- Mi’kmaq people inhabit and care for the land

For countless years, the Mi’kmaq people have inhabited and cared for the land in Mi’kma’ki, their traditional, ancestral and unceded territory spanning Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and the Gaspé peninsula of Quebec, as well as parts of the northeastern United States. They understood the land to be a gift from Creator and a responsibility to be cared for, rather than a commodity to be used or owned. Traditionally, the Mi’kmaq lived together in small, semi-nomadic communities, with deep connections to the rhythms and resources of the land, moving inland during the harsh winter season and back toward the coasts in the warmer months. Mi’kma’ki was divided into seven political districts, each guided by a district chief, who in turn came together to form the Mi’kmaq Grand Council.

“Traditional Mi’kmaq Societal Structure.” Accessed September 24, 2025. https://www.unsm.org/grand-council/pre-contact