Mi'kmaq
Encyclopedia
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
people, indigenous to the northeastern region of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Atlantic Provinces, and the Gaspé Peninsula
Gaspé Peninsula
The Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The nation has a population of about 40,000 (plus 21,429 in the Qalipu First Nation), of whom nearly 9,100 speak the Míkmaq language. Once written in Míkmaq hieroglyphic writing, it is now written using most letters of the standard Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
.
The ethnonym has traditionally been spelled Micmac in English, but the natives have used different spellings: Mi’kmaq (singular Mi’kmaw) by the Míkmaq of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, Miigmaq (Miigmao) by the Míkmaq of New Brunswick, Mi’gmaq by the Listuguj Council in Quebec, or Mìgmaq (Mìgmaw) in some native literature. Until the 1980s, "Micmac" remained the most common spelling in English. Although still used, for example, in Ethnologue
Ethnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
, this spelling has fallen out of favour in recent years. Most scholarly publications use the preferred native spelling of Mi'kmaq. The Míkmaq prefer to use one of the three current Míkmaq orthographies when writing in English or French. They consider the English spelling to be "colonially tainted."
On September 26th, 2011 the Government of Canada announced the recognition of Canada's newest Mi'kmaq First Nations Band, the Qalipu First Nations in Newfoundland and Labrador. The new landless band has accepted 20,000 applications to become part of the band. Its members are recognized as Status Indians, joining other organized Mi'kmaq bands recognized in the Northeast of Canada.
Etymology
Lnu (the adjectival and singular noun, previously spelled "L'nu"; the plural is Lnúk, Lnu’k, Lnu’g, or Lnùg) is the self-recognized term for the Míkmaq of New BrunswickNew Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, meaning "human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
being" or "the people".
Various explanations exist for the origin of the term Míkmaq. The Mi'kmaw Resource Guide states that "Míkmaq" means "the family":
The definite article "the" suggests that "Mi'kmaq" is the undeclined form indicated by the initial letter "m". When declined in the singular it reduces to the following forms: nikmaq - my family; kikmaq - your family; wikma - his/her family. The variant form Mi'kmaw plays two grammatical roles: 1) It is the singular of Mi'kmaq and 2) it is an adjective in circumstances where it precedes a noun (e.g. mi'kmaw people, mi'kmaw treaties, mi'kmaw person, etc.)
However, there are other hypotheses:
The name "Micmac" was first recorded in a memoir by de La Chesnaye in 1676. Professor Ganong in a footnote to the word megamingo (earth), as used by Marc Lescarbot, remarked "that it is altogether probable that in this word lies the origin of the name Micmac." As suggested in this paper on the customs and beliefs of the Micmacs, it would seem that megumaagee the name used by the Micmacs, or the Megumawaach, as they called themselves, for their land, is from the words megwaak, "red", and magumegek, "on the earth", or as Rand recorded, "red on the earth," megakumegek, "red ground," "red earth." The Micmacs, then, must have thought of themselves as the Red Earth People, or the People of the Red Earth. Others seeking a meaning for the word Micmac have suggested that it is from nigumaach, my brother, my friend, a word that was also used as a term of endearment by a husband for his wife... Still another explanation for the word Micmac suggested by Stansbury Hagar in "Micmac Magic and Medicine" is that the word megumawaach is from megumoowesoo, the name of the Micmacs' legendary master magicians, from whom the earliest Micmac wizards are said to have received their power.
Members of the Mi'kmaq First Nation historically referred to themselves as Lnu, but used the term níkmaq (my kin) as a greeting. The French initially referred to the Míkmaq as Souriquois" and later as Gaspesiens
Gaspé Peninsula
The Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
or (through English) "Mickmakis". The British originally referred to them as Tarrantine
Tarrantine
The Tarrantines were a tribe of Native Americans inhabiting northern New England, particularly coastal Maine. The name Tarrantine is the word the Massachusett tribe used to refer to the Abenaki people....
s.
History
.jpg)
The Seven Mi'kmaq Districts are Kespukwitk, Sikepnékatik, Eskíkewaq, Unamákik, Piktuk aqq Epekwitk, Sikniktewaq, and Kespékewaq.
