Welcome to the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre’s Archives

We are thrilled to share the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre’s Archives. that will help share the history of the Mi’kmaq people in Mi’kma’ki. Our goal is to share the often overlooked stories of our culture, passed down through oral traditions like stories, songs, and dances. These archives allow everyone to hear our language and songs, see our dances, and learn directly from those who have always lived here.

Overview on Terms of Use

All of the interviews offered in this collection are approved to be shared by the individual interviewee or surviving family members. Each recording and transcript include information regarding how to cite the material, as well as information about the person, place, project, date, and resulting publication or resource if any. Some supplemental material, such as biographies, Mi’kmaw translations of terms and text, and pictures, are included with hopes of adding more in the coming years. Special thanks to Kenny Prosper and Bernie Francis for their support and their translations of terms and text into the Smith/Francis orthography.

Since a great deal of time and effort has gone into this project with more to come, we would like to make the following request regarding its Terms of Use:

1. Our primary objective is to make this material available to Mi’kmaw community members and organizations for use in whatever ways would further the knowledge of their history and culture and promote the wellbeing of future generations.
2. For researchers and educators not of Mi’kmaw descent, and who are interested in the use of any of this material for non-commercial or not-for-profit purposes, we would like to request you contact us with the intended uses and outcomes for your research or project by filling out the attached short form. This helps us (the MNFC and its Board of Directors) to understand the benefits of your research.
3. If the material is being used for commercial publications, films, on-line materials, or other data gathering or generating uses, we ask to be contacted directly for permission. We may request a fee be paid for its use. The fee will be invested in a youth capacity fund to support Mi’kmaw youth training in research and archival skills development.

Whatever the use of the material, donations to the MNFC are welcome to support our ongoing work.

*See below for contact information

- Audio
Maxwell Francis Interview Elsipogtog First Nation. January 12, 2006

Project: Native Dance Project, Carleton University CIRCLE Institute, Ottawa
Participants: Gary Joseph and Maxwell Francis; Trudy Sable SMU Project Director
Location: Elsipotog/Big Cove First Nation, New Brunswick.
Date: January 12, 2006
- Audio
Explanation of Ta’n Weji-sqalia’tiek Recording with Dr. Bernie Francis by Dr. Trudy Sable

Recording and transcription by Dr. Trudy Sable, Autumn 2023. In response to Sable’s request for the history and explanation of the term, Ta’n Weji-sqalia’tiek. Initially, it was to assist students in understanding the Mi’kmaq relationship to the landscape of Eastern Canada as part of an Indigenous Peoples of Canada course co-taught by Dr. Sable and Dr. Roger Lewis at Saint Mary’s University.
- Audio
Vaughan Doucette - Free Spirit Drum Group on Mi'kmaw Songs

Keywords: activist, AIM, anthropologist, Birch Creek singers, break-through album, Conne River, Dancing Eagle drummers, Eagle Honour Song, Eastern Eagle drummers, Mi'kmaw words, Passamaquoddy Pine Needle Dance Song, praying, Sioux drum traditions, Sɨpekne’katik, smudging, Sulian Herney, Tom Paul, traditional music, training drummers, Wounded Knee second seige
Archive Collection: The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants: Mike Doucette, Garry Knockwood, Vaughan Doucette, Anthony Morris, Darrel Morris, Roy Herney, Greg Marr.
Date: 1993
Location: Sɨpekne’katik (Shubenacadie) First Nation, Nova Scotia. Introduction: Eskissoqnik (Eskasoni First Nation), Nova Scotia
Citation: Free Spirit Drummers (1993). Free Spirit Micmac Songs, Sunshine Records, 1993, with Introduction by Vaughan Doucette 2021. Trudy Sable Collection, Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre Archives, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
- Audio
Dr. Bernie Francis and Dr. Trudy Sable - July 1999 - discussion on Mi'kmaw Language

Keywords:
attributing animacy and inanimacy, attributing value and importance to objects, Creator, difference between Mi’kmaw and English thought process, ekwitk; kwitn, grammatical and cognitive aspects of animacy and inanimacy, interconnectedness, Kisu'lkw, maqtewe'k, respect
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable & Bernie Francis
Date:
July 5, 1999
Location:
Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Nova Scotia, Canada
- Audio
Dr. Margaret (Granny) Johnson Session – Basketmaking Techniques and Terminology

Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable, Margaret Johnson
Date:
Jun. 25, 1995
Location:
Eskasoni, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Citation:
Sable, Trudy (1995). Interview with Margaret Johnson on Basketmaking, June 25, 1995. Trudy Sable Collection, DTSARCHIVE-072, Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre Archives, Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Audio
Grand Council Captin Sandy Julien [Millbrook First Nation]

Keywords:
Ball Field, Baseball, Bernard, Brooks, Constable, Cope, Francis, Hockey, Martin, Meuse, Money, Old Fashion Ball, Paul, Pictou, Pierro, Priest, Racism, Softball, Teams, Train, Truro, Uniforms and Equipment, War
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable, Wallis Nevin, Sandy Julian
Date:
Nov. 10, 1992
Location:
Millbrook First Nation, Truro, Nova Scotia
- Audio
Chief John Basque [Potlotek First Nation]

Keywords:
Baseball, Centralization, Dancing, Fiddle, Guitar, Hockey, Home Brew, Liquor, Music, One-Armed Ben Johnson, Racism, Resistance, Service, Softball, Sports Equipment, Stradivarius, Wood Cutting, World War II
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable, John Basque
Date:
Aug. 24, 1992
Location:
John's Home, Potlotek (Chapel Island) First Nation, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
- Audio
Dr. Bernie Francis [Membertou First Nation] - Indigenous Bar Association

Keywords:
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Indigenous Bar Association, Speech
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Bernie Francis, Patricia Monture-Angus, Trudy Sable
Date:
2020-09-30
Location:
Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Audio
Elder Joseph Sylliboy [Sɨkɨpne’katik First Nation]

Keywords:
Baseball, Bayfield, Centralization, Constable, Dance, Drumming, Father Chaisson, Fiddling, Heatherton, Influence of Western tribes, Inverness, Living on the Land, Merigomish, Pictou, Residential and Day schools, Shubenacadie, Sports, Step and Square Dancing
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable, Joeseph Levi Sylliboy
Date:
Jun. 4, 1993
Location:
Joesph's Home in Sɨkɨpne’katik (Shubenacadie) First Nation, Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia.
- Audio
Dr. Marie Battiste [Potlotek First Nation] -Interview

Keywords:
Centralization, Chapel Island, Saint Anne’s Mission, Elders, Epiphany, Fiddling, Grand Council, Katawapu, Maine, Mardi Gras, Pestie’wa’taqatimk; Ko’jua, Residential School, Square Dancing, Wla ktansale’m
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Dr. Marie Battiste; Barry Bernard; Annie Battiste; Trudy Sable (Brian Guns also present)
Date:
Jan. 1, 1991
Location:
Eskissoqnik (Eskasoni) First Nation, Cape Breton
- Audio
Vivian Basque [Eskasoni First Nation]

Keywords:
Celebration, Chanters, Cultural Preservation, Dance as Part of Nature, Dance for War, Dance to Call out Spirits, Divorce, Eskasoni Dancers, Ethno-Stress, Joey Gould, Medicine Men, Missionaries, Roman Catholic Church, Sarah Denny, Telekinesis, Western Dances
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable, Vivian Basque
Date:
Aug. 2, 1992
Location:
Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, Halifax Nova Scotia.
- Audio
Dr. Donald M. Julien [Millbrook First Nation]

Keywords:
Burying the Hatchet, Catholicism, Debert, Fort Anne, Germans, Grand Council, Jean Baptiste Cope, Kejimkujik, Lake Rossignol, Le Loutre, Lescarbot, Missionaries, Niskam, Parks, Petroglyphs, Reserves, Scalps, Treaties
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable, Dr. Donald M. Julien
Date:
Nov. 12, 1991
Location:
Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, Truro, N.S.
- Audio
Chief Frank Meuse [L’sitkuk First Nation]

