Hand-carved wooden pickaxe.

The object reflects a skill traditionally associated with or practiced by the Acadian population. More specifically, the object reflects the agricultural production tools used by the Acadian population. The pickaxe is a tool used primarily to break up hard soil or stone. Since this pickaxe is made of wood, it was probably used to dig planting holes or trenches in the ground.

Acadians have been farming since the first colony was established in Acadia in 1604. Farming was a major source of livelihood, along with fishing. Acadians even farmed the marshes of the Bay of Fundy, where they built aboiteaux to drain the land and take advantage of their natural environment. The intertidal zones also provided salt fodder, known as misotte or meadow hay, which was particularly appreciated by livestock. (http://www.ameriquefrancaise.org/fr/article-215/Aboiteaux%20acadiens#NOTE4). In the Gaspé Peninsula and Quebec, Acadian agriculture consisted of growing cereals, potatoes, and other root vegetables, and gathering wild fruits.