Nova Scotia's First Nation

Mi'kmaq Heritage

The Population

Nova Scotia's Aboriginal population is primarily made of Mi'kmaq people. The Mi'kmaw nation has existed in what is now Nova Scotia for thousands of years.

The Population

There are 24,175 people of Aboriginal identity in Nova Scotia - an increase of 42% since 2001. This population makes up 2.7% of the total population of Nova Scotia.

There are 14,958 Status Indians registered to Nova Scotia bands - The majority of the First Nation people in Nova Scotia are from the Mi'kmaw nation.

Communities

There are 13 First Nation communities in Nova Scotia - the largest being Eskasoni and Indian Brook; there are 34 reserve locations across Nova Scotia;

A growing portion of the Aboriginal population resides in Halifax (5,320);

There are 14,958 Status Indians registered to Nova Scotia bands - The majority of the First Nation people in Nova Scotia are from the Mi'kmaw nation.

The Mi'kmaq Story

Samuel de Champlain arrived in Nova Scotia on May 12, 1604. The establishment of French outposts in Atlantic Canada led to the founding of Acadia.

HistoryMi'kmaq legend had long foretold the arrival of white men from across the ocean, and the appearance of Europeans in tall ships seemed to fulfil this prophecy:

"Micmacs' first contact with Europeans did not surprise them or alter their world view. A legend in which one of their spiritual beings travelled across the Atlantic to 'discover' Europe taught that blue-eyed people would arrive from the east to disrupt their lives.

History

Micmac people also knew the story of a woman who had a vision of an island floating toward their lands; the island was decked out with tall trees on which were living beings. Thus the Micmacs were not startled by the appearance of early explorers in sailing ships. Instead, they greeted the newcomers, set up a brisk trade with them, and looked forward to incorporating the strangers' new technologies into their own culture.

History

The arrival of the French, and later the British, significantly changed the Mi'kmaq way of life. When I look at my family tree I see the French influence on my own family. When I listen to the Mi'kmaq language I hear Mi'kmaq words borrowed from the French. The fact that I am Catholic stems from the time of the first contact when Chief Membertou converted to Catholicism.

HistoryI am Mi'kmaq. I feel a strong connection to my ancestors and their struggles for survival. Mi'kmaq people did not passively accept the newcomers, nor did they give up their power. Instead, we survived by adapting and evolving.

According to stories passed down through Mi'kmaq oral tradition, one of our ancestors had a vision about the arrival of the white man. Perhaps this vision arose from our contact with early Viking settlers. Regardless, Mi'kmaq people have always known that more white people would arrive on their shores.

HistoryBut all was not sweetness and light. With the goods and the newcomers, came sickness. Our people began to die from illnesses our medicine people could not cure. Our population decreased significantly during the early period of contact with first the French, and then the British.

If disease had not decimated the Mi'kmaq people, the history of Nova Scotia might have been very different. The friendship between the French and the Mi'kmaq could have changed the military outcome in Nova Scotia if we had not suffered such a population loss.s.

History

In commemorating the arrival of the French in Acadia, we cannot forget the impact of their arrival on the Mi'kmaq people and our territory, Mikamaki. Without the Mi'kmaq, the French would have not survived. At the same time, the arrival of the French wrought great change in the Mi'kmaq in terms of our religious beliefs, our trade and our health.