In addition to the district councils, there was also a Grand Council or Santé Mawiómi. The Grand Council was composed of "Keptinaq", or captains in English, who were the district chiefs. There were also Elders, the Putús (Wampum belt readers and historians, who also dealt with the treaties with the non-natives and other Native tribes), the women council, and the Grand Chief. The Grand Chief was a title given to one of the district chiefs, which was usually from the Mi'kmaq district of Unamáki or Cape Breton Island. This title was hereditary and usually went to the Grand Chief's eldest son. The Grand Council met on a little island on the Bras d'Or lake
Bras d'Or Lake
Bras d'Or Lake is a large body of salt water dominating the centre of Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Bras d'Or Lake is sometimes referred to as the Bras d'Or Lakes or the Bras d'Or Lakes system, however its official geographic name is Bras d'Or Lake as it is a singular...
in Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
called "Mniku", on a reserve today called Chapel Island or Potlotek. To this day, the Grand Council still meets at the Mniku to discuss current issues within the Mi'kmaq Nation.
The Mi'kmaq were members of the Wapnáki (Wabanaki Confederacy
Wabanaki Confederacy
The Wabanaki Confederacy, as it is known in English, is a historical confederation of five North American Algonquian language speaking Indian tribes....
), an alliance with four other Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
-language nations: the Abenaki, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy
Passamaquoddy
The Passamaquoddy are the First Nations people who live in northeastern North America, primarily in Maine and New Brunswick....
, and Maliseet. The allied tribes ranged from present-day New England in the United States to the Maritime Provinces of Canada. At the time of contact with the French (late 16th century), they were expanding from their maritime base westward along the Gaspé Peninsula /St. Lawrence River at the expense of Iroquoian-speaking tribes, hence the Míkmaq name for this peninsula, Kespek ("last-acquired"). On June 24 1610, Grand Chief Membertou
Henri Membertou
Henri Membertou was the sakmow of the Mi'kmaq First Nations tribe situated near Port Royal, site of the first French settlement in Acadia, present-day Nova Scotia, Canada. Originally sakmow of the Kespukwitk district, he was appointed as Grand Chief by the sakmowk of the other six districts.His...
converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and was baptised. He concluded an alliance with the French Jesuits which affirmed the right of Mi'kmaq to choose Catholicism and\or Mi'kmaw tradition
Eighteenth Century
The Mi'kmaq, as allies with the French, were amenable to limited French settlement in their midst. After France lost political control of Acadia in 1710Siege of Port Royal (1710)
The Siege of Port Royal , also known as the Conquest of Acadia, was conducted by British regular and provincial forces under the command of Francis Nicholson against a French Acadian garrison under the command of Daniel d'Auger de Subercase, at the Acadian capital, Port Royal...
, the Mí'kmaq engaged in warfare against the British throughout Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
, King George's War
King George's War
King George's War is the name given to the operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession . It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in the British provinces of New York, Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and Nova Scotia...
, Father Le Loutre's War
Father Le Loutre's War
Father Le Loutre’s War , also known as the Indian War, the Micmac War and the Anglo-Micmac War, took place between King George's War and the French and Indian War in Acadia and Nova Scotia. On one side of the conflict, the British and New England colonists were led by British Officer Charles...
and the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
(Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
). Along with Acadians, the Mi'kmaq used military force to resist the founding of British (Protestant) settlements in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Dartmouth
Raid on Dartmouth (1751)
The Raid on Dartmouth occurred during Father Le Loutre’s War on May 13, 1751 when an Acadian and Mi’kmaq militia from Chignecto, under the command of Acadian Joseph Broussard, raided Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, destroying the town and killing twenty British villagers...
, Lawrencetown
Lawrencetown, Halifax County, Nova Scotia
Lawrencetown is a Canadian rural community in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality on Route 207. The settlement was established during Father Le Loutre's War.- History :...
and Lunenburg. During the French and Indian War, the Mi'kmaq assisted the Acadians in resisting the British during the Expulsion of the Acadians. The military resistance ended with the French defeat at the Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
in Cape Breton. After the war, the Mi'kmaq soon found themselves overwhelmed by increasing numbers of British people
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
, who seized much of their land without payment.
Between 1725 and 1779, the Mí'kmaq signed a series of peace and friendship treaties with Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, but none of these was a land cession treaty. The nation historically consisted of seven districts, which was later expanded to eight with the ceremonial addition of Great Britain at the time of the 1749 treaty. Chief Jean-Baptiste Cope
Jean-Baptiste Cope
Jean Baptiste Cope was also known as Major Cope, a title he was likely given from the French military, the highest rank given to Mi’kmaq. Cope was the sakamaw of the Mi'kmaq people of Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia...
signed a Peace Treaty in 1752 on behalf of the Shubenacadie
Shubenacadie
Shubenacadie may refer to:* Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, an unincorporated community in Hants County, Nova Scotia* Shubenacadie River* Shubenacadie Valley* Shubenacadie Grand Lake...
