United they stood, divided they didn't fall : culture and politics in Mi'kmaq Nova Scotia, 1969-1988

Abstract

The structure and membership of First Nations political organizations can reveal much about the culture of an aboriginal society. This thesis is an examination of the cultural experiences found within the political organization of the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia between 1969 and 1988. The analysis demonstrates that within the political realm, the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia displayed distinctions with respect to the values placed on particular aspects of their culture.

The Union of Nova Scotia Indians was established in 1969 to politically represent the Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq population. By the mid-1970s, however, tensions and divisions were evident that eventually resulted in the formation of the Confederacy of Mainland Micmacs in 1986. The result was a divided Mi'kmaq political landscape in Nova Scotia along a geographical boundary--Cape Breton and mainland Nova Scotia--with each organization representing a segment of the provincial population and attempting to control as much of the sociopolitical space as possible.

The thesis argues that although cultural differences were not solely responsible for the splintering of the first provincial organization in Nova Scotia, the cultural value placed on language, religion, politics and economic factors varied between the two organizations.