Basic Facts for Kids (and others)

"Native American Facts For Kids" was written for young people learning about the Mi'kmaq for school or home-schooling reports. The site also has Mi'kmaq language and culture pages for in-depth information about the L'nu. The creators of the site have assembled answers to the questions they are most often asked by children.  


(The director and cofounder of Native Languages of the Americas is Laura Redish. The original owner of this site is Orrin Lewis. He is a Cherokee man who has done work in linguistic preservation with many Indian languages of Oklahoma. This site has an American perspective. There are a a number of ads.)

Mi'kmaq Portraits Collection

I've been looking through a set of very interesting images in the Nova Scotia Museum's Mi'kmaq Portraits Collection. This is a database of more than 700 portraits and illustrations that provides a some insight into the history of the Mi'kmaq of Atlantic Canada. You can browse the images here. I think there are some great images for anyone looking to incorporate Mi'kmaq traditional designs into their artwork.

NFB - Mi'kmaq Family (Migmaoei Otjiosog)

Watch this on the NFB site - very well done.


"This documentary takes you on a reflective journey into the extended family of Nova Scotia’s Mi'kmaq community. Revisiting her own roots, Mi'kmaq filmmaker and mother Catherine Anne Martin explores how the community is recovering its First Nations values, particularly through the teachings of elders and a collective approach to children-rearing. Mi'kmaq Family is an inspiring resource for both First Nations and non-Native audiences looking for ways to strengthen their own families and traditions."

What's in a name?

One of the important things we can do as a people is to honor those place names that Mi'kmaq have used for generations.

It may not be practical to rename every town, lake and mountain, but I think every Mi'kmaw should know at least some important place names in the original tongue.



Here's a document I found that lists many places alongside the Native equivalent: (some examples follow)

NUJIO'QON   - ST. GEORGE'S 
SIINALK  - PORT-AUX-BASQUES
QALIPUE'KATIK  - DEER LAKE
MIAWPUKWEK  - CONNE RIVER
ELMASTUKWEK  - - BAY OF ISLANDS

Baskets as Culture

I heard a segment on a local CBC show recently that talked about basket weaving as a mainstay of Haida culture. One of the weavers said that it was learning how to weave hats in the style of his ancestors that reconnected him to his people and made him feel even more "Haida". It made me think about  Mi'kmaq art, and how I might rediscover it. I was browsing and found this site presenting Della Maguire, an artist who feels it's her responsibility to keep this art form alive. I guess it is true that these handicrafts are a way to reconnect us to our past and take traditional practices out of the museum and back into the sunlight. It's certainly a challenge to do this on the West Coast, so far from Ktaqamkuk! (The Big Island!)

And yet more about the Language

I'm going to see if I can master some aspects of the Mi'kmaw language using the lessons on the Conne River site. They have lessons, videos, online quizzes and games. I'm hoping I can pick up some phrases to use with my kids.

More about the language

I am very interested in language and now more than ever, I want to be able speak at least a few words in Mi'kmaw. The M.A.C. site (Mi'kmaq Association for Culture) has a good overview of how the language has fared over the years. There are apparently on-line courses as well; I'll have to look into this!

Amazing Inventions and Innovations

Looks like a great book for school! A Native American Thought of It, Amazing Inventions and Innovations. by Rocky Landon with David MacDonald. 


"Guess who came up with the idea for diapers, hair conditioner and hockey? Find out more about the innovations by Native Americans for what are now everyday objects such as syringes, kayaks, maple syrup and even insect repellent."

Collection of Legends

I came across this facsimile of a collection of Mi'Kmaq legends transcribed by the Reverend Silas T. Rand. He lived for years among the Mi'Kmaq of Nova Scotia and spoke the language. While the introduction to his book reflects a Eurocentric view of the world, his transcriptions are a window into the culture.

Mi'kmaq Music

Leo Crema

The Beaton Institute of Cape Breton has a collection of Mi'kmaq music on their site as well  as an easy to follow overview of the culture.  Here's an excerpt from the site:

The selections chosen to showcase Mi'kmaw culture on this website fall into four broad categories: traditional songs, Catholic hymns, fiddle traditions, and contemporary works. The traditional songs largely draw upon the Ko'jua repertoire, a genre of dance music. The Catholic hymns can be divided into "old" and "new" traditions, where "old" refers to songs from the Gregorian chant tradition and "new" refers to more recent repertoire, such as "Immaculate Mary," that has been translated into Mi'kmaq.

The Mi'kmaw fiddle tradition demonstrates a diversity of playing styles and repertoires, including tunes from the standard repertoire, as well as the adaptation of traditional song to fiddle (as in Lee Cremo's playing of Ko'jua).

I know my son Nathan would be very interested in the fiddle connection as he plays a wide variety of traditional fiddle music. Here's a link to Leo Cremo page with him playing.

I've embedded a player below so you can listen without leaving the blog if you prefer.