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Malécites [archive]

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Malécites

Language

The Malecite language is part of the Algonquian linguistic group. This language is no longer spoken by members of the Nation in Quebec, but the language has been preserved by members of the five Malecite communities in New Brunswick (where the name is spelt "Maliseet"). French is the common language of the Malecite Nation in Quebec.

Total Population

The population of the Malecite Nation in Quebec is estimated at 570 people. There are no permanent residents on the territory of the nation.

Territories

A semi-nomadic people, the Malecites were based in what is now New Brunswick and were allies of the French in the colonization wars. In 1989, the Quebec government officially recognized the Malecites as the eleventh Aboriginal nation in the province, and their territory is divided between two reserves on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River near the municipality of Rivière du Loup.

Communities

The Whitworth Reserve and the Cacouna Reserve are attributed to the nation, but its members are not concentrated in a community and live in many different regions of the province of Quebec.

Organizations

The Conseil de la Première nation Malécite de Viger manages the affairs of the nation.

Additional Reading

Indian Cultures
Maliseet
Maliseet Indians
Maliseet Tales
Maine Indian Tribes