This is an ethnological-style course examining traditional Mi'Kmaq culture and how it has evolved historically. It introduces students to L'nu cultural practices about the body, food, traditional medicines, religion, politics, and the natural world.
Mon. September 14: Mi’kmaw geography – seven districts – names and meanings.
Trudy Sable and Bernie Francis. 2012. Introduction: "Weji-sqalia'tiek- We Arose From Here." In The Language of this Land, Mi'kma'ki.Halifax: Cape Breton Press. (book on reserve at Robertson Library)
Wed. September 16: Mi’kmaw geography – relationships in the land along the seaboard
Trudy Sable and Bernie Francis. 2012. Chapter 2 "The Sentient Landscape and the Language of the Land." In The Language of this Land, Mi'kma'ki. (book on reserve at Robertson Library)
Mon. September 21: Mi’kmaw geography – pre-contact economies and trade
Daniel Paul. 2000. Chapter 2 "Mi'kmaw Social Values and Economy." In We Were Not the Savages. Halifax: Fernwood Publishing. p. 23-43. (book on reserve at Robertson Library or on Moodle in PDF)
Mon. October 5: Mi’kmaw oral traditions and sacred sites: the petroglyphs of Bedford Barrens, Kejimkujik Park
Trudy Sable and Bernie Francis. 2012. Chapter 3 “Legends as Mirrors, Maps and Metaphors.” In The Language of this Land: Mi’kma’ki. (book on reserve at Robertson Library)
Roger Lewis “Mi’kmaw place names and legends” (Nova Scotia Museum)
Wed. October 7: Mi’kmaw Language and Ways of Knowing and Being
Bernie Francis “Epekwitnewaq Mi’kmaq: A linguistic explanation by Dr. Bernie Francis” Mi’kmaw linguist. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=487727083420292
Tuma Young “L’nui-npisun” (Traditional Medicines) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoZMJz-Z6sU
Mon. October 19: Mi’kmaw Traditional Lifeways
Mi’kmaw Sound Recordings (Nova Scotia Museum) https://archives.novascotia.ca/teaching-learning/mikmaq/creighton/audio/
Gwitna’q (Go By Canoe) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a35PgkkVNS8
Wed. October 21: Mi’kmaw Family , Community and Visual Sovereignty
Images of Mi’kmaq people in “Mikwite’lmanej Mikmaqi’k: Let us Remember the Old Mi’kmaq.” https://research-ebsco-com.proxy.library.upei.ca/plink/0e07425f-d43c-308e-8542-e5b4700491ac
Wed. October 28: The impacts of early colonization on Mi’kma’ki and L’nu People
Daniel Paul. 2000. Chapter 3 “European Greed and the Mi’kmaq Resolve to Fight,” Chapter 4 “Persecution, War, Alliance and Terrorism.” In We Were Not the Savages.
Mon. November 2: The Indian Act and L’nu Peoples
Facing History & Ourselves, “The Indian Act”, video, last updated December 14, 2020. https://www.facinghistory.org/en-ca/resource-library/indian-act
Daniel Paul. 2000. Chapter 12 “Confederation and the Indian Act.” In We Were Not The Savages. 202-256.
Mon. November 9: Mi’kmaw governance – pre-contact
Daniel Paul. 2000. Chapter 1 “Civilization, Democracy, and Government.” In We Were Not the Savages.
E-book editions:
Paul, Daniel. We Were Not the Savages : A Mi'kmaq Perspective on the Collision between European and Native American Civilizations, Fernwood Publishing, 2000. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/upei/detail.action?docID=3249781
Paul, Daniel. We Were Not the Savages : A Mi'kmaq Perspective on the Collision between European and Native American Civilizations, Fernwood Publishing. Canada. Retrieved from https://coilink.org/20.500.12592/pgs92m on 15 Sep 2026. COI: 20.500.12592/pgs92m.