A Family of Forest Workers

This flow follows generations of Sel descendants whose work changes with logging technology, while their connection to the forest and to one another persists unevenly.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

From Hunting to Wages

From Hunting to Wages Shrinking Subsistence As game and fish decline, Sel men take paid work chopping trees and making tools for settlers. A Changed Relationship Wage labor provides food and goods but draws the family into the industry transforming their homeland.

The Logging Generations

The Logging Generations Many Kinds of Work The Sels cut, haul, drive, mill, and build roads across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, and farther west. Danger Becomes Routine Work injuries and deaths recur, with river driving and mechanized logging especially hazardous.

The Last River Drivers

The Last River Drivers Old Skills Decline Roads, trucks, and railways replace spring log drives, removing a traditional form of dangerous work. New Machines, New Hazards Chainsaws and heavy equipment reduce some physical tasks but create new risks and further accelerate cutting.

A Different Forest Career

A Different Forest Career Horse Logging and Study Jackson Mius turns from horse logging to formal forestry, seeking knowledge to manage woods more carefully. Family Memory Continues Relatives who rarely visit the reserve still return for St. Anne’s Day, carrying an enduring sense of kinship.

The Restoration Team

The Restoration Team Younger Relatives Join Jeanne and Felix enter paid forest restoration work, bringing a new generation of Sels and Mius into forestry. A Changed Purpose Their work centers on restoring ecological relationships rather than simply cutting trees for sale.

After the Sels return to Mi’kma’ki

From the nineteenth century through the Great War

After mechanized transport spreads

Late twentieth century

Near the ending