MI'KMAQ INDIANS OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

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

THESE INDIANS ARE INDIGENOUS TO EASTERN CANADA. THEIR ORIGINAL NAME LUN'K OR THE PEOPLE. THEY LIKE TO DO PORCUPINE ART. THEY HAD A NUMBER OF ALLIES WHO FORMED WHO FORMED HISTORIC WABANAKI CONFEDERACY. TODAY THERE ARE ABOUT 25,000 MI'KMAQ TODAY. THEY STILL IVE ON TRADITIONAL LAND. THEY ALLIED WITH THE FRENCH, BUT DID NOT PICK THE WINNING SIDE ON THE FIGHT FOR NOVA SCOTIA. THE FRENCH DID NOT MASSACRE ON THE MI'KMAQ NOR INFRINGE ON THEIR TERRITORY.

THE ENGLISH WERE ASSISTED TO DEPORT THE FRENCH. BUT THE MI'KMAQ REMAIN HERE TODAY.

A MI'KMAQ CREATION MYTH - BEFORE THE EARTH WAS NEW THE SUN WAS ALL THAT EXISTED IN THE UNIVERSE. THE SUN DIVIDED THE EARTH INTO SEVERAL PARTS. IN EACH PART THE SUN CAUSED A MAN AND A WOMAN TO BE BORN. THEY BORE CHILDREN AND LIVED FOR MANY YEARS . WICKEDNESS PERVADED THIS FAMILY, AND SLOWLY THEY KILLED ONE ANOTHER. THE SUN WEPT IN GRIEF. THE TEARS BECAME RAIN THAT FILLED AND COVERED THE EARTH WITH WATER. THEY BUILT BARK CANOES TO SAVE THEMSELVES FROM THE FLOOD. A VIOLENT WIND OVERTURNED THEIR BOATS. ALL PERISHED IN THE SEA. HOWEVER AN OLD MAN AND WOMAN SURVIVED AND POPULATED THE EARTH. STORYTELLING IS A MEANS OF ENTERTAINING AND SHARING INFORMATION.

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

TODAY THEY SPEAK ENGLISH. THE KIDS GO AND PLAY AND GO TO SCHOOL. THEY LEARN FROM THEIR PARENTS. THEY HAD MORE CHORES IN THE PAST. THEY PLAYED GAMES THEY LIKED A HOCKEY GAME. THE MOM'S MADE CRADLE BOARDS. THEY ORIGINALLY LIVED IN WIGWAMS OF WOOD AND BIRCH BARK. 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 THEIR FACE THEIR FACES RED AS THEY WENT TO BATTLE. THEY WORE THEIR HAIR LONG AND LOOSE. FRENCH MISSIONARIES COULD NOT TELL MEN AND WOMEN APART BECAUSE THEIR HAIR WAS LONG AND LOOSE. FRENCH MISSIONARIES COULD NOT TELL NOT TELL MEN AND WOMEN APART BECAUSE THEIR HAIR WAS SO LONG! IN THE 1800'S SOME CHIEFS BEGAN WEARING AN IMPRESSIVE FEATHER HEADDRESSES. TODAY SOME PEOPLE STILL WEAR TRADITIONAL MIKMAQ CLOTHING AND THEY WEAR FEATHERS IN THEIR HAIR FOR A DANCE.

THEY WERE KNOWN FOR THEIR BIRCH BARK CANOES WITH AN UPWARD CURVE. IT IS STILL POPULAR TODAY. THEY USE DOGS AS PACK ANIMALS. THEY WERE SEMI-NOMADIC AND DID NOT FORM AND MOVED TO COLLECT FOOD FOR THEIR FAMILIES. THEY WERE GOOD AT FISHING AND HUNTING LARGE GAME LIKE CARIBOU AND MOOSE. MICMAQ MEN ALSO ALSO WERE ALSO WERE GOOD AT FISHING AND HUNTING CARIBOU AND MOOSE. MICMAQ MEN ALSO WERE GOOD AT FISHING AND HUNTING. THE MEN HARPOONED SEALS AND WALRUS, AND SOME WHALES. THEY ATE OTHER FOODS SUCH AS BERRIES, SQUASH, AND MAPLE SYRUP. THEY WERE SKILLED AT BEADWORK AND BASKET WEAVING. THEY CARVED BEADS CALLED WAMPUM OF PURPLE AND WHITE SHELL BEADS.

THEY MADE WAMPUM BELTS. THEY WERE GREAT TRADERS, CARRYING GOODS BETWEEN NORTHERN TRIBES LIKE THE INNU, CREE, AND NEW ENGLAND. THEY WERE FIERCE WARRIORS WHO FOUGHT THE IROQUOIS. THEY HAVE MANY LEGENDS AND FAIRY TALES. STORY TELLING IS VERY IMPORTANT. SOME OF THEIR PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN MANY CONFLICTS OF LAND RIGHTS. THE MI'KMAQ AND OTHER TRIBES TODAY SIGNED TREATIES GIVING UP OWNERSHIP OF THEIR LANDS. HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT AGREED THE MI'KMACS WOULD HAVE FISHING AND HUNTING AND LOGGING RIGHTS. THESE RIGHTS MADE THE ANGLOS ANGRY. THE MI'KMAQS HAD TO PAY FOR THOSE RIGHTS. SOME ANGLOS DESTROYED A NATIVE FISHING AREA AND BURNED A SACRED SITE. THERE IS STILL TENSION THERE.

THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN HERE FOR AT LEAST 10,600 YEARS ACCORDING TO ARCHAEOLOGISTS, BUT THEY HAVE NOT FOUND PHYSICAL TRACES. BEFORE 13,000 YEARS AGO NO ONE WAS LIVING HERE AS THE ENTIRE AREA WAS COVERED WITH ICE. THE EARLIEST KNOWN INHABITANTS WERE MAKING WEAPONS, KILLED GAME AND CLEANED HIDES BY AT LEAST 10,000 YEARS 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.

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