MI'KMAQ INDIANS OF PRINCE EDWARD

MI'KMAQ INDIANS SPOKE ALGONQUIAN LANGUAGE AND ABOUT 8000 INDIANS SPOKE IT IN THE CANADIAN MARITIMES AND SOME IN THE U.S. TOWNS. THEIR LANGUAGE USED TO BE WRITTEN IN PICTOGRAPHS. THE PICTOGRAPHS WERE MODIFIED BY MISSION FOLKS WHO USED THEM TO TEACH CHRIST PRAYERS TO MICMAQ PEOPLE. THEY DON'T RESEMBLE EGYPT OR MAYAN HIEROGLYPHS. THE MI'KMAQ ARE NATIVE TO THE NEW WORLD AND ARE RELATED TO OTHER NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN LANGUAGES LIKE LENAPE. THE MI'MAQ IS A LANGUAGE A NUMBER OF CHILDREN LEARN . HOWEVER, IT IS DECLINING SINCE THE 1970'S.

THESE INDIANS ARE INDIGENOUS TO EASTERN CANADA. THEIR ORIGINAL WAS NAME WAS LUN'K OR THE PEOPLE. THEY LIKED TO DO PORCUPINE ART. THEY HAD A NUMBER OF ALLIES WHO FRAMED HISTORIC 25,000 MI'KMAQ. THEY STILL LIVE ON TRADITIONAL LAND. THEY ALLIED WITH THE FRENCH, BUT DID NOT KICK THE WINNING SIDE ON THE FIGHT FOR NOVA SCOTIA.

THE FRENCH DID NOT MASSACRE THE MI'KMAQS, NOR INFRINGE ON THEIR TERRITORY. BEFORE THE EARTH WAS NEW THE SUN WAS ALL THAT IS EXISTED IN THE UNIVERSE. THE SUN DIVIDED THE EARTH INTO SEVERAL PARTS. IN EACH PART THE SUN CAUSED A MAN AND A WOMAN TO TO BE BORN THEY BORE CHILDREN AND LIVED FOR MANY YEARS. WICKEDNESS PERVADED THIS FAMILY , AND AND SLOWLY THEY KILLED ONE ANOTHER . THE SUN WEPT IN GRIEF. THE TEARS BECAME RAIN. THEY FILLED AND COVERED THE EARTH WITH THE EARTH WITH WATER. THEY GOT IN THEIR BARK CANOES TO SAVE THEMSELVES FROM THE FLOOD. A VIOLENT WIND OVERTURNED THEIR BOATS. ALL PERISHED FROM THE SEA. HOWEVER AN OLD MAN AND WOMAN SURVIVED AND POPULATED THE EARTH. STORYTELLING IS A MEANS OF ENTERTAINMENT AND SHARING IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

THIS TRIBE LIVES ON A RESERVATION WHICH IS UNDER THEIR CONTROL. THE LEADER OF THE TRIBE IS CALLED THE CHIEF OR "OSAKMAW" IN THEIR LANGUAGE. IN THE PAST THE MI'KMAQ LANGUAGE WAS CHOSEN BY TRIBAL COUNCIL MEMBERS. OFTEN THEY PICKED THE LAST CHIEF'S SONS OR NEPHEWS. TODAY CHIEFS ARE ELECTED IN MOST MI'KMAQ NATIONS , LIKE MAYORS.

TODAY THEY SPEAK ENGLISH. THE KIDS PLAY AND GO TO SCHOOL. THEY LEARN AND PLAY WITH OTHER KIDS AND LEARN MORALS FROM THEIR PARENTS. IN THE PAST THEY HAD MORE CHORES. THEY HAD GAMES. THE TEAMS LIKED HOCKEY GAMES. THE TEENS LIKED HOCKEY GAMES. THE MOMS MADE CRADLEBOARDS. THEY ORIGINALLY LIVED IN WIGWAMS OF WOOD AND BIRCHBARK. TODAY THEY LIVE IN MODERN HOUSES OR APARTMENTS.

THEY DID NOT HAVE LONG FEATHER HEADDRESSES. INSTEAD THEY WORE THEIR BEADED HEADBANDS WITH FEATHERS. SOME MEN PAINTED FACES RED AS THEY WENT INTO BATTLE. THEY WORE THEIR HAIR LONG AND LOOSE. FRENCH MISSIONARIES COULD NOT TELL MEN AND WOMEN APART BECAUSE THEIR HAIR WAS SO LONG!

