Glooscap's Door

There is a special cave on the cliffs of Cape Dauphin in Cape Breton Island known as the “Fairy Hole” or “Glooscap’s Door”.

This place for the Mi’kmaq in Unama’ki (Cape Breton) is said to be the door to Glooscap’s wigwam. At this place, one would throw in some dry punk and a little fish as an offering for his fire and food. One would say, “I wish you give me good luck”.

Glooscap does not want anyone to come inside. If anyone wants something, he can put something outside on the stone for Glooscap. Outside, on the cliffs, there is a stone by his door that looks like a table. One can put his offering there.

This is still being done today. The Mi’kmaq leave tobacco and eels on the stone to give them good luck.

When I did this piece, the Mi’kmaq were protesting plans to mine granite on Kelly’s Mountain. It would have destroyed Glooscap’s Door forever.

Size: 26” x 30”
Medium: Oil on Canvas