Mi'kmaq.
Later the Mí'kmaq also settled Newfoundland, as the unrelated Beothuk
Beothuk
The Beothuk were one of the aboriginal peoples in Canada. They lived on the island of Newfoundland at the time of European contact in the 15th and 16th centuries...
tribe became extinct. Mí'kmaq delegates concluded the first international treaty, the Treaty of Watertown
Treaty of Watertown
The Treaty of Watertown, the first foreign treaty concluded by the United States of America after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, was signed on July 19, 1776, in the Edmund Fowle House in the town of Watertown, Massachusetts Bay. The treaty established a military alliance between...
, with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soon after it declared its independence in July 1776. These delegates did not officially represent the Mi'kmaq government, although many individual Mi'kmaq did privately join the Continental army as a result.
On August 31, 2010, the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia signed an historic agreement with the Mi'kmaq Nation, establishing a process whereby they must consult with the Mi'kmaq Grand Council before engaging in any activities or projects that affect the Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia — which covers most, if not all, actions these governments might take within that jurisdiction. This is the first such collaborative agreement in Canadian history including all the First Nations within an entire province.
Míkmaq First Nation subdivisions
Míkmaw names in the table are spelled according to several orthographies. The Míkmaw orthographies in use are Míkmaw pictographs, the orthography of Silas Tertius RandSilas Tertius Rand
Silas Tertius Rand was a Canadian Baptist clergyman, missionary, ethnologist, linguist and translator. His work centred on the Mi'kmaq people of Maritime Canada and he was the first to record the legend of Glooscap.-Life:...
, the Pacifique
Pacifique
Pacifique may refer to:*Pacific*Pacifique *Pacifique Plante*Pacifique , a French rock music group...
orthography, and the most recent Smith-Francis orthography, which has been adopted throughout Nova Scotia and in most Míkmaw communities.
| Community | Province/State | Town/Reserve | Est. Pop. | Míkmaq name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abegweit First Nation Abegweit First Nation Abegweit is a Mi'kmaq First Nation on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Its population numbers 183 people on reserve and 127 off-reserve. Under the band's election code, off-reserve members are not entitled to vote in band elections.... |
Scotchfort Scotchfort, Prince Edward Island Scotchfort is an unincorporated Canadian rural community in northeastern Queens County, Prince Edward Island, southwest of the village of Mount Stewart.... , Rocky Point Rocky Point, Prince Edward Island Rocky Point is a settlement in Prince Edward Island. It is part of Lot 65 in Hillsboro Parish.... , Morell Morell, Prince Edward Island Morell is a village located in Kings County in eastern Prince Edward Island just east of Bristol.Morell is located on St. Peter’s Bay, two kilometres inland from St. Peter's Bay, a sub-basin of the Gulf of St... |
396 | Epekwitk | |
| Acadia | Yarmouth Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may... |
996 | Malikiaq | |
| Annapolis Valley | Cambridge Station | 219 | Kampalijek | |
| Aroostook Band of Micmac |  Maine |
Presque Isle Presque Isle, Maine Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census... |
920 | Ulustuk |
| Bear River First Nation Bear River First Nation Bear River First Nation is a Míkmaq First Nation located in both Annapolis County and Digby County, Nova Scotia. It is also known as Muin Sipi... |
Bear River Bear River, Nova Scotia Bear River is a small village situated at the head of the tidewaters of the Bear River. The river itself is the border between the Annapolis and Digby counties of Nova Scotia and thus, splits the village so that half the village is in one county and the other half in the other.The village is... |
272 | Lsetkuk | |
| Buctouche First Nation | Buctouche | 80 | Puktusk | |
| Burnt Church First Nation Burnt Church First Nation Burnt Church Band or Burnt Church First Nation is a Mi'kmaq First Nation in New Brunswick, Canada, centred south of the community of Lagacéville and southwest of the village of Neguac on Miramichi Bay... |
Burnt Church 14 | 1,488 | Esk |
|
| Chapel Island First Nation | Chapel Island | 576 | Potlotek | |
