The Mi'kmaq Nation (formerly the Aroostook Band of Micmacs) is a
US federally recognized tribe of
Mi'kmaq people
The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...
, based in
Aroostook County, Maine
Aroostook County ( ; ) is the northernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Maine. It is located along the Canada–United States border. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 67,105. The county ...
.
[ Their autonym is Ulustuk. Of the 28 bands of Mi'kmaq people, the Mi'kmaq Nation is the only one in the United States. The Mi'kmaq Nation were the first non-US power to sign a treaty with the United States, the Treaty of Watertown, on 6 July 1776.]["Region 1 Tribal Program"]
Region 1: EPA New England."
The tribe has no reservation but owns of land.[ The ]United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
listed of trust land in the 2010 United States Census, located at in the Town of Limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
. An official population of 197 inhabitants was counted on the trust lands. The band is headquartered in Presque Isle. The governing council consists of nine members that serve four-year terms with the tribal chief and vice chief, along with three tribal council seats elected together and four other tribal council seats elected two years later.
They form part of a large Algonquian-speaking nation known as the Mi'kmaq. Their ancestral homeland reaches as far northeast as Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
and historically includes Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
, a large part of New Brunswick
New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
, and a small part of Quebec in the Chaleurs Bay area.
The band was federally recognized on November 26, 1991, after a long campaign.
See also
* Wolastoqiyik
References
{{Aroostook County, Maine
Federally recognized tribes in the United States
Aroostook County, Maine
Mi'kmaq in the United States