Mikma

Like many groups, the Mikma'q had their own special way of dancing that identified them. The dances could be formal or informal. Nskawaqn are formal, ordered dances, while informal dances are Amalkay, which means "any old way to dance, just move your body".

Some of the dances imitate animal movements an example of this is the Snake Dance, dancers move like in a line that weaves around, coiling and uncoiling just like snakes do. This could have been a way for people to connect with the animal spirit and nature. Also, the dances could have helped hunters to have a connection with the animal to make them come to their traps and make easier the hunting.

Songs and instruments:

The Mi'kmaq have songs and dances for hunting, trade, love, divorce, medicine, war, teasing, courtship, marriage, death and feasts.

Traditionally, only men have chanted. Women would sing, too, but usually only at home to teach their children. But this has been changing: women now sing publicly in their communities to help preserve Mi'kmaw culture, that is good too cause the women have the same rights than a men and we need to help to make an equal society between the woman and the men.

However, chants and songs did not always have meanings that words could describe. Sometimes they were more about feeling and communication with a spiritual power. Chanters usually beat time with a ji'kmaqn. This special musical instrument is a piece of ash approximately a foot long split into many thin strips with one end unsplit for a handle. The ji'kmaqn makes a clacking sound when a chanter hits the ji'kmaqn against the thigh or palm.

The Mi'kmaq never used what we generally think of as a "drum". The Mi'kmaq did have percussive instruments, but not any that used a metal cylinder covered with a membrane or skin that musicians would beat with a drumstick.

The drum represented the center of life. Before the drum could be played, they had to bless the drum towards the east because of the eagle had guided the people. The must representative song in the Mikma'q culture is called the Honour Song, where the people made human and animal noises to show how the eagle had saved the Mi'kmaqs.

Dancing was another way to represent stories. For example The Sun Dance was performed to help the sick people and the dancers were not allowed to drink water for several days. They also payed tribute to the South, North, East, West, sun and earth.

I think that the dances and instruments express the stories and feelings of what that this people were feeling at the moment, the problems that they had, they show us their culture through this traditions. Today, people have chosen different ways to dance, but all dancers feel they are carrying on something that is from somewhere.

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