Discovering Mi'kmaw culture, traditions, and language
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Experience guided Mi’kmaw cultural programs including petroglyph tours, paddling ancestral waterways, Wejisqalia’ti’k Mi’kmaw encampments, and birch bark canoe-building with master Mi’kmaw craftsman, Todd Labrador.
Connect with Mi'kmaw Culture at Kejimkujik!
Transcript
[ This video contains no spoken words ]
Parks Canada beaver logo
Text: Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, Nova Scotia
[Overhead shot of Kejimkujik.]
[Kids running through the woods and interacting with Mi'kmaw Wigwam and campfire area.]
[Parks interpreter teaching visitors about different tools used by the Mi'kmaw people.]
[Parks interpreter serving hot beverages to visitors.]
[Visitors walking along Kejimkujik lakeside trails.]
[Visitors interacting with Mi'kmaw artifacts as a Parks Interpreter teaches them about the objects.]
[Visitors walking down to the petroglyphs and being taught the history displayed on the rocks.]
[A visitor scooping water with their hands from Kejimkujik Lake.]
[A couple standing in the water by the shore of Kejimkujik Lake.]
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site logo.
[A sunset over Kejimkujik Lake.]
Credits:
Parks Canada logo.
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by Parks Canada, 2018.
Canada wordmark.
Guided cultural programs
There is a great story in the woodlands, lakes, rivers, bogs, and barrens of Kejimkujik. It is a story 4,000 years in the making, equal parts history and legend.
Guided petroglyph tours
Join a guided walk through time to learn about Mi’kmaw culture by experiencing the petroglyphs on the shores of Kejimkujik Lake.
Enrich your visit to Kejimkujik with a guided tour of some of the 500-plus petroglyphs that are found on-site. Located along the lakeshores of Kejimkujik, these fascinating stone-carved depictions make up one of North America’s largest collections and have been vital clues for reconstructing regional history.
The petroglyphs are in a restricted area and the tours are the only way visitors can access them.
Wejisqalia’ti’k – Mi’kmaw encampment
Wejisqalia’ti’k means: “We grew up from the earth”. For the Mi’kmaq this word incorporates thousands of years living and respecting their homeland, Mi’kma’ki. Cultivate your connection with the teachings that nature offers while a Cultural Interpreter shares their unique skills and knowledge of this land.
Birch bark canoe-building
Witness the ancient craft of birch bark canoe-building in person with Todd Labrador and a Parks Canada Interpreter at work right before your eyes.
The canoe is an iconic symbol of the Mi’kmaw cultural landscape and also of the contemporary experience of Kejimkujik. The Kejimkujik Birch Bark Canoe Project highlights the work of master Mi’kmaw craftsman, Todd Labrador, as he builds traditional birch bark canoes in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site.
Meet Todd Labrador
As a seventh-generation Mi'kmaq from the Kejimkujik region, Todd Labrador carefully crafts birch bark canoes with bark, spruce root, and other natural materials that are sustainably harvested in local Acadian Forests. His great-grandfather was a master canoe maker, and Todd taught himself how to build canoes after his own father passed away. Today, Todd Labrador is renowned for his work and is one of the most highly sought after craftsmen for his skills.
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