Keywords:
Bear River, Burial, Canadian Forestry, Canadian Forestry Association, Canoeing Trips, Education, Erskine, Fishing Rights, Forest Management, Fort Anne, Hunting Rights, Interpretation, Joint Management, Kejimkujik, Land Claims, Nova Scotia Museum, Parks, Petroglyphs, Port Royal, Remains, Training
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable, Chief Frank Meuse
Date:
Jan. 1, 1992
Location:
L’sitkuk First Nation Band Office, Bear River Nova Scotia
- Audio
Elder Margaret Johnson [Eskasoni First Nation] - Life History of Dr. Granny

Keywords:
Ancestry, Bay of Fundy, Dances, Dreams, Fishing, Grand Council, Kluskap, MacDonald, Margaret Johnson, Oysters, Pecks, PEI, Port Hood, Rocky Point, Selling & Making Baskets, Sewing, songs, Sweetgrass
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable, Margaret Johnson
Date:
Jul 11, 1994
Location:
En route from PEI to Port Hood, N.S.
- Audio
Grand Council Captain Frank Nevin [Sɨkɨpne’katik First Nation]

Keywords:
Acadian, Ben Brooks, Black, Chapel Island, Charlie Francis, Dance Circle, Dance Competitions, Education, French, Gould Family, Grand Council, Grandmother, Identity, Indian Island, Intermarriage, Jobs, Martin Sack, Mi'kma'ki, Mr. Knockwood, Old Big Louie Paul, Passamaquoddy, Raymond Francis, Residential School, Rickey Gould, Saint Anne's Day, Wampanoags
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Gary Joseph for Trudy Sable, partner on the Native Dance Project, Frank Nevin
Date:
Dec. 20, 2020
Location:
Sɨkɨpne’katik (Shubenacadie) First Nation
- Audio
Elder Wilfred Prosper [Eskasoni First Nation]

Keywords:
Barra Head, Baseball, Bill Bernard, Blomidon, Chapel Island, Charlie (T.W.) Francis, Checker, Fairy Caves, Isaac Alec, Joe Boutilier, Mary Brooks, Mattie Lewis, Neskawaqn, O'l Pasn Game, One-Armed Ben Johnson, Peter GooGoo, Pictou, Pitching Pennies, Priests, Simon Cremo, Step Dancing, Tom Marshall, Uniforms, War, Wilf Carter, Work
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable, Wilfred Prosper
Date:
Jul. 23, 1992
Location:
Eskissoqnik (Eskasoni) First Nation, Nova Scotia
- Audio
Chief Joe Peters [Kluskap First Nation]

Keywords:
Annapolis, apples, Ash, Baseball, bats, Bay of Fundy, Bear River, Brain Tanning, canoe tilting, canoes, Cherry Carnival, clear cut, competition, Digby, discrimination, Don Messer, fisheries, Fishing, Forestry, Frank Gould, French, funeral, Guides, Headdress, Hockey, horseshoe, hymns, Lake Williams, log rolling, Louis Pictou, Meause family, Moose Hunting, New Brunswick, Old Fashion Ball, Peter Michael, Peters point, porpoise, porpoise oils, rag ball, running, second world war, Service, skates, skis, Softball, St Anne's, St Martins, steamers, toboggan, tug-o-war, violin, white people, Yarmouth Gateways
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Joe Peters
Date:
Jan. 31, 1993
Location:
Kluskap First Nation, Middleton, Nova Scotia
- Audio
Dr. Bernie Francis [Membertou First Nation]

Keywords:
anger, conversion, Creator, Devil, Education, holophrastic, Jesus, Kis'lkw, Language, Legends, Manitou, medicine man, Mi'kmuesu, Missionaries, Mntu, Niskam, notion of worship, Puoin, sin, spirtuality, two-rootedness
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Dr. Bernie Francis & Dr. Trudy Sable
Date:
Jan. 16, 1999
Location:
Kjipuktuk (Halifax) N.S (home of Trudy Sable)
- Audio
Elder Stephen Augustine [Elispotog First Nation] - Hereditary Chief of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council

Keywords: Big Cove, burial grounds, burials, caribou, Chiefs, Creation, diseases, Elders, folklore, Grandmother, handcrafts, hunting and fishing, indigenous rights, Innu, Kouchibouguac, livelihood, luskinikn, management, mother, ownership, Parks, Parks Programs, sacred, spiritual connection, Treaties, weapons

