to his home, he had to drive through the Malagawatch community on...

by Charlie Dennis For many years, my good friend Gabriel, or Kaplie’l in Mi’kmaq, fished oysters in Malagawatch Pond. I met Kaplie’l back in the late 1950s. My grandparents and dad used to go to Malagawatch for a visit or get supplies of white maple and poplar for basket making. Kaplie’l and his brother Sa’n...

A Story by Charlie Dennis This is in reference to my story in the last issue of Martin about the Oysters and my old friend Gabriel. If some of you took a guess (or were stumped!), the important tool was Cod Liver Oil. You are probably wondering “What the?!” Why would a person use oil...

A Story by Charlie Dennis I was a young boy when I used to go to Malagawatch with my Mom and Dad to gather maple to make baskets. There was a man there named Gabriel Sylliboy. Gabriel and his brother stayed in a meager cabin typical of the times then, an oil lantern, an old...