IN 1800'S SOME CHIEF'S BEGAN WEARING AN IMPRESSIVE FEATHER HEADDRESS. TODAY SOME PEOPLE STILL WEAR TRADITIONAL MI'KMAQ CLOTHING AND THEY WEAR FEATHERS IN THEIR HAIR TO DANCE.

THEY WERE KNOWN FOR THEIR BIRCHBARK CANOES WITH AN UPWARD CURVE. IT IS STILL POPULAR TODAY. THEY USE DOGS AS PACK ANIMALS. THEY WERE SEMI NOMADIC. THEY DIDN'T FARM AND MOVED TO COLLECT FOOD FOR FOR THEIR FAMILIES. THEY WERE GOOD AT FISHING. AND HUNTING CARIBOU AND MOOSE. THEIR MEN ALSO WERE GOOD AT FISHING AND HUNTING. THEY HARPOONED SEALS, WALRUS, AND EVEN WHALES. OTHER FOODS IN THE MI'KMAQ DIET WERE BERRIES, SQUASH, AND MAPLE SYRUP. THEY USED FISHING SPEARS. THEY WERE SKILLED AT BEADWORK AND BASKETWEAVING. THEY CARVED BEADS CALLED WAMPUM OF PURPLE AND WHITE SHELLS BEADS. THEY MADE WAMPUM BELTS. THEY WERE GREAT TRADERS, CARRYING GOODS BETWEEN NORTHERN TRIBES, LIKE THE INNU AND CREE AND NEW ENGLAND. THEY WERE FIERCE WARRIORS. WHO BOUGHTY THE IROQUOIS AND BEOTHUNT. THEY HAVE QUITE A BIT OF MI'KMAQ LEGENDS AND FAIRYTALES. STORYTELLING IS VERY IMPORTANT. SOME OF THEIR PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN MANY CONFLICTS OF LAND RIGHTS. THE MI'KMAQ AND OTHER TRIBES SIGNED TREATIES GIVING UP OWNERSHIP. HOWEVER THE GOVERNMENT AGREED THE MI'KMAQ WOULD HAVE FISHING ANF HUNTING, AND LOGGING RIGHTS.THESE RIGHTS MADE THE ANGLOS ANGRY. THE MI'KMAQS HAD TO PAY FOR THOSE RIGHTS. SOME ANGLOS WERE SO ANGRY ABOUT THE NATIVES RIGHTS. THE MI'KMAQ HAD TO PAY FOR THEIR RIGHTS TO FISH, ETC. THE ANGLOS DESTROYED THEIR FISHING EQUIPMENT AND BURNED A SACRED SITE. THERE IS STILL TENSION THERE.

THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN HERE FOR AT LEAST 10,000 YEARS ACCORDING TO ARCHAEOLOGISTS BUT THEY HAVE NOT FOUND PHYSICAL TRACES. BEFORE 13,000 AGO NO ONE KNEW YEARS AGO WAS LIVING HERE BECAUSE THE ENTIRE AREA WAS COVERED WITH ICE. THE EARLIEST KNOWN INHABITANT WERE MAKING WEAPONS, KILLED GAME AND CLEANED HIDES BY AT LEAST 10,000 YEAR AGO AT A CAMP DISCOVERED IN DELBERT, NOVA SCOTIA. EVEN THEN SMALL ICE CAPS COVERED THE MOUNTAINS. LATER THE CLIMATE BECAME WARMER AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF FORESTS AND ANIMALS APPEARED. THE EUROPEANS HAVE BEEN HERE FOR LESS THAN 500 YEARS. DURING THOSE 1000'S OF YEARS LOCAL INITIATIVES AND COMMUNICATION AND TRADE RESULTED IN CHANGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT IN THE MARITIME OF LIFE. THEIR TEHNOLOGY DESIGNS RELIGIOUS RELIGIOUS PRACTICES.\

DESPITE THE CHANGES THEY HAVE PLACE NAMES THAT ARE FAMILIAR TO THEM AND THEY STILL SPEAK THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGES. THEY STIL USE SKILLS IN THE USE OF HERBAL MEDICINES WHICH ARE RETAINED BY THE NATIVES.

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