| Eel Ground First Nation Eel Ground First Nation The Eel Ground Band or Eel Ground First Nation is a Mi'kmaq First Nations community of about 800 people located on the Miramichi River in northern New Brunswick, Canada... |
Eel Ground | 844 | Natuaqanek | |
| Eel River Bar First Nation | Eel River Bar | 589 | Ugpi'gangij | |
| Elsipogtog First Nation Elsipogtog First Nation The Elsipogtog First Nation , formerly called the Big Cove Band, is a Mi'kmaq First Nation in New Brunswick, Canada, with a population of about 3090. The First Nation's territory comprises Richibucto Reserve #15, lying 9 km west of Rexton, New Brunswick.Elsipogtog or L'sipuktuk means River of... |
Big Cove Elsipogtog First Nation The Elsipogtog First Nation , formerly called the Big Cove Band, is a Mi'kmaq First Nation in New Brunswick, Canada, with a population of about 3090. The First Nation's territory comprises Richibucto Reserve #15, lying 9 km west of Rexton, New Brunswick.Elsipogtog or L'sipuktuk means River of... |
3000+ | Lsipuktuk | |
| Eskasoni First Nation Eskasoni First Nation The Eskasoni First Nation is a First Nation located in Nova Scotia, Canada.ReservesIt administers two reserves that have a combined area of :* Eskasoni 3* Eskasoni 3A* Malagawatch 4... |
Eskasoni | 3,800+ | Wékistoqnik | |
| Fort Folly First Nation Fort Folly First Nation The Fort Folly First Nation is a Mi'kmaq First Nation located near the village of Dorchester, New Brunswick, Canada.-Population:The First Nation had a total of 111 people registered as of October 2008, of which 29 lived on their own reserve.-Governance:... |
Dorchester Dorchester, New Brunswick Dorchester is a Canadian village and shire town in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.It is located on the eastern side of the mouth of the lush Memramcook River valley near the river's discharge point into Shepody Bay... |
105 | Amlamkuk Kwesawék | |
| Micmacs of Gesgapegiag | Gesgapegiag | 1,174 | Keskapekiaq | |
| Nation Micmac de Gespeg | Fontenelle | 490 | Kespék | |
| Glooscap First Nation | Hantsport Hantsport, Nova Scotia Hantsport is a rural Canadian town and seaport located in the western part of Hants County, Nova Scotia. Hantsport is located just south of the county boundary with Kings County, and sits on the west bank of the Avon River in a tidal estuary.The town is most best known for its history of... |
360 | Pesikitk | |
| Indian Island First Nation | Indian Island | 145 | Lnui Menikuk | |
| Lennox Island First Nation Lennox Island First Nation Lennox Island is a Mi'kmaq First Nation on Prince Edward Island, Canada, with its headquarters in Lennox Island, northeast of Tyne Valley. The band consists of a single reserve occupying all of Lennox Island.... |
Lennox Island | 700 | Lnui Mnikuk | |
| Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation | Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation | 3,166 | Listikujk | |
| Membertou First Nation | Sydney Sydney, Nova Scotia Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.... |
1,051 | Maupeltuk | |
| Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation | Red Bank | 527 | Metepnákiaq | |
| Miawpukek First Nation | Conne River | 2,366 | Miawpukwek | |
| Qalipu First Nation | Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... |
21,429 | Qalipu | |
| Millbrook First Nation | Truro Truro, Nova Scotia -Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :... |
1400 | Wékopekwitk | |
| Pabineau First Nation | Bathurst Bathurst, New Brunswick Bathurst is a Canadian city in Gloucester County, New Brunswick.Bathurst is situated on Bathurst Harbour, an estuary at the mouth of the Nepisiguit River at the southernmost part of Chaleur Bay.... |
214 | Kékwapskuk | |
| Paq’tnkek First Nation | Afton | 500 | Paqtnkek | |
| Pictou Landing First Nation | Trenton Trenton, Nova Scotia Trenton is a town located in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.Trenton is situated on the east bank of the East River of Pictou, adjacent to and immediately north of the larger town of New Glasgow.- Economy :... |
547 | Puksaqtéknékatik | |
| Indian Brook First Nation | Indian Brook Indian Brook 14, Nova Scotia Indian Brook 14 is a Mi'kmaq reserve located in Hants County, Nova Scotia.It is administratively part of the Shubenacadie First Nation.... (Shubenacadie Shubenacadie Valley The Shubenacadie Valley is a Canadian rural region in central Nova Scotia.The picturesque Shubenacadie River flows through the valley, which is framed by low hills from its source at Shubenacadie Grand Lake in north-central Halifax County, then through a rolling landscape of rich soils left by... ) |
2,120 | Sipekníkatik | |
| Wagmatcook First Nation | Wagmatcook | 623 | Waqm |
