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Simply stated, this site was created in order to give peoplea reliable place to find accurate information about the Mi'kmaw people and theirculture, their history, and their spirituality. In our experience, there are many misconceptions about FirstNations people in general, and about the Mi'kmaq in particular. Many peopletoday are seeking answers to their spiritual questions, or looking for somethingto fill a void in their lives, and are turning to Aboriginal beliefs andpractices in an attempt to find these things. This has led to a romanticizedview of the "noble savage" living an idyllic existence in peace andharmony with nature and communing regularly with the spirits. There isalso a tendency for peopleto think that what applies to one Aboriginal culture applies to all, even ifthose cultures developed on different continents! In actuality, each First Nationdeveloped its own culture and traditions, and was given its own unique spiritualpractices to suit its own circumstances and needs. Special ceremonies that weredone by one Nation were not necessarily done by any other Nation, or if theywere, they may not have been done in quite the same way. Even on an individuallevel, the members of these Aboriginal cultures did not necessarily allregularly practice their spiritual traditions. Each person was an individual,and found their way through life in the way that seemed best to them, much as wedo today. Of course, these people reallyDIDlive in harmony with the earth - they had no choice, since to do otherwise wasto sign your own death warrant. First and foremost, Aboriginal people werepragmatic, and did what was necessary for survival. It was under these harshrealities that they developed the traditions that enabled them to live inharmony with the land. Theinformation that you find on this site pertains only to the Mi'kmaw people. While thereare indeed many common threads in First Nations culture, beliefs andspirituality, please do not try to apply what you learn here to any otherNation. At the same time, do not try to apply things that you have learned aboutother Nations to the Mi'kmaq. In particular, do not apply what you may havelearned from Hollywood to the Mi'kmaq, or to any other Nation - any resemblancebetween the Hollywood First Nation and reality is purely coincidental. Our pledge to you is that this site contains only facts, andis accurate to the very best of our ability to make it so. We sincerely hopethat you will find the information useful, and that you will leave this sitefeeling that you have learned something of value. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This site is divided into the following sections:
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