Abstract
Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge (MEK) represents a comprehensive, place-based system of understanding developed over millennia through Indigenous relationships with lands, waters, and resources in Mi’kma’ki. Indigenous Knowledge is not simply a set of observations; it is a living, dynamic body of knowledge, practice, and belief embedded in culture, language, governance, spirituality, and community institutions. It is sustained through intergenerational transmission and adapts over time in response to environmental and social change, while remaining grounded in core values and teachings.
A defining feature of the Mi’kmaq Knowledge System is the inseparability of people and place. Knowledge is rooted in specific ecosystems and cultural landscapes, and it reflects reciprocal relationships among living beings, environments, and stewardship responsibilities. Ways of knowing within these systems are multifaceted: cultural knowledge maintained through ceremony and community practice; experiential knowledge gained through direct engagement with the land and waters; and acquired knowledge shared through storytelling, instruction, and community learning. Together, these modes of learning generate a holistic understanding of the environment that complements Western scientific approaches by capturing interconnected relationships, long-term patterns, and culturally grounded meanings that may not be evident through reductionist methods alone.
Within Mi’kma’ki, MEK offers an integrated lens for understanding ecological processes, seasonal cycles, species behaviour, habitat change, and culturally significant landscapes, while also clarifying how proposed developments may affect Mi’kmaq relationships to place, an issue with direct relevance to Indigenous Rights and Title. Incorporating Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Studies (MEKS) into assessment and planning processes strengthens decision-making by improving baseline understanding, the importance of the relationship between people and place, and reinforcing Mi’kmaq self-determination through Indigenous led research and governance.
The MEKS methodology described is structured, evidence-based, and culturally grounded. It combines (1) desktop research to synthesize existing academic, Indigenous, government, archival, and mapped sources; (2) Indigenous Knowledge Holder engagement through ethically approved interviews and workshops supported by clear consent and information management; (3) site visits to ground-truth and document current ecological and cultural conditions; and (4) collaborative roundtable analysis to cross-reference findings and interpret information through Mi’kmaq perspectives. Information is organized using three core lenses, time period, type of use (sustenance versus cultural/spiritual), and significance, to identify valued components, potential interactions, and areas where impacts could result in unrecoverable loss or long term constraints on access and use.
Overall, the material establishes that Mi’kmaq relationships to lands and waters are continuous, intergenerational, and organized around seasonal movement and ecological rhythms; that sustenance, cultural, and spiritual uses are inseparable in practice; and that effects must be understood not only as biophysical change but also as changes to access, cultural integrity, confidence in traditional foods, and the ability to sustain responsibilities and relationships with the Bay of Fundy and the broader Mi’kma’ki landscape.