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The Wəlastəkwewiyik, or Maliseet (, also spelled Malecite), are an Algonquian-speaking
First Nation Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
of the
Wabanaki Confederacy The Wabanaki Confederacy (''Wabenaki, Wobanaki'', translated to "People of the Dawn" or "Easterner") is a North American First Nations and Native American confederation of four principal Eastern Algonquian nations: the Miꞌkmaq, Maliseet ( ...
. They are the
indigenous people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
of the
Wolastoq Wolastoq ( Maliseet-Passamaquoddy: “The River of the Good Wave”), changed in 1604 by Samuel de Champlain to ''Fleuve Saint-Jean'' ( eng, Saint John River), is a river flowing within the Dawnland region for approximately from headwaters i ...
( Saint John River) valley and its tributaries. Their territory extends across the current borders of
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
and
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
in Canada, and parts of
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
in the United States. The
Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians of Maine ( pqm, Metaksonekiyak Wolastoqewiyik) is a federally recognized tribe of Maliseet, whose land is along the Meduxnekeag River in Maine. They are headquartered in Littleton, Maine, located in Aro ...
, based on the Meduxnekeag River in the Maine portion of their traditional homeland, are since 19 July 1776, the first foreign treaty allies with the United States of America. They are a federally recognized tribe of Maliseet people. Today Maliseet people have also migrated to other parts of the world. The Maliseet have occupied areas of forest, river and coastal areas within their 20,000,000-acre, 200-mile wide, and 600-mile long homeland in the Saint John river watershed.


Name

The people call themselves ''Wəlastəkwewiyik'' Wəlastəkw means "bright river" or "shining river" ("wəl-" = good, "-as-" shining, "-təkw" = river; "-iyik" = people of). Wəlastəkwiyik therefore simply means "People of the Bright River" in their native language. The Maliseet (Malecite) have long been associated with the Saint John River. Their territory still extends as far as the
Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connectin ...
. Their lands and resources are bounded on the east by the Miꞌkmaq people, on the west by the
Penobscot The Penobscot (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewi'') are an Indigenous people in North America from the Northeastern Woodlands region. They are organized as a federally recognized tribe in Maine and as a First Nations band government in the Atlantic ...
, and on the south by the
Passamaquoddy The Passamaquoddy ( Maliseet-Passamaquoddy: ''Peskotomuhkati'') are a Native American/First Nations people who live in northeastern North America. Their traditional homeland, Peskotomuhkatik'','' straddles the Canadian province of New Brunswick ...
, who also still speak related
Algonquian languages The Algonquian languages ( or ; also Algonkian) are a subfamily of indigenous American languages that include most languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically simi ...
. ''Malesse'jik'' was a
Miꞌkmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the nort ...
word believed to mean "He speaks slowly," or differently, by which the Miꞌkmaq people contrasted the other tribe's language to their own. The meaning of the word today is unknown but it is commonly mistranslated to "he speaks badly, lazy, or broken". This term is the
exonym An endonym (from Greek: , 'inner' + , 'name'; also known as autonym) is a common, ''native'' name for a geographical place, group of people, individual person, language or dialect, meaning that it is used inside that particular place, group, ...
by which the Miꞌkmaq people referred to this group when speaking to early Europeans. The Europeans met the Miꞌkmaq people before the Wəlastəkwewiyik, and transliterated Malesse'jik to ''Malécite'' in French for this people, not understanding that it was not their true name. The later English colonists anglicized this term as Maliseet, in another transliteration of sound in their own language. In 1758, an appellation which then becomes more and more frequent and observed in both French and English are the terminologies "Marichites" in French and in English "Maricheets.".


