Mi’kmaq

Mi’kmaq (or Micmac), indigenous tribe or First Nation of Algonquian linguistic stock, concentrated in eastern Canada. At the time of early European settlement of that region, the Mi’kmaq became staunch allies of the French, fighting against the British in numerous skirmishes and in the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Occasionally they carried their warfare into New England. In 1752 Britain and the Mi’kmaq nation ended major hostilities with the Treaty of Halifax.

The Mi’kmaq confederacy consists of several bands, each with its own leader. Until pressured by European settlement, the Mi’kmaq were nomadic, fishing in summer and hunting in winter. Their dwellings also varied with the season: Open-air wigwams were used in summer, while birch-bark-covered wigwams provided shelter in winter. The Mi’kmaq are believed to have practiced elaborate ceremonies, but little is known of these rituals. Today more than 18,000 Mi’kmaq people live in Québec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. In the 2000 U.S. census about 2,900 people identified themselves as Mi´kmaq only; an additional 3,800 people reported being part Mi´kmaq.