Malecites
- Maps of Amerindian and Inuit communities
- Native nations communauties of Québec
- Québec Aboriginal Political Organizations (in French only)
- Statistical Data of the Québec Aboriginal Population
Close to 800 Malecites live on Québec’s territory. The offices of the Malecite First Nation of Viger, the only band in Québec, are located in Cacouna, near Rivière-du-Loup. In Québec, the Malecites speak French and English. However, in New Brunswick and in the State of Maine, some still speak their ancestral language.
Up until the 16th century, the Malecites lived along the Saint John River in what is today New Brunswick. Semi-nomadic, they mainly subsisted off hunting and fishing, but also grew corn. From a cultural standpoint, the Malecites are close to the Abenakis and the Micmacs; all three nations belonged to the Wabanaki Confederation.
In 1987, 130 members gathered in Rivière-du-Loup to elect a chief and a council of the nation. The council then submitted an application for official recognition to the Government of Québec. In 1989, the National Assembly officially recognized the Malecites as the eleventh aboriginal nation of Québec.
Sources:
Government of Brunswick:
http://www.gnb.ca/0016/wolastoqiyik/languages-f.asp; http://www.gnb.ca/0016/Wolastoqiyik/oralhistory-f.asp.
Québec First Nations: http://www.indianamarketing.com/nations/maleci.htm.