Maliseet Communities

*
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
**
Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians of Maine ( pqm, Metaksonekiyak Wolastoqewiyik) is a federally recognized tribe of Maliseet, whose land is along the Meduxnekeag River in Maine. They are headquartered in Littleton, Maine, located in Aro ...
(Metaksonekiyak Wolastoqewiyik) *
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
** Kingsclear First Nation (Bilijk Wəlastəkwewiyik)Girard, Camil, and Carl Brisson. Essay. In Alliances Et traités Avec Les Peuples Autochtones Du Québec: L'histoire De La Première Nation Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk: La Nation Malécite Du Saint-Laurent, 148. Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval, 2021. **
Madawaska Maliseet First Nation Madawaska Maliseet First Nation ( pqm, Wəlastəkwewiyik Matowesekok) or St. Basile 10 band is one of six Wolastoqiyik or Maliseet Nations on the Saint John River in Canada. The Madawaska Maliseet First Nation (MMFN) territory is in Northern Ne ...
(Matowesekok Wəlastəkwewiyik) **
Oromocto First Nation "Effort Brings Success" , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = Oromotco NB flag.png , image_shield = Oromocto NB coat of arms.jpg , image_map = , map_caption = , ...
(Welamoktuk) ** St. Mary's First Nation (Sitansisk Wolastoqiyik) **
Tobique First Nation Tobique First Nation ( pqm, Wolastoqiyik Neqotkuk) is one of six Wolastoqiyik or Maliseet Nation reserves in New Brunswick, Canada. The Tobique Reserve is located on the north side of the Tobique River. The reserve comprises two lots (The Brot ...
(Wolastoqiyik Neqotkuk) **
Woodstock First Nation The Woodstock First Nation are a Maliseet First Nation located in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick. They have an Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of ...
(Wetstak) *
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
** Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk (Viger) First Nation (Wahsipekuk)


History


17th century

At the time of European encounter, the Wəlastəkwewiyik were living in walled villages and practicing horticulture (corn, beans, squash and tobacco). In addition to cultivating and growing crops, the women gathered and processed fruits, berries, nuts and natural produce. The men contributed by fishing and hunting, and the women cooked these finds. Written accounts in the early 17th century, such as those of Samuel de Champlain and
Marc LesCarbot Marc Lescarbot (c. 1570–1641) was a French author, poet and lawyer. He is best known for his '' Histoire de la Nouvelle-France'' (1609), based on his expedition to Acadia (1606–1607) and research into French exploration in North America. ...
, refer to a large Malecite village at the mouth of the Saint John River. Later in the century, sources indicate their headquarters had shifted upriver to ''Meductic'', on the middle reaches of the Saint John River. The French explorers were the first to establish a fur trade with the Wəlastəkwewiyik, which became important in their territory. Some European goods were desired because they were useful to Wəlastəkwewiyik subsistence and culture. The French Jesuits also established missions, where some Wəlastəkwewiyik
convert Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...
ed to
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. After years of colonialism, many learned the
French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...
. The French called them ''Malécite'', a transliteration of the Mi'kmaq name for the people. Local histories depict many encounters with the
Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
, five powerful nations based south and east of the Great Lakes, and the
Innu The Innu / Ilnu ("man", "person") or Innut / Innuat / Ilnuatsh ("people"), formerly called Montagnais from the French colonial period ( French for "mountain people", English pronunciation: ), are the Indigenous inhabitants of territory in the ...
located to the north. Contact with European fisher-traders in the early 17th century and with specialized fur traders developed into a stable relationship which lasted for nearly 100 years. Despite devastating population losses to European infectious diseases, to which they had no
immunity Immunity may refer to: Medicine * Immunity (medical), resistance of an organism to infection or disease * ''Immunity'' (journal), a scientific journal published by Cell Press Biology * Immune system Engineering * Radiofrequence immunity desc ...
, these Atlantic First Nations held on to their traditional coastal or river locations for hunting, fishing and gathering. They lived along river valleys for trapping.


Colonial wars

As both the French and English increased the number of their settlers in North America, their competition grew for control of the fur trade and physical territory. In addition, wars were carried out that reflected war in Europe. The lucrative eastern fur trade faltered with the general unrest, as French and English hostilities concentrated in the region between Québec and
Port-Royal Port Royal is the former capital city of Jamaica. Port Royal or Port Royale may also refer to: Institutions * Port-Royal-des-Champs, an abbey near Paris, France, which spawned influential schools and writers of the 17th century ** Port-Royal A ...
. Increasing sporadic fighting and raiding also took place on the lower Saint John River. In this period, Malecite women took over a larger share of the economic burden and began to farm, raising crops which previously had been grown only south of Malecite territory. Men continued to hunt, though with limited success. They became useful allies to the French as support against the English. For a short period during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Malecite warriors were engaged frequently in armed conflict, becoming virtually a military organization.