|
| Waycobah First Nation | Whycocomagh Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia Whycocomagh is a small Canadian rural community in the province of Nova Scotia. The population in 2001 was 854 residents. It is located on the eastern edge of Inverness County in the central part of Cape Breton Island. The community sits on the northwestern shore of St. Patrick's Channel, an arm... |
900 | Wékoqmáq |
Demographics
| Year | Population | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| 1500 | 4,500 | Estimation |
| 1600 | 3,000 | Estimation |
| 1700 | 2,000 | Estimation |
| 1750 | 3,000 | Estimation |
| 1800 | 3,100 | Estimation |
| 1900 | 4,000 | Census |
| 1940 | 5,000 | Census |
| 1960 | 6,000 | Census |
| 1972 | 10,000 | Census |
| 1998 | 15,000 | SIL |
| 2006 | 20,000 | Census |
The pre-contact population is estimated at 3,000-30,000. In 1616, Father Biard believed the Míkmaq population to be in excess of 3,000, but he remarked that, because of European diseases, there had been large population losses during the 16th century. Smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, wars and alcoholism led to a further decline of the native population, which was probably at its lowest in the middle of the 17th century. Then the numbers grew slightly again, before becoming apparently stable during the 19th century. During the 20th century, the population was on the rise again. The average growth from 1965 to 1970 was about 2.5%.
Celebrations
In the Canadian provinces of Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, October is celebrated as Míkmaq History Month and the entire Nation celebrates Treaty Day annually on October 1. This was first signified in the year, 1752, with the Peace and Friendship Treaty (also called the Treaty of 1752) signed by Jean-Baptiste Cope
Jean-Baptiste Cope
Jean Baptiste Cope was also known as Major Cope, a title he was likely given from the French military, the highest rank given to Mi’kmaq. Cope was the sakamaw of the Mi'kmaq people of Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia...
of Shubenacadie and the king's representative. It was stated that the natives would be given gifts annually,"as long as they continued in Peace."
Folklore
In Mi'kmaq mythology, evil and wickedness among men causes them to kill each other. This causes great sorrow to the creator-sun-god, who weeps tears that become rains sufficient to trigger a deluge. The people attempt to survive by traveling in bark canoes, but only a single old man and woman survive to populate the earth.- See also: GlooscapGlooscapGlooscap is a mythical culture hero, and "transformer" of the Wabanaki peoples...
Notable Míkmaq
- Dr. Daniel N. PaulDaniel N. PaulDr. Daniel N. Paul, C.M., O.N.S., is a Mi'kmaq Elder, author, columnist, and human rights activist. Paul is perhaps best known as the author of the book We Were Not the Savages. Paul asserts that this book is the first such history ever written by a First Nation citizen. The book is seen as an...
, C.M., O.N.S., Mi'kmaq Elder, author (We Were Not the Savages), Mi'kmaq tribal historian, columnist, human rights activists (See www.danielnpaul.com) - Grand Chief Gabriel Sylliboy, Grand Chief of the Mi'kmaq Nation
- Étienne BâtardÉtienne BâtardÉtienne Bâtard was a Mi'kmaq warrior from Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada.Bâtard had a significant involvement in events surrounding the Anglo-Micmac war of 1749–53. Written reference first comes from the Abbé, Pierre Maillard who notes that Bâtard had taken part in an unpleasant debate between a...
(18th century), warrior - Noel JeddoreNoel JeddoreNoel Joseph Jeddore was Saqamaw at Miawpukek from July 26, 1919 until he was forced into exile to Eskasoni, Nova Scotia, in 1924. He was born at Indian Point, Baie d'Espoir and he died at Eskasoni....
, Saqmaw forced into exile (1865–1944) - Kevin CloudKevin CloudKevin Cloud is a computer games graphic designer from Shreveport, LA. He was hired in 1992 by id Software to work as an assistant artist to the then lead artist, Adrian Carmack. Prior to that, he was employed by Softdisk, where several other id founders worked. During part of his employment at...
- Thomas Clair, actor who appeared in The New World
- Anna Mae Pictou Aquash, activist (1946–1976)
- Henri MembertouHenri MembertouHenri Membertou was the sakmow of the Mi'kmaq First Nations tribe situated near Port Royal, site of the first French settlement in Acadia, present-day Nova Scotia, Canada. Originally sakmow of the Kespukwitk district, he was appointed as Grand Chief by the sakmowk of the other six districts.His...