Participants: Stephen Augustine & Trudy Sable

Date: Aug. 17, 1991

Location: En route from Elispotog (Big Cove) First Nation to Airport
Archive Collection: The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
- Audio
Kji-keptin (Grand Captain) Alex Denny [Eskasoni First Nation]

Keywords:
Ben Sylliboy, Canada Welfare Act, Catholicism, Chapel Island, Charles Herney, Chief and Council, Elders, employment, Eskasoni, Eskissoqnik (Eskasoni) First Nation, fortress, French, Grand Chief Sylliboy, Grand Council, hereditary Grand Chief, John D Jonhson, Kejimkujik, Language, Louisbourg, Merigomish, Mi'kmaw history, Mission, Nicholas Denys, Parks, Potlotek, Rodney Pierro, Roman Catholic Church, Section 9124, Spain, Tom Marshall, Union of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq, welfare
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Kji-keptin (Grand Captain) Alex Denny & Trudy Sable
Date:
Jan. 8, 1992
Location:
Eskissoqnik (Eskasoni) First Nation, Cape Breton, NS
- Audio
Chief Noel Doucette [Potlotek First Nation]

Keywords:
Burial, Catholicism, Chapel Island, Commercialization, Grand Council, Indian Day School, Medjugorje, Missionaries, Parks, Portage, Saint Anne, Sarah Denny
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Chief Noel Doucette
Date:
Jul. 9, 1992
Location:
Chapel Island Band Office, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
- Audio
Vaughan Doucette & Elder Margaret Johnson [Eskasoni First Nation] - CBC Radio interview

Keywords:
Birch Creek singers, dance, feast, feast song, Grand Council wigwam, healing, powwows, prayer, recovery, sobriety, Tom Paul, traditional dances, traditional values, traditionalists
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trudy Sable, Margaret Johnson, Vaughan Doucette
Date:
Oct. 10, 1992
Location:
CBC, Sydney, N.S.
- Audio
"Junnie" Joseph Meuse [Sɨpekne’katik First Nation]
- Audio
Dr. Bernie Francis [Membertou First Nation] - on Parks Canada

Keywords:
Annapolis Royal film, Interpretation, Louisbourg, Mi'kmaw employment, mock take over, Parks Canada, Parks Programs
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Bernie Francis
Date:
Jan. 5, 1992
Location:
Sydney, Nova Scotia
- Audio
Trevor Gould [Paqtnkek First Nation] - 2001 - Youth role model

Keywords:
Karen Lavin award for compassionate activity, Blacks, community, compassion, drum, drum group, graduation, home, humbleness, inspiration, leadership, Lions club, multi-cultural, Natives, Racism, school presidents, Terry Fox Humanitarian Award, Whites, Youth Leader
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Trevor Gould
Date:
Jun. 6, 2001
Location:
Paqtnkek First Nation Band Office, Nova Scotia
- Audio
Mi'kmaw Artist Anna Nibby-Woods - Interview

Keywords:
Chiefs, confederacy, consultation, Education, employment, hunting, land use, Mi'kmaw training, Nature, Parks Canada, Peter Claire, Port Royal, Programs, Rita Smith, Shubenacadie, tourism, Training, values
Archive Collection:
The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable
Participants:
Anna Nibby-Woods
Date:
Jan. 20, 1991
Location:
Micmac Heritage Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Audio
Irving Dana - Passamaquoddy Tribe member of Maine
- Audio
Interview with Peter Robinson - Mi'kmaw baseball teams

Participants: Peter Robinson, Trudy Sable accompanied by Wallis Nevin
Date: Nov. 10, 1992
Location: Sɨkɨpne’katik (Shubenacadie), Nova Scotia
Archive Collection: The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia Archives Collection - Curated by Dr. Trudy Sable

At our Friendship Centre in Kjipuktuk, we welcome stories from various Indigenous peoples. When Dr. Trudy Sable and I first talked about donating her collection to start our archives, we realized there was a chance to include much more. Many people have collections of photos, letters, documents, and oral histories that we want to archive with your permission and following ethical guidelines. Every item, even if it seems small, helps complete a bigger story, like a missing puzzle piece.

This website has contacts for discussing donations to the archives and the steps for making them. We aim to make this valuable resource available to our communities and the world.

- Pam Glode-Desrochers, Executive Director