18th century

With the gradual cessation of hostilities in the first quarter of the 18th century, and with the beaver supply severely diminished, fur trading declined. There was little possibility for the Maliseet to return to their traditional ways of life. Their style of seasonal, shifting agriculture on the river was curtailed by the encroachment of European settlers. All the while, the land was becoming well known to wealthy elites, who took advantage of the quality hunting and sport-fishing spots scattered throughout the province. They took all the farmland along the Saint John River, which was previously occupied by the Maliseet, displacing many Aboriginal people from more than a million and a half acres of prime land.


19th century

The Maliseet practised some traditional crafts as late as the 19th century, especially building
wigwam A wigwam, wickiup, wetu (Wampanoag), or wiigiwaam (Ojibwe, in syllabics: ) is a semi-permanent domed dwelling formerly used by certain Native American tribes and First Nations people and still used for ceremonial events. The term ''wickiup' ...
s and birchbark
canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...
s. They had made changes during the previous two centuries while acquiring European metal cutting tools and containers, muskets and alcohol, foods and clothing. In making wood, bark or basketry items, or in guiding, trapping and hunting, the Maliseet identified as engaging in "Indian work." The Europeans developed
potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
farming in Maine and New Brunswick, which created a new market and demand for Maliseet baskets and containers. Other Maliseet worked in pulp mills, construction, nursing, teaching and business. With evidence that many Maliseet suffered widespread hunger and were wandering, government officials established the first
Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...
s at The Brothers, Oromocto, Fredericton, Kingsclear, Woodstock, Tobique, Madawaska (pre-1800s), and Cacouna.
Silas Tertius Rand Silas Tertius Rand (May 18, 1810 – October 4, 1889) was a Canadian Baptist clergyman, missionary, ethnologist, linguist and translator. His work centred on the Mi'kmaq people of Maritime Canada and he was the first to record the legend of Gloos ...
was a linguist missionary who translated some Bible Selections into Maliseet which were published in 1863 and then the Gospel of John in 1870.


20th century

The Maliseet of New Brunswick struggled with problems of unemployment and poverty common to Indigenous people elsewhere in Canada, but they have evolved a sophisticated system of decision making and resource allocation. They support community enterprises in economic development, scouting and sports. Some are successful in middle and higher education and have important trade and professional standings; individuals and families are prominent in Indigenous and women's rights; and others serve in provincial and federal native organizations, in government and in community development. There were 4,659 registered Maliseet in 1996.


Culture

The customs and
language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...
of the Maliseet are very similar to those of the neighbouring
Passamaquoddy The Passamaquoddy ( Maliseet-Passamaquoddy: ''Peskotomuhkati'') are a Native American/First Nations people who live in northeastern North America. Their traditional homeland, Peskotomuhkatik'','' straddles the Canadian province of New Brunswick ...
(''Peskotomuhkati''). They are also close to those of the Algonquian-speaking Miꞌkmaq and Penobscot peoples. The Wəlastəkwewiyik differed from the Miꞌkmaq by pursuing a partial agrarian economy. They also overlapped territory with neighbouring peoples. The Wəlastəkwewiyik and Passamaquoddy languages are similar enough that linguists consider them slightly different dialects of the same language. Typically they are not differentiated for study. Two traditional Maliseet songs, a dance song and a love song, were collected by
Natalie Curtis Natalie Curtis, later Natalie Curtis Burlin (26 April 1875 – 23 October 1921) was an American ethnomusicologist. Curtis, along with Alice Cunningham Fletcher and Frances Densmore, was one of a small group of women doing important ethnological ...
and published in 1907. As transcribed by Curtis, the love song demonstrates a meter cycle of seven bars and switches between major and minor tonality. Many other songs were recorded by anthropologist William H. Mechling, whose wax cylinder recordings of Maliseet songs are held by the
Canadian Museum of History The Canadian Museum of History (french: Musée canadien de l’histoire) is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage ...
."Jeremy Dutcher's Innovative 'Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa' Is Really About the Future"
'' Exclaim!'', April 16, 2018.
Many of these songs were lost to the community, as the pressures to assimilate into mainstream Canadian culture led the Maliseet people to stop passing their songs on to youth; in the 2010s, however, Maliseet musician
Jeremy Dutcher Jeremy Dutcher is a classically-trained Canadian Indigenous tenor, composer, musicologist, performer and activist, who previously lived in Toronto, Ontario and currently lives in Montréal, Québec. He became widely known for his first album '' ...
undertook a project of listening to the wax cylinder recordings and reviving the songs. His album '' Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa'' was released in 2018, and won the 2018 Polaris Music Prize.


