The Goose Boat of Merigomish
- Katherine Knight
- Writer, Director, Video Editor, Producer
- Nicholas Rocha
- 3D Visualization
- Helios Design Labs
- Interactive Design
- Dian Day
- Story Editor
Supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

This project and its authors are grateful to do our work on the traditional, ancestral territories of Indigenous Peoples who are stewards of these lands since time immemorial. The Goose Boat comes from Maliko’mijk, known colonially as Merigomish, located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi’kma’ki, Mi’kmaq First Nation.
With thanks to
Don Francis and Pictou Landing First Nation, John Ashton, Manfred Becker, Kristina Boerder, David Craig, Jean Dalton, Tony deCoste, Eamonn Doorly, Mike Fanning, Billie-Joe Fowler, Gerry Farrell, Weldon Harding, JJ Jamieson, William Knight, Maxine Krawczyk, Melanie Leblanc, Heike Lotze, Roger Marsters, New Brooklyn Media, Colin MacKinnon, Curtis Micheal, Matthew Misewicz, Marcel Morin, Katy Morley, Chris Nicolai, Jenn Norton, NOVACAD, Kathy Ogden, Sandra Phinney, Gregory Rand, Donnie Rodson, Aleen Stanton, Roland Sawatzky, Taylor Seed, Sebastian Family, Sam Shalabi, Maureen Shaw, Merv Shaw, Sharon Shaw, Anthony Von Seck, Ella Tetrault, Dante Torio, Sean Tudor, Isaac Vallentin, Ben Verburgh, Daniel Walker, Dirk Werle, Chris Williams, Rita Wilson, Tim Wilson, Nicolas Winkler Photography
The Canadian Nature Museum Community Eelgrass Restoration Initiative Future Of Marine Ecosystems Lab, Dalhousie University Nova Scotia Museum Pictou-Antigomish Regional Library York University
The Goose Boat of Merigomish, Nova Scotia Museum, Marine History Collection, M85.63.1. 3D Goose Boat Model CC BY-NC 4.0 - for non-commercial and attribution. (c) Katherine Knight 3D Brant Goose Model CC BY-NC 4.0 - for non-commercial and attribution. (c) Canadian Museum of Nature
Chapter 1: Boat
- Voices
- Eamonn Doorly, Weldon Harding, Anthony Von Seck, Roland Sawatzky
- Stills
- Two men preparing to go duck hunting, Armstrong Johnson, 1923
- Films
- Brant Geese Flying, Daniel O’Brien
Chapter 2: Goose
- Voices
- Melanie Le Blanc, Chris Nicolai
- Stills
- Spectators watching the autumnal flush of birds, Chris Lund, 1954, Library and Archives Canada/National Film Board fonds
- William Finley Taking Notes, The Oregon Historical Society
- Bohlman and Finley Photographing Ducklings, The Oregon Historical Society
- Irene Finley photographing pelicans and cormorants, The Oregon Historical Society
- Bird Watcher, Grand Manan Museum
- Films
- Brant Geese, Karl-Heinz Müller
- Brant Geese Flying, Daniel O’Brien
- Arctic Brant Research Movie, Christopher Williams, University of Delaware
Chapter 3: Hunt
- Voices
- Chris Nicolai, Weldon Harding
- Stills
- End View of Punt, Sydney Harold Smith, 1910-12, York Museums Trust
- Firing a Shot, Sydney Harold Smith, 1910-12, York Museums Trust
- Snowden Slights with Big Gun, Sydney Harold Smith, 1910-12, York Museums Trust
- The lady and her 20-gauge, 1927. Field & Stream Archives
- S. Smith with a Duck, Sydney Harold Smith, 1910-12, York Museums Trust
- Sydney Harold Smith, 1910-12, York Museums Trust
- Young Woman modeling, Fitz W. Guerin, Library of Congress
