Canadian history · Drawing 05 of 37
The Order of Good Cheer
Winter 1606–1607
In the winter of 1606–1607, the French at Port-Royal, in Mi’kma’ki, held feasts to stay healthy and cheerful. The Mi’kmaw chief Membertou was often their guest at the table.
Look together
What dish would you bring to share at a feast?
An idea to try
Plan a meal where each person takes a turn as “chief steward”: choosing a dish, setting the table or serving. Talk about what helps everyone feel welcome at the table.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The French had settled at Port-Royal in 1605, in Mi’kma’ki, the homeland of the Mi’kmaq, who welcomed them and showed them how to survive. After a deadly first winter, Champlain created the Order of Good Cheer in the winter of 1606–1607: every few days, a member took his turn hunting or fishing and led the feast as “chief steward.” Membertou and another Mi’kmaw chief, Messamouet, were frequent guests, while twenty or thirty other Mi’kmaq, including women and children, looked on and were given bread.
It was a hard time for the Mi’kmaq: diseases brought from Europe had already reduced their numbers, and that winter the French fed Membertou’s family, who faced famine. The Mi’kmaq live in Mi’kma’ki today; Membertou First Nation, in Cape Breton, bears his name. Ask your child what makes a meal truly shared: who sits at the table, and who decides?
Sources and context (3)
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
- Parks Canada — Port-Royal National Historic Site: HistoryMi’kmaq welcomed the French in 1605; the Order proposed in the winter of 1606–1607; rotating “Chief Steward”; Membertou and Messamouet frequent guests; twenty or thirty Mi’kmaq men, women and children looked on and were given bread; game served; about 12 of 45 men died the first winter.
- Dictionary of Canadian Biography — MEMBERTOU (baptized Henri)Membertou, a Mi’kmaw sagamo; Mi’kmaq numbered about 2,000 because of epidemics brought by the French, according to Biard; in the winter the French fed Membertou and his family, who faced starvation; birth date unknown.
- Membertou — CommunityMi’kmaw community in Cape Breton named after Grand Chief Membertou; one of 13 Mi’kmaq communities in Nova Scotia; forced relocation in 1926.
Source review: 2026-09-24. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.