Micmac Indians

The Mi'kmaq were hunters, gatherers and traded with other tribes for grain and other crop food. Skilled boatmen they utilized the canoe for both inland and ocean waters. They fished all year, even through the ice. They used nets and traps for fish.

There are many ways to say hello or greet someone in Mi'kmaq.

One way is to say it is Pjila'si English sound = [ eep chi Laa si ]

The answer above is in fact 'welcome', Hi in mikmaq is Kwe' (G-wai).

A specialized sea canoe was a very distinctive method of transportation. These canoes have a very wide bottom which made them very stable in the rough waters of the ocean. Small versions of these canoes were made and used for lakes and rivers. Mi'kmaq did not use horses. Walking was how the tribes moved from camp to camp and for travel in winter, the tribe made snowshoes and toboggans.

Seasonal migration patterns developed from traditional knowledge gained over many lifetimes dictated the day to day diet. Families arrived in an area when food was at its most plentiful. A Mi'kmaq knew exactly when to arrive at the coast in time for hunting seals, when to get to inland rivers in time for the salmon runs, or to bird colonies in time for collecting eggs. Eel fishing was an important chore as eels were among the favourite foods. Berries in the early summer and fall, apples and wild plum. Trade with neighbours to the south provided corn and grains.

Historically, the tribe constructed birch bark shelters. Birch bark was used for a variety of other purposes but was included in the coverings of their wiknom ("wigwam" eng.). There were basically two types of shelters built. The smaller, conical-shaped style which could hold 10-12 people was used in the winter. Easy to construct and keep warm. And the larger, oblong variety (10-24 occupants) for use during the warmer months. The Micmac were semi-nomadic, they routinely moved between summer fishing villages near the coast to inland locations for winter hunting.

Mi'kmaq believed in a god who was a shapeshifter named Glooscap.

they actually belived in a creator Kesulk

they used boats

The Mi'kmaqs initial contact with the Europeans did not surprise them. Oral legends told of one of their spiritual beings traveling across the great sea to "discover" a land and a prophesy that blue-eyed people would arrive from the east to disrupt their lives. Micmac people also knew the story of a woman who had a vision of an island floating toward their lands; the island (boat) was decked out with tall trees (masts) on which were living beings (sailors). Thus the Mi'kmaqs were not startled by the appearance of early explorers in sailing ships. Instead, they greeted the newcomers, set up trade with them, and quickly incorporated the strangers' new technologies and cultures into their own culture.

lick my dong

Your question makes it sound like we died. When the first explorers arrived on the shores of North America the mi'kmaq had been here for a very long time. At the time of first contact with European explorers in the 16th and 17th centuries the Mi'kmaq lived in the region now known as the Maritime provinces. Prior to that there is evidence the Mi'kmaq greeted the vikings and traded with them too.

The tribe is still living in the same areas today.

Democracy within our Nation, in the modern sense, started in 1918 when Kji Saqamaw (Grand Chief) Gabriel Sylliboy who was the last traditional Saqamaw became the first elected Grand Chief at a ceremony in Chapel Island thus becoming the First "Democratic" Chief. Before that, a Kji Saqamaw or a District Saqamaw, had to possess many great qualities that benefited the tribe and it was the elders, especially the elderly grandmothers (Clan Mothers) that had the final decision on how and who would finally become the District Chiefs and Grand Chief. Quite Contrary to the democratic ways which did not even permit the women to vote til more recently and women who married out of the tribe lost their status. But the democratic system works much differently today than in the old ways which were transparent and open. In some Districts Local Saqamaw can be very secretive and theie positions potentially abused by those with poor leadership skills with the end result in corruption, lies, confusion, division vs. consensus, and the list goes on.

We were a Matriarch Society and led by the wisdom of the elders who had the highest respect from all community members. The introduction of democracy in some areas has evolved into a chaotic political blunder that is the root of many problems in our Nation today. Through democracy, the youths of today out vote the elders as if they no longer have a voice in our community. The roots between the elders and youths continue to be further disconnected and as a result we continue to get poor leadership. The youths have been easily corrupted, tempted, bought off and often make poor choices through the democratic process. They think short term rather than for the current and future generations and lack the life experience and knowledge to make the best choice that would best benefit our communities.

The most common shelter used by the Mi'kmaq was the wikuom or wigwam . There were two types. The small cone-shaped style, that could hold up to 10-12 people, and the large oval shelter, which could hold as many as 24 occupants. In both cases, the structure is based on a pole frame, covered with birch bark or, more rarely, hides. Because of the effort required to harvest birch bark sheets, the coverings were usually packed carried from location to location as the tribe moved seasonally.

A rock circle as a fireplace stood in the centre, under the vented top to provide heat and light. The floor was generally covered with soft fir boughs, which provided a comfortable surface for sitting or sleeping.

Kwe' (greetings).

The Mi'kmaq tribe *is* a tribe of approximately 40,000 people living mostly in some New England states, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Quebec. Approximately 1 in 4 of them still speak their native language, the Mi'kmaw language. The language has 11 consonants, 5 long vowels, 5 short vowels, and a schwa.

Many of us also use the internet.

gu nich e wa

No. The metis are a tribe on their own. Mixed race and proud, the woodland metis have formed their own identity and are fighting for the same rights as native peoples everywhere. The metis are decendants of European and native union through history.

Historically there was certain roles undertaken by gender, but the Mi'kmaq lifestyle was notable by cooperation between the members of the community. The basic role of the man was to hunt and fish, and to be the protectors of the group/family. The women of the Mi'kmaq family gathered plant resources, preserved meats and maintained the camps, They were also the lifegivers to the sick and injured and caregivers to all. There was a great deal of sharing all tasks that often crossed gender lines. The women were quite capable of fishing or hunting to support the families when the men were away. Native Petroglyphs at Kejimkujik clearly show men and women fishing together.

There are many possible origins for the name Mi'kmaq; one is a combination of the words mekwe'k (red) and maqmikew(ground), giving the meaning [people of] the red earth.

the mi'kmaq used a system that is some what like a king a stroung brave figure for each tribe

No, they travelled on foot through the woods or by canoe; canoes were also used for fishing and hunting.

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The Mi'kmaq greeting, as in many of the Algonguian languages, is kwe'.

The Mi'kmaq territories were and still are in the Canadian Maritime provinces also known as Canada's east coast. These provinces include Nova Scotia, the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and the eastern half of New Brunswick. They also occupied much of southwestern Newfoundland and Northern Maine of the U.S.A.

They use seal/walrus/etc. hides and sew them into clothes with thread made from tendons (the strings that move your fingers and toes).