- Child in a Boat, Ronny Jaques, Library and Archives Canada
- Films
- The 1933 Hunting Season Opens at Tule Lake
- A Nymph of the Waves, American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1903, Library of Congress
- Men Prepare Blind
Chapter 4: Rules
- Voices
- Chris Nicolai, Curtis Michael
- Stills
- Two hunters, Library of Congress
- The Snipe, Gaston Fay, 1880
- Crualies Practised on Fish and Fowl, Gaston Fay, 1880
- Brant Goose, John James Audubon, 1840
- Mi’kmaq Petroglyph Tracings, #74, # 78, George Creed Collection, Nova Scotia Museum, 1887-1888
- Films
- Seagrass, Lewis M Jefferies
- Eelgrass, Community Eelgrass Restoration Initiative
- Sand Eels, Niels Vestergaard
- Brant Geese Flying, Chris Nicolai
Chapter 5: Eelgrass
- Voices
- Chris Nicolai, Melanie Le Blanc, Curtis Michael
- Stills
- Scientist and Eelgrass, Nicolas Winkler Photography
- Zostera marina, Carl Axel Magnus Lindman
- Eelgrass Sample, Dante Torio
- Films
- Eelgrass, Community Eelgrass Restoration Initiative
- Seagrass, Lewis M Jefferies
- Eelgrass Life, Nicolas Winkler Photography
Chapter 6: Now
- Voices
- Roland Sawatzky, Curtis Michael
- Map
- Marcel Morin
- Drone Footage
- Kip Spidell, 2024
Sources
- Artifact M85.63.1, Accession File. Nova Scotia Museum.
- “The Strange Sighting on Big Island.” The Bee. May 16, 1838.
- Hebda, A.J. The Mi’kmaw Bestiary, A Compendium of documented Mi’kmaw terms and phrases relating to animals. Nova Scotia Curatorial Report 103. 2014.
- Le Blanc, Melanie. “The Miraculous Journey of the Little Brant Goose.” CBC News, February 27, 2023.
- Patillo, T.R., Moose- Hunting Salmon Fishing and Other Sketches of Sport. William Briggs Ltd, 1903.
- Phinney, Sandra. “An Eastern Legacy.” Eastern Wood and Waters. Vol 1, no.5 (2002).
- Shaw, Maureen. Accession Letter to Marvin Moore. Nova Scotia Museum. 1988.
- Stanton, A. L. and D. F. Duke. “The Invisible Island: Immigration, Environment, and a New Europe on Big Island, Nova Scotia.” Acadiensis. 48, no. 1 (2019).
- Ta’n Weji-sqalia’kiek, Mi’kmaw Place Names
Goose Boat Project Interviews by Katherine Knight
- “Eamonn Doorly, Shipwright/ Assistant Curator of Small Craft, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.” September 12, 2024. 32 min.
- “Weldon Harding and Billie Joe Fowler, Tabusintac Watershed Association.” May 21, 2024. 30 min.
- “Dr. Heike Lotze, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Dalhousie University.” August 14, 2023. 48 min.
- “Melanie Le Blanc, Ph.D., Wildlife Biologist, Niskamoon Corporation.” May 15, 2024. 48 min.
- “Chris Nicolai, Ph.D., Waterfowl Scientist, Delta Waterfowl, Bismarck, ND, US.” July 18, 2023. 51 min.
- “Curtis Michael, Mii’kmaw Language Teacher, Sipekne'katik First Nation, Mi'kma'ki.” July 22, 2024. 30 min.
- “Aleen Stanton, Research Associate, Nova Scotia Museum.” January 26, 2024. 31min.
- “Dr. Roland Sawatzky, Curator of History, Manitoba Museum.” September 8, 2024. 30 min.
- “Ben Verburgh, Model Maker.” September 14, 2023. 30 min.
- “Dr. Daniel Walker, Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering, Memorial University.” August 26, 2023. 68 min.
- “Dirk Werle, Ærde Environmental Research.” September 12, 2024. 33 min.
- “Nicolas Winkler, Nicolas Winkler Photography.” June 26, 2024. 50 min.