The Mi’Kmaq, Malecite and Passamaquoddy Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, continuing on their traditional ancestral homelands throughout the Maritime Region, are sometimes referred to as the traditional homelands of Aboriginal Peoples or off-reserve Aboriginal Peoples.
Our Community of Aboriginal Peoples resolved in the early 1970s to end the disaggregating, disruptive and marginalizing social and economic actions, policies and situations created to dispossess and disinherit our continuum as the Aboriginal Peoples of the Maritimes.
The communities of off-reserve Aboriginal Peoples throughout the Maritimes organized their community Councils to have a collective voice to the councils of governments and to work to improve the social and economic situation of family and community. The dignity, continuum, merit, capacity and worth as the Aboriginal Peoples of the Federation of the Peoples of Canada, would be realized in partnership and respect.
The three Aboriginal Peoples Representative Organization Community Councils in the region are each organized with community zones and locals. These community zones have the larger population of Mi’Kmaq, Malecite, Passamaquoddy/Aboriginal Peoples in the Maritime Region of Canada. The population map below details the MAARS partners’ organized community zone populations in the Maritime Region.
Aboriginal Origin and Identity Population in NS, NB and PEI (PDF)
MAARS Regional Community Partners:
The Native Council of Nova Scotia’s 13 community zones have an Aboriginal ancestry population of 32,465, which represents 80% of the total Aboriginal ancestry population of 40,415 in Nova Scotia. The NCNS community identity population of 16,190 represents 67% of the total Aboriginal identity population of 24,175 in Nova Scotia.
The New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council’s 7 community zones have an Aboriginal ancestry population of 24,550, which represents 78% of the total Aboriginal ancestry population of 31,540 in New Brunswick. The NBAPC community identity population of 10,645 represents 60% of the total Aboriginal identity population of 17,655 in New Brunswick.
The Native Council of Prince Edward Island’s 3 community zones have an Aboriginal ancestry population of 2,960, which represents 88% of the total Aboriginal ancestry population of 3,355 in Prince Edward Island. The NCPEI community identity population of 1,330 represents 77% of the Aboriginal identity population of 1,730 in Prince Edward Island.