MICMAC

the largest of the Indian tribes occupying Canada's eastern Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). Because their Algonkian dialect differs greatly from that of their neighbours, the speculation is that they were latecomers to the area in prehistoric times. Historically, they were probably the Indians whom John Cabot first encountered in 1497. Although early chroniclers described them as fierce and warlike, they were among the first Indians to accept Jesuit teachings and to intermarry with the settlers of New France. In the 17th and 18th centuries they were allies of the French against the English, frequently descending to raid the New England frontiers. In the late 20th century their descendants, mixed with whites, numbered some 10,000 and lived generally as poor labourers. The Micmac formed a confederacy of several clans (Micmac: Allies), each clan having its own symbols and its own chief, though leadership was not strong. Generally, even their war leaders were simply those demonstrating exceptional prowess. There were apparently no hereditary social classes, and slavery did not exist (male war prisoners were usually tortured to death, and captured women and children were assimilated into the tribe). The Micmac were seasonally nomadic. In winter they hunted caribou, moose, and small game; in summer they fished, gathered shellfish, and hunted seals on the coasts. Winter dwellings were conical wigwams covered with birch bark or skins; summer dwellings were varied, usually oblong wigwams, relatively open-air. Clothing was typical of the eastern woodlands: loincloths for men, sheaths for women, and robes for both, with notable use of fringe. They were expert canoeists. Their ceremonies were reported to be elaborate, but little is known of the nature of their rituals and religious beliefs.