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A A Mikmaq lady stands by a circle of people during a ceremony

Mi’kmaw Culture

This rugged, sea-swept peninsula has been home to the Mi’kmaq (Mee-gmah) people for over 11,000 years. Their culture, language, stories, music, and art emerges from their profound connection to this natural environment.

Mi’kmaw Culture in Nova Scotia

The Mi’kmaw legends of mythic hero Kluscap give meaning to the extraordinary geography of this place. It was a meeting between Glooscap and a mighty whale that created the awesome tides of the Bay of Fundy, for instance. Visit the 18th century Mi’kmaq petroglyphs in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site and embrace the spirit of this founding culture and its heritage as you tour Nova Scotia.

Click here to learn more about the fascinating history of the Mi’kmaq.

Experience Mi'kmaw Traditions and Culture in Nova Scotia

Eskasoni Cultural Journeys

Eskasoni Cultural Journeys

  • Experience authentic Mi’kmaw culture by visiting Goat Island and sharing a traditional feast, hearing stories and music, or learning through participation in the traditional fishing practices of the Mi’kmaq.
  • A Mi’kmaq cultural interpreter will guide you along a 2.4km cultural trail where you will visit several villages, each one offering a unique experience that allows you to learn and partake in this way of life.
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Close up view of a petroglyph at Kejimkuji National Park

Kejimkujik National Park & National Historic Site

  • Connect with Mi’kmaw culture by paddling ancient, storied canoe routes to discover petroglyph carvings in stone
  • Take part in a birch bark canoe making workshop with master Mi’kmaq craftsman, Todd Labrador, one of Canada’s only Mi’kmaw canoe builders
  • Experience a cultural connection at a recreated encampment and look to the skies to experience Mi’kmaw dark sky lore with an interpreter
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Two dancers in full regalia, dance at the Membertou PowWow

Membertou Heritage Park

  • The Membertou Heritage Park celebrates the life, culture, and history of the Mi’kmaq people who continue to live and thrive in the Membertou area
  • The five-acre Heritage Park features a large indoor exhibit and program area that provides a truly immersive journey into the ancient culture
  • Outdoors the experience continues with powwows, traditional medicine gardens, demonstration areas, storytelling, and performances in the amphitheatre
A tidal bore rafting boat sails down Shubenacadie River alongside cliffs rising from the water

Mi’kmaq Tides Adventure

  • Experience Indigenous culture, thrilling tidal bore rafting, and a feast of fresh jakej (lobster).
  • Connect with Mi’kmaw artists, storytellers, fishers, and knowledge holders on this immersive journey.
  • Get hands-on with a porcupine quill workshop and savour a traditional Mi’kmaw lunch.
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Journey into the Night Sky

  • Experience the night skies the same way the Mi’kmaq experienced them thousands of years ago, in spectacular, natural darkness at the UNESCO Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve.
  • Discover the Dark Sky Preserve in the heart of Kejimkujik National Park’s protected forest – a rare place that is unaffected by light pollution.
  • You’ll learn about astronomical science and the Mi’kmaq cultural perspectives of the star-filled night sky. Parks Canada Interpreters and Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Astronomers lead the programs.
People observe an interative Mi'kmaw museum exhibit at Museum of Natural History.

Museum of Natural History

  • Step into Pjila’si, an interactive gallery that brings Mi’kmaw culture to life through hands-on exhibits, storytelling, and language.
  • Created in collaboration with a Mi’kmaw Advisory Group, the space reflects authentic voices, community-chosen items, and cultural teachings.
  • Discover the power of Mi’kmaw language with single-word concepts woven throughout—listen, learn, and try speaking them yourself!
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Mi’kmaw Culture Videos

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Discover Mi’kmaw history at Kejimkujik National Park & National Historic Site

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Two Mi'kmaw interpreters sharing their culture and history with two visitors taking part in the immersive experience on Goat Island with Eskasoni Cultural Experience in Cape Breton Nova Scotia. Play video on popup An icon to play video on popup
Experience Mi'kmaw Culture at Eskasoni Cultural Journeys

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Other Cultures in Nova Scotia

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Acadian Culture

The spirit of l’Acadie runs deep in Nova Scotia. Vivid reminders of the intrepid French settlers, who first arrived in Nova Scotia in the seventeenth century, can be found throughout the province.

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African Nova Scotian

People of African descent have made Nova Scotia their home for more then 400 years. Their history includes the stories of many diverse groups – Loyalists, Maroons, Caribbeans, Refugees and others – sewn together through a common African ancestry.

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Gaelic & Celtic Culture

By at least the early 1770s immigrants from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland came by the tens of thousands and made Nova Scotia their home. These settlers called themselves Gàidheil (Gaels), i.e. ones whose language and cultural expression is Gaelic.

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