The Eskasoni Mi'kmaw Nation is a
band government of the
Mi'kmaq Nation, located in
Unama'ki (Cape Breton), Nova Scotia, Canada. As of 2021, Eskasoni has a membership of 4,675. Of this population, 3,973 live on-Reserve, and 667 live off-Reserve.
History
The word Eskasoni is derived from the Mi'kmaq word "We'kwistoqnik." Translated, this word means "where the fir trees are plentiful".
In 1942, the federal government enacted a centralization policy through
Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and Al ...
. This policy led to the forced relocation of hundreds of Mi’kmaq from to two reserves – Eskasoni and Shubenacadie, known today as Sipekne’katik. This led to rapid population growth in Eskasoni, which was previously home to less than 200 residents.
In 2016 Dr. Mohan Singh Virick, a
Sikh doctor who served Eskasoni for 50 years, donated 140 hectares (335 acres) of land. He also donated several buildings in Sydney to help house Eskasoni's growing population.
Present Day
Eskasoni is the most populous community of the Mi'kmaq Nation. It has its own
community radio
Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popula ...
station,
CICU-FM, broadcasting at 94.1
MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...
. The Eskasoni First Nation is also home of the
Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources, a Mi'kmaq organization devoted to natural resources and the environment.
The community operates its own school board, providing services to children from kindergarten to grade 12.
The Eskasoni First Nation is composed of three parts:
References
External links
Eskasoni Band Council *
ttp://www.efwc.ca Eskasoni Fish & Wildlife CommissionGovernment of Canada's Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Eskasoni First Nation profileUnama'ki Institute of Natural Resources
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First Nations governments in Atlantic Canada
First Nations in Nova Scotia
Mi'kmaq governments