MI'KMAW CULTURE
- DAILY LIFE

Mi'kma'ki ('meeg mah gee', the traditional territory of the Mi'kmaq) included all of what is now Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, the north shore of New Brunswick and inland to the Saint John River watershed, eastern Maine, and part of Newfoundland, including the islands in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence as well as St. Pierre and Miquelon. Within this area, the Mi'kmaq lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle, hunting, fishing, and enjoying being together. 

This section of Mi'kmaq Spirit deals with the daily lives of the Mi'kmaq. Available topics include:

• The Semi-Nomadic Lifestyle

• Organization

• Hunting and Fishing Methods

• Shelter and Implements

• Dress and Ornamentation

• The Game of Waltes

REFERENCES

There are a number of online resources from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries dealing with the customs and habits of the Mi'kmaq. While Europeans frequently misunderstood what the Mi'kmaq were doing, these are still probably our best source of information about how Mi'kmaw society worked in the period of time close to contact, when they still retained many of their traditions. For whatever they may be worth, here are some links:

Nouvelle relation de la Gaspésie, qui contient Les Mœurs & la Religion des Sauvages Gaspesiens (Chrestien LeClercq, 1691)

An account of the customs and manners of the Micmakis and Maricheets (Abbé Antoine Maillard, 1758)

An Account Of The Aborigines Of Nova Scotia Called The Micmac Indians (Walter Bromley, 1822)

A Short Statement Of Facts Relating To The ... Micmac Tribe of Indians (Rev. Silas Rand, 1850)

The Indian of New-England, and the north-eastern provinces (Joseph Barratt and Nicola Tenesles, 1851)

Micmac Customs And Traditions (Stansbury Hager, "The American Anthropologist", 1895)

Relics Of The Stone Age In Nova Scotia (Harry Piers, 1896)

Report By The Governor On A Visit To The Micmac Indians At Bay D'Espoir (William MacGregor, 1908)

New relation of Gaspesia : with the customs and religion of the Gaspesian Indians (1910 English translation of LeClercq's work)

Medicines Used By The Micmac Indians (Wilson D. Wallis, "American Anthropologist", 1922)

Beothuk And Micmac (Frank G. Speck, 1922)