Burying the Hatchet ceremony (Nova Scotia)

[2] During Father Le Loutre's War, Edward Cornwallis followed that example after the Raid on Dartmouth (1749) by attempting to protect the first British settlers in Nova Scotia from being scalped by putting a bounty on the Mi'kmaq (1749).

On 11 February 1760, two tribes of the Passamaquoddy and Saint John River came to Halifax with Colonel Arbuthnot, appeared before council, renewed the treaty of 1725, and gave hostages for their good behavior.

[4] The French priest Pierre Maillard accepted an invitation from Nova Scotia Governor Charles Lawrence to travel to Halifax and to assist in negotiating with the Mi'kmaq peoples.

Representing the colony were Belcher and four members of the Nova Scotia Council: Richard Bulkeley, John Collier,[7] Joseph Gerrish,[8] and Alexander Grant.

[10] There were at least four Mi'kmaq chiefs that signed the treaty: Jeannot Peguidalonet (Cape Breton), Claude Atouach (Shediac), Joseph Sabecholouet (Miramichi), and Aikon Ashabuc (Pokemouche).

Belcher gave presents to each chief along with medals, which were passed down through generations as testimony to the words that bound their people to uphold the peace.

The cornerstone of the Halifax Provincial Court (Spring Garden Road) now stands beside the spot of the burial, a symbol of peace and the rule of law.

[1] Daniel N. Paul notes that the wording of the document that is sourced to the chiefs uses language and knowledge of European conventions that would be incomprehensible or unknown to the Mi'kmaq.