Who are the Indigenous peoples of this region?

Who are the Indigenous peoples of this region?

The Mi’kmaq are the first people of Nova Scotia and have been living in their homeland of Mi’kma’ki for more than 11,000 years. Prior to contact, Mi’kma’ki included the land now known as Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and parts of Quebec (Gaspé Peninsula); after (British) contact, Mi’kmaq territory extended into Newfoundland and the northeastern part of Maine (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Mi’kma’ki, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq.

Traditionally, Mi’kma’ki, was divided into seven districts, each of which was led by a District Chief. The seven District Chiefs collectively formed the Mi’kmaw Grand Council (Sante' Mawio'mi) which governed all Mi’kmaw people. Decisions made by the Grand Council were based on consensus and included mutual respect and trust as a code of governance. All seven Mi’kmaq districts also belonged to a larger political body governed by Grand Chiefs which consisted of many different tribes living in Eastern North America. This