2. Conservation Treatment of the Conne River Mi’kmaq Prayer Book David Hanington Book & Paper Conservator Works on Paper Laboratory

3. CCI‘s mission is to support the heritage community in preserving Canada's heritage collections for access by current and future generations. This mission is accomplished through conservation research and development, expert services and knowledge dissemination.      L'ICC a pour mission d'appuyer la communauté du patrimoine culturel dans ses activités de préservation des collections patrimoniales du Canada afin d'en assurer l'accès aux générations présentes et futures. Cette mission s'accomplit par le biais de la recherche et du développement en conservation ainsi que par l'offre de services d'expertise et de la diffusion des connaissances. http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/

4. Conne River Mi’kmaq Prayer Book Conne River Newfoundland The manuscript is an early Newfoundland Mi’kmaq prayer book containing hymns, prayers and other religious texts in use in divine worship according to Roman Catholic observance.

5. Examination Front cover Text block

6. No man or woman living at conne knows how old this book is Pencil inscription on the front cover Added in 1959

7. Text Block Text block is sewn onto four vellum thongs

8. Text Block Water stains Tears

9. Drawings & Annotations

10. Decorative Designs

11. Watermark Design Crown & Shield 1807 Handmade Paper Observations under transmitted light. Computer enhancement on the right. Text Block

12. Papermaker’s Name J. JELLYMAN 1807 located in Salisbury, Dowton, Wiltshire England

13. Detached Pages

14. Helen Sylliboy Mi’kmaq Educator who worked in the Language Development with the Eskasoni School Board Cape Breton Nova Scotia assisted with determining the correct order of the pages

15. MI’KMAQ HIEROGLYPHIC PRAYERS

16. “who created heaven and earth” A = and Hieroglyphic Text

17. Examining the Detached Leaves

18. The Significance of the Prayerbook Helen Silliboy felt a very powerful spiritual element of the book She suggested it might be more appropriate, and more respectful of the object, to leave it untouched

19. To Treat or NOT to Treat As a result of her comments, treatment options were reconsidered, and a ‘no treatment’ option was included in the proposal. It was clear that a meeting with the owners should be arranged in Newfoundland to discuss the options

20. Martin Howley Humanities Librarian QE II Library Memorial University of Newfoundland

21. Meeting in Saint John’s Newfoundland Gerald Penney Signal Hill, St. John’s

22. Conne River Mi’kmaq Band Conne River Newfoundland St. John’s

23. Conne River Bay D’Espoir Newfoundland Government Building

24. Meeting with the Band Council Members

25. The condition of the Mi’kmaq prayer book and the difficulties associated with the treatment were presented, along with the advantages and disadvantages for treating or not treating it. After a lengthy discussion, it was the decision of the Band Council Members that the prayer book should be fully treated.

26. Photography

27. Analysis of Ink Samples The inks were analyzed by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy Analytical Research Laboratory

28. Analysis of Leather Cover Leica Polarized Light Microscope

29. Caribou Calf DeerSheepCover

30. Original Leather CoverSheepskin Sample

31. Paper Treatments Dismantling Dusting Surface Cleaning Lamination Removal pH Readings Washing Leafcasting Dismantling the Text Block

32. Dusting the Pages Surface Cleaning

33. Lamination & Tape Removal Suction Table before after

34. Measuring the pH Washing

35. Leaf-casting Spanish Vinyector leaf-caster Leaf-casting Paper fibres Disintegrating Beating Freeness measurements Drying pulp Controls Calculations Casting Pressing

36. Combination of paper fibres Measuring the pulp

37. Hollander beater Disintegrating the pulp

38. Measuring the thickness Calculating the missing area

39. Pouring the measured amount of pulp into the chamber Lifting the folio into the leaf-caster on its Reemay® support

40. Pressing the newly cast sheet in the hydraulic press Newly cast folio

41. Microfilming National Archives of Canada

42. Microfilming Staff filming and processing film

43. Front coverBack cover Binding

44. Sewing the Text Block

45. Headbands Spine headband2 layers of Japanese paper kettle stitch sections Alum-tawed goatskin thongs

46. Goatskin Parchment for the Cover

47. UnhairingFleshing Stretching – Drying & Finishing Handmade Parchment & Vellum

48. Paper Pattern for the Cover

49. Lacing in the Thongs

50. Non Adhesive Binding Yapp Edge Endpaper

51. Headbands

52. Peg Materials Caribou bone Peg attachment

53. Front CoverBack Cover

54. Protective Enclosures Solander boxSolander box open

55. Portfolio containing the original sewing materials A second solander box was constructed to house the original cover and portfolio above

56. Completed prayer book displayed on a caribou leather support and Plexiglas® stand

57. Acknowledgments Conne RiverBand Council Members Sherry Guild Conservator, Works on Paper Section, CCI Juliet Graham Volunteer Paper Conservator Gerald Penney Archeologist & Band Negotiator Martin Howley Humanities Librarian, Memorial University Helen SylliboyMi’kmaq Educator

58. Acknowledgments Robert Barclay Conservator, Objects laboratory CCI Carl Bigras Photographer, Analytical Research Laboratory, CCI Elizabeth MoffattScientist, Analytical Research Laboratory, CCI Marie-Claude Corbeil Scientist, Analytical Research Laboratory, CCI Gregory YoungScientist, Conservation Materials Processes Research, CCI Season TseScientist, Conservation Materials Processes Research, CCI Micheline Sarrazin Microfilm Technician, National Archives of Canada Michèle Beachamp Microfilm Technician, National Archives of Canada Francine D’AmourMicrofilm Technician, National Archives of Canada Rick CavisinVellum & Parchment Manufacturer