Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

The
Mi'kmaq
Portraits
Collection

Q1: Do you do genealogical research? I would like some information on my family history.
A1: The Nova Scotia Museum does not do genealogical research and does not have genealogical records. You may try the Nova Scotia Archives & Records Management web site for information on conducting genealogical research in the province. Their phone number is (902) 424-6060.

Q2: My son is working on a project for cubs and we need information on aboriginal words that are used for place names, water ways etc. He also needs to know their meaning. Could you direct me to a source for this information?
A2: The Native Council of Nova Scotia has published a map of Nova Scotia with Mi'kmaq place names noted. The map is also reproduced on the cover of their publication "Mi'kmaw Resource Guide". The address for the council is: Native Council of Nova Scotia P.O. Box 1320 Truro, N.S. B2N 5N2 Another source is Silas Rand's "Micmac Place Names in Nova Scotia" although this book was written for an adult audience and is now out of print.

Q3: My grandmother, Jane Doe, tells me we have a Mi'kmaq ancestor dating back to the late 1700s. I would like to find more info on my family and heritage. Can you help?
A3: The Nova Scotia Museum does not do genealogical research. In order to find your ancestor, you would have to know their full name, the approximate time in which they lived, where in Canada they lived, and even then, since there are very few records for the late 1700s, you may not find anything. The Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management (Public Archives of Nova Scotia) is the place to start, since they have all the church and census records. If your ancestor was Mi'kmaq, he or she is very likely to have been Catholic, so I would start with the records of the Catholic Church. If you cannot get to the Archives, there are researchers you can hire to look up material for you, for a fee. The number for the Public Archives is 902-424-6060. You can check the Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management website for more information.

Q4: I am hoping that you can help us. My daughter, who is in grade 6, has been asked to do a project on: Mi'kmaq Indians, how they cooked their foods and how they preserved it. We would appreciate any information that you can send our way. I have not been successful in getting any info on the internet.
A4: The Mi'kmaq cooked over fires in different ways: by hanging the food over the fire on a swinging rope, or held over the fire in birchbark pots. They also nestled stone or pottery containers in the coals of a fire. They also boiled water by dropping red-hot stones into wooden, clay or birchbark containers. This heated the water and boiled it, cooking the soup or stew in the container.
They preserved food either by smoking it, as we do today, or cutting the meat very thin and drying it in the sun. They also made sausages, whose casings were the intestines of animals, just as we do, by chopping meat very fine, adding dried berries, and mixing it with fat. The fat sealed out the oxygen, and so the meat did not decay. Then the sausages were smoked by being suspended over the fire.

Q5: My daughter is doing a school project on wigwams. It is very hard to find any information on this subject. If you can help us with any information as to where to find this it would be a great help.
A5: Our Info Sheet on the Mi'kmaq discusses wigwam construction. The url is: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/arch/infos/mikmaq1.htm

Q6: My 11 year old son is doing a project for school the Mi'kmaq. Could you please let me know where I can obtain (through the Internet if possible) information, on the following:

1. Where the Mi'kmaqs lived in Nova Scotia and how they got here.
2. Their family life.
3. How they hunted.
4. Their food.
5. What they used for shelter (wigwams etc), types of clothing, and equipment.
A6: Most of the information your looking for can be found on our Info Sheet on the Mi'kmaq. The url is: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/arch/infos/mikmaq1.htm

Q7: My son is starting a project on the Mi'kmaq and we would be interested in seeing a map showing locations of Mi'kmaq communities in the Maritimes. If you could help us that would be great.
A7: You can find maps showing Mi'kmaq communities in Maritimes at the following web address: http://www.aboriginalcanada.com/firstnation/

Q8: I am looking for Mi'kmaq First Nation addresses in Nova Scotia.
A8: Try looking here:http://www.gov.ns.ca/abor/content/links.asp.

Q9 : I am confused about the spelling of Mi'kmaq. I have seen the word spelled several different ways. Can you explain?
A9: We have a page on this site that will help with questions regarding the spelling of Mi'kmaq. You can find it by clicking here.