Ethnobotany

The Maliseet use
Abies balsamea ''Abies balsamea'' or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada ( Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to ...
for a variety of uses. They use the juice of the plant as a laxative, use the pitch in medicines, and use an infusion of the bark, sometimes mixed spruce and tamarack bark for
gonorrhea Gonorrhea, colloquially known as the clap, is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium ''Neisseria gonorrhoeae''. Infection may involve the genitals, mouth, or rectum. Infected men may experience pain or burning with u ...
. They use the needles and branches as pillows and bedding, the roots as thread, and use the pitch to waterproof seams in canoes.


Current situation

Today, within New Brunswick, there are approximately 7,700 Maliseet with status in the Madawaska, Tobique,
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...
, Kingsclear, Saint Mary's and
Oromocto "Effort Brings Success" , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = Oromotco NB flag.png , image_shield = Oromocto NB coat of arms.jpg , image_map = , map_caption = , ...
First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...
. There are also 1700 in the Houlton Band in Maine, and 1200 in the Viger First Nation in Quebec. The Brothers is a reserve made up of two islands in the Kennebecasis River; they are uninhabited but available for hunting and fishing. About 650 native speakers of Maliseet remain, and about 500 of Passamaquoddy, living on both sides of the border between New Brunswick and Maine. Most are older, although some young people have begun studying and preserving the language. An active program of scholarship on the Maliseet-Passamaquoddy language takes place at the Mi'kmaq - Maliseet Institute at the
University of New Brunswick The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North Ameri ...
, in collaboration with the native speakers. David Francis Sr., a Passamaquoddy elder living in
Sipayik Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation (Malecite-Passamaquoddy language, Maliseet-Passamaquoddy: ''Sipayik'') is one of two Indian reservation, reservations of the federally recognized Passamaquoddy tribe in Washington County, Maine, United Stat ...
, Maine, has been an important resource for the program. The Institute has the goal of helping Native American students master their native languages. The
linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
Philip LeSourd Philip S. LeSourd is a linguistics, linguist and an anthropology professor at Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana University in the United States. He is one of the world's foremost experts on the Maliseet-Passamaquoddy language and the Algonqu ...
has done extensive research on the language. The Houlton Band of Maliseet was invited to take a nonvoting seat in the
Maine Legislature The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate. The Legislature convenes at the State House in Augus ...
, starting with the 126th Legislature in 2013.
Henry John Bear Henry John Bear is a Native American politician from Maine. In January 2013, he was sworn in as the first elected member of the Maine House of Representatives representing the Maliseet people. He replaced David Slagger, who was appointed to the ...
, a treaty rights educator, tribal lawyer, fisherman and forester, was elected by his people to this seat. There have been centuries of intermarriage between the Maliseet and European colonists and settlers. Surnames associated with Maliseet ancestry include: Denis, Sabattis, Gabriel, Saulis, Atwin, Launière, Athanase, Nicholas, Brière, Bear, Ginnish, Solis, Vaillancourt, Wallace, Paul, Polchies, Tomah, Sappier, Perley, Aubin, Francis, Sacobie, Nash, Meuse. Also included are DeVoe, DesVaux, DeVou, DeVost, DeVot, DeVeau.


