Our History, Our Stories: Personal Narratives and Urban Aboriginal History in Nova Scotia

experiences of the urban Aboriginal community, in particu- The document features a brief historical narrative that lar: pre-colonial history, the creation of the reserve system, highlights issues of importance to urban Aboriginal per- the Indian Act, and the development of child welfare and sons and includes the personal stories of the community education policies. [...] While Catholicism became the Mi’kmaq — known as Mi’kma’ki — consists of all of Nova predominant religion of the Mi’kmaq, there was and still Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick (north of the remains an intermingling of Mi’kmaq custom and Catholi- Saint John River), the Gaspé Peninsula, part of the State of cism in religious ceremony.[ 8 ] Maine and part of Newfoundland. [...] survival skills were rooted in their vast and ancient knowl- According to the Glooscap Heritage Website, the legendary edge of the seasons and the natural world.[ 5 ] Kluskap appears in many of the Mi’kmaq creation stories The Mi’kmaq Grand Council was the traditional gov- passed on from the earliest days until today. [...] government came to regulate much of reserve life.[ 19 ] After confederation and the creation of the Indian The Indian Act was designed to assimilate Aboriginal Act, and into the early 20th century, the Mi’kmaq in Nova peoples into mainstream Canadian society. [...] The government underestimated those of her forebears.”[ 20 ] the housing needs on the reserves and many of those The creation of the Indian Act and its discriminatory who were slated to move ended up moving back to their provisions has directly contributed to the growth of the original reserves.