Mi'kmaq

The Mi'kmaq ([miːgmaɣ]; (also spelled Míkmaq, Mi'gmaq, Mi'qmac, or formerly Micmac) are a First Nations or Native American in the United States people, indigenous to northeastern New England, Canada's Atlantic Provinces, and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. They are part of the Northeastern Woodlands. The word Míkmaw is an adjectival form of the plural noun for the people, Míkmaq.

Mi'kmaq

(one of the) Míkmaq State flags
Total population
40,000
Regions with significant populations
Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec), United States (Maine)
Languages
English, Míkmaq, French
Religion
Christianity, other
Related ethnic groups
other Algonquian peoples

The Mi'kmaq

The nation has a population of about 40,000 of whom approximately one-third still speak the Algonquian language L'nuí'simk which was once written in Míkmaq hieroglyphic writing and is now written using most letters of the standard Latin alphabet.

In the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, October is celebrated as Mi'kmaq History Month and the entire Nation celebrates Treaty Day annually on October 1.

Mi'kmaq First Nation subdivisions

Mi'kmaq names in the table have all been spelled according to a several orthographies. The Mi'kmaq orthographies in use are Mí'kmaq hieroglyphs, the orthography of Silas Tertius Rand, the Pacifique orthography, and the most recent Smith-Francis orthography, which has been adopted by most of the Mi'kmaq First Nation.

Community	Province/State	Town/Reserve	Est. Pop.	Míkmaq name
Abegweit First Nation	PE	Scotchfort, Rocky Point, Morell	396	Epekwitk
Acadia	NS	Yarmouth	996	Malikiaq
Annapolis Valley	NS	Cambridge Station	219	Kampalijek
Aroostook Band of Micmac	ME	Presque Isle	920	Ulustuk
Bear River First Nation	NS	Bear River	272	L’setkuk
Buctouche First Nation	NB	Buctouche	80	Puktusk
Burnt Church First Nation	NB	Burnt Church 14	1,488	Eskinuopitijk
Chapel Island First Nation	NS	Chapel Island	576	Potlotek
Eel Ground First Nation	NB	Eel Ground	844	Natuaqanek
Eel River Bar First Nation	NB	Eel River Bar	589	Oqpíkanjik
Elsipogtog First Nation	NB	Big Cove	3000+	Lsipuktuk
Eskasoni First Nation	NS	Eskasoni	3,800+	We'kistoqnik
Fort Folly First Nation	NB	Dorchester	105	Amlamkuk Kwesawék
Micmacs of Gesgapegiag	QC	Maria	1,174	Keskapekiaq
Nation Micmac de Gespeg	QC	Fontenelle	490	Kespék
Glooscap First Nation	NS	Hantsport	?	Pesikitk
Indian Island First Nation	NB	Indian Island	145	L’nui Menikuk
Lennox Island First Nation	PE	Lennox Island	700	L’nui Mnikuk
Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation	QC	Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation	3,166	Listikujk
Membertou First Nation	NS	Sydney	1,051	Maupeltuk
Metepenagiag Míkmaq Nation	NB	Red Bank	527	Metepnákiaq
Miawpukek First Nation	NL	Conne River	2,366	Miawpukwek
Millbrook First Nation	NS	Truro	1400	Wékopekwitk
Pabineau First Nation	NB	Pabineau	214	Kékwapskuk
Paq’tnkek First Nation	NS	Afton	1	Paqtnkek
Pictou Landing First Nation	NS	Trenton	547	Puksaqtéknékatik
Indian Brook First Nation	NS	Indian Brook (Shubenacadie)	2,120	Sipekníkatik
Wagmatcook First Nation	NS	Wagmatcook	623	Waqmitkuk
Waycobah First Nation	NS	Whycocomagh	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	9,800	Census
2000	20,000	Estimation

References

• Rita Joe, Lesley Choyce. 2005. The Mi'kmaq Anthology, Nimbus Publishing (CN), 2005, ISBN

Documentary film

• Our Lives in Our Hands (Mi'kmaq basketmakers and potato diggers in northern Maine, 1986) Archived 2008-05-11 at the Wayback Machine

Other websites

• First Nations Profiles Archived 2007-10-16 at the Wayback Machine
• Micmac History
• Mi'kmaq Portraits Collection Archived 2004-11-24 at the Wayback Machine
• Mi'kmaq Dictionary Online
• The Micmac of Megumaagee
• Mi'kmaq Learning ResourceArchived 2001-04-15 at the Wayback Machine