Matty Mitchell (June 1846 - 1921) was a

Mi’kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the nort ...

Chieftain,who
/ref> guide, prospector, and explorer who contributed to the development of the Newfoundland economy. Mitchell has been described as "the greatest and most resourceful woodsman who ever lived."Parks Canada – News Releases and Backgrounders
/ref> For this, Mitchell was recognized as a

Person of National Historic Significance Persons of National Historic Significance (National Historic People) are people designated by the Canadian government as being nationally significant in the history of the country. Designations are made by the Minister of the Environment on the re ...

in 2001.Parks Canada – News Releases and Backgrounders
/ref>

Biography

Mitchell was born in

Halls Bay Halls Bay is a natural bay located near the Baie Verte Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Halls Bay has been the determining point for the northern route of the Newfoundland Railway and ...

in June 1846. On 26 May 1879, he was married to Mary Ann Webb at Sandy Point. On the marriage certificate his name is transcribed as 'Matthieu Michel (Indien)'. Together they had a son, also named Matty Michell. In 1885, the family moved to

Bonne Bay Bonne Bay is a bay in Newfoundland, Canada. It is located on the western coast of Newfoundland and separates the Great Northern Peninsula from the rest of the island. It is a part of Gros Morne National Park. It is separated into two sections: ...

, where he lived the remainder of his life. In 1904, Mitchell was hired to chart the

Great Northern Peninsula The Great Northern Peninsula ( Inuttitut: ''Ikkarumiklua'') is the largest and longest peninsula of Newfoundland, Canada, approximately 270 km long and 90 km wide at its widest point and encompassing an area of 17,483 km2. It is def ...

, working under H. C. Thomson. His extensive knowledge of waterways and other geographical features culminated in the first map drawings of the region. In 1905, Mitchell, while contracted by the Anglo-Newfoundland Development, discovered the Buchans ore body, one of the world's most productive massive sulphide deposits. Subsequent development led to the creation of Buchans, as well as "many thousands of person-years of employment, shared by three generations of Newfoundlanders." Since the discovery, the site has generated 16.2 million tons of high-grade zinc, lead, copper, gold and silver ore with a gross value of approximately $14 billion. During his life, he also guided the workers of the

Newfoundland Railway The Newfoundland Railway operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of , it was the longest narrow-gauge railway system in North America. Early construction ] In 1880, a committee of the Newfoundland Leg ...

on how to construct a railroad through western Newfoundland and into the central part of the province, using only his knowledge of the land.Life of Mattie Mitchell highlighted in new book – Living – The Western Star
/ref> In the Autumn of 1921, Mitchell died in Corner Brook.

Legacy

Matty Mitchell is credited with teaching white settlers in Newfoundland how to fry balogna - known today in the region as “Newfie steaks” In 1998, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador opened the 'Matty Mitchell Prospectors Resource Room'. On 26 June 2005,

Stéphane Dion Stéphane Maurice Dion (born 28 September 1955) is a Canadian diplomat, academic and former politician who has been the Canadian ambassador to France and Monaco since 2022 and special envoy to the European Union since 2017. Dion was Leader of ...

, Minister of the Environment, and Gerry Byrne, MP for Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, unveiled a memorial plaque in his honour at Gros Morne National Park. Among them were Chief Mi'sel Joe of the Miawpukek First Nation, Conne River; Brendan Sheppard, President of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians; and Marie Mitchell-Sparks, Matty Mitchell's granddaughter. During the ceremony, Byrne addresses the crowd on Mitchell's achievement: In 2011, a biography was written about Mitchell by Gary Collins, an award-winning author. In 2013, a student film, entitled ''A Mattie Mitchell Story'', was made. The film stars Mattie's own great-grandson, Alonzo Rumbolt, in the title role. In 2015, Mitchell's great-grandson Brendan Mitchell was elected Chief of

Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band The Qalipu First Nation (Pronounced: ha-lee-boo, meaning: Caribou), is a Mi’kmaq band government, created by order-in-council in 2011 pursuant to the Agreement for the Recognition of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq Band. After the band was approved as a ...

. Another of Mitchell's great grandchildren, Geoff Sparkes, challenged Brendan Mitchell in the 2021 Qalipu First Nation Band elections which was unsuccessful. Brendan Mitchell and Geoff Sparkes

References

External links

Mattie Mitchell National Historic Site and Trail
at Rocky Harbour,

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic Canada, Atlantic region. The province comprises t ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Matty 1846 births 1921 deaths 19th-century First Nations people 20th-century First Nations people History of Newfoundland and Labrador Mi'kmaq people