Notable Maliseet

* Gabriel Acquin was the founder of the Reserve created in 1867, which is now part of St. Mary's First Nation. * Sarah Anala, social worker, awardee of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...
and the
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...
* Noel Bear, active during the “Aroostook War” of (1838–39) * Noël Bernard, Malecite leader; fl. 1781–1801 *
Jeremy Dutcher Jeremy Dutcher is a classically-trained Canadian Indigenous tenor, composer, musicologist, performer and activist, who previously lived in Toronto, Ontario and currently lives in Montréal, Québec. He became widely known for his first album '' ...
, musician, winner of the 2018 Polaris Music Prize for his album '' Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa'' * Shayne Michael, poet *
Graydon Nicholas Graydon Nicholas (born 1946) is a Canadian attorney, judge, and politician who served as the appointed 30th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick (2009-2014). He is the first Indigenous person to hold the office, the first to be appointed as a ...
was the Lieutenant Governor of
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
, Canada, from 2009 to 2014. In this
Viceregal A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
position he acted as the Queen's representative in the province. *
Sandra Lovelace Nicholas Mary Sandra Lovelace Nicholas (born April 15, 1948) is a Canadian senator representing New Brunswick. Sitting with the Progressive Senate Group, she is the first Indigenous woman appointed to the Senate. As an activist on behalf of First Nati ...
, a Maliseet activist, is known for challenging discriminatory provisions of the '' Indian Act'' in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, which deprived Aboriginal or
Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
women of their status when they married non-Aboriginals. It imposed a patriarchal idea of descent and identity on peoples who traditionally had
matrilineal Matrilineality is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which each person is identified with their matriline – their mother's lineage – and which can involve the inheritance ...
kinship systems, whereby children belonged to the mother's people and took their social status from her family. Nicholas was instrumental in bringing the case before the
United Nations Human Rights Commission The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) was a functional commission within the overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006. It was a subsidiary body of t ...
and lobbying for the 1985 legislation which reinstated some rights of First Nation women and their children in Canada via Bill C31 (1985). Retaining Aboriginal status for future generations is still an issue for Maliseet and all Aboriginal groups. Nicholas was appointed to the Senate of Canada on September 21, 2005 * Peter Lewis Paul was a Maliseet oral historian (1902-1989) who lived on the Woodstock Reserve (N.B.) on the Saint John River. He shared information with numerous academic linguists, ethnohistorians, and
anthropologists An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...
. The recipient of many honours, he was awarded a Centennial Medal in 1969, received an honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of New Brunswick, and the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...
in 1987.Karl V. Teeter, ed. 1993. "In Memoriam Peter Lewis Paul 1902-1989". Canadian Ethnology Service, ''Mercury Series Paper 126.'' Hull: Canadian Museum of Civilization *
David Slagger David Slagger (born June 22, 1962) is a Native American politician in Maine. Slagger served as a member of the Maine House of Representatives, representing the newly recognized Maliseet Tribe. Slagger was sworn-in as the appointed representativ ...
represented the Maliseet people to the Maine House of Representatives


See also

*
Algonquian peoples The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups. Historically, the peoples were prominent along the Atlantic Coast and into the interior along the Saint Lawrence River and around the Great Lakes. T ...


References


Maps

Maps showing the approximate locations of areas occupied by members of the
Wabanaki Confederacy The Wabanaki Confederacy (''Wabenaki, Wobanaki'', translated to "People of the Dawn" or "Easterner") is a North American First Nations and Native American confederation of four principal Eastern Algonquian nations: the Miꞌkmaq, Maliseet ( ...
(from north to south): Image:The_Mi'kmaq.png,
Miꞌkmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the nort ...
Image:Wohngebiet_Maliseet.png, Maliseet,
Passamaquoddy The Passamaquoddy ( Maliseet-Passamaquoddy: ''Peskotomuhkati'') are a Native American/First Nations people who live in northeastern North America. Their traditional homeland, Peskotomuhkatik'','' straddles the Canadian province of New Brunswick ...
Image:Wohngebiet_Oestlicheabenaki.png, Eastern Abenaki (
Penobscot The Penobscot (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewi'') are an Indigenous people in North America from the Northeastern Woodlands region. They are organized as a federally recognized tribe in Maine and as a First Nations band government in the Atlantic ...
, Kennebec, Arosaguntacook, Pigwacket/Pequawket) Image:Wohngebiet_Westlicheabenaki.png, Western Abenaki (Arsigantegok, Missisquoi, Cowasuck, Sokoki,
Pennacook The Pennacook, also known by the names Penacook and Pennacock, were an Algonquian-speaking Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands who lived in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and southern Maine. They were not a united tribe but a netwo ...
)


External links


Maliseet language and culture links
*https://www.nytimes.com/1970/10/11/archives/indians-to-open-school-in-maine-us-funds-aid-experimental-center.html.-from state schools to job corps to tribal recognition. The history of wabanaki micmac maliseet education included a discussion of wabanaki tribes and land issues . the schools lead to band recognition in maine I.e job corps or related programs in maine
Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Institute
University of New Brunswick
Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Portal
* {{authority control Algonquian peoples Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands Native American history of Maine Wabanaki Confederacy Native American tribes in Maine First Nations in Atlantic Canada First Nations in Quebec Ethnic groups in New Brunswick North Maine Woods Algonquian ethnonyms