, kji-saqmaw/puowin (c.1525-1611) - Rita JoeRita JoeRita Joe, was a Mi'kmaq-Canadian poet and song writer, called the Poet Laureate of the Mi'kmaq people....
, poet - Donald Marshall Jr.
- Chad DennyChad DennyChad Denny is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who plays for the UNB Varsity Reds of the Atlantic University Sports. Denny grew up in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia...
, ice hockey player for the Lewiston MAINEiacs and Atlanta ThrashersAtlanta ThrashersThe Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
draftee - Ashton Bernard, ice hockey player for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
draftee - Lionel Little Eagle Pinn, Kitpoviosee, Writer
- Sandy McCarthySandy McCarthySandy McCarthy is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:Sandy McCarthy was selected by...
, played for the Calgary FlamesCalgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team - Everett SanipassEverett SanipassEverett Sanipass is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.-Playing career:Sanipass started his National Hockey League career with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987 after being drafted 14th overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft...
, played for the Quebec NordiquesQuebec NordiquesThe Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team - Ciara Loyer, played for the kickboxing team in British Columbia
- Lee (Harvey) Cremo, musician (1938–1999)
- Chief Noel Doucette (1938–1996)
- Noel KnockwoodNoel KnockwoodNoel Knockwood, Mi'kmaq Grand Council member since 1975 and a spiritual leader of the Mi'kmaq People, was born in 1932. He served as Sergeant-at-Arms for the Nova Scotia Legislature from 2000-2005 and was recognised at the 2002 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards for his stewardship of history,...
, Mi'kmaq Grand Council member and spiritual leader of the Mi'kmaq People - L'kimu, legendary Mi'kmaq Chief
- Randi O'Brien, 2009 Aboriginal Achievement Award Winner
- Desiree Poirier Lessard, founder of the community Good News, Good Deeds
Housing
Mi'kmaq people lived in structures called wigwamWigwam
A wigwam or wickiup is a domed room dwelling used by certain Native American tribes. The term wickiup is generally used to label these kinds of dwellings in American Southwest and West. Wigwam is usually applied to these structures in the American Northeast...
s. Saplings, which were usually spruce, were cut down and bent over a circle drawn on the ground. These saplings were lashed together at the top, and then covered with birch bark. The Mi'kmaq had two different sizes of wigwams. The smaller size could hold 10-15 people and the larger size 15-20 people. Wigwams could be either conical or domed in shape.
Food and hunting
The Mi'kmaq were semi-nomadic. During the summer they spent most of their time on the shores harvesting seafood; during the winter they would move inland to the woods to hunt. The most important animal hunted by the Mi'kmaq was the moose which provided food, clothing, cordage, and other things. Other animals hunted/trapped included deer, caribou, bear, rabbit, beaver, and others. The weapon used most for hunting was the bow and arrow. The Mi'kmaq made their bows from maple. The mik'maq people would store lobsters in the ground for later consumption.Hunting a moose
The moose was the most important animal to the Mi'kmaq. It was their second main source of meat, clothing and cordage, which were all crucial commodities. The Mi'kmaq usually hunted moose in groups of 3 to 5 men. Before the moose hunt, the Mi'kmaq would starve their dogs for 2 days to make them fierce in helping to finish off the moose. To kill the moose, they would injure it first, by using a bow and arrow or other weapons, and after it was down, they would move in on it and finish it off with spears and their dogs. The guts would then be fed to the dogs. During this whole process, the men would try to direct the moose in the direction of the camp, so that the women would not have to go as far to drag the moose back. A boy became a man in the eyes of the community after he had killed his first moose. It was only then that he had earned the right to marry.Other
One spiritual capital of the Míkmaq nation is Mniku, the gathering place of the Míkmaq Grand Council or Santé Mawiómi, Chapel Island in the Bras d'Or Lakes of Cape Breton IslandCape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
. The island is also the site of the St. Anne Mission, an important pilgrimage site for the Míkmaq. The island has been declared a historic site.
Documentary film
- Our Lives in Our Hands (Míkmaq basketmakers and potato diggers in northern Maine, 1986) http://www.folkstreams.net/film,94
Maps
Maps showing the approximate locations of areas occupied by members of the Wabanaki ConfederacyWabanaki Confederacy
The Wabanaki Confederacy, as it is known in English, is a historical confederation of five North American Algonquian language speaking Indian tribes....
(from north to south):