Wabanaki Confederacy
Encyclopedia
The Wabanaki Confederacy, as it is known in English, is a historical confederation of five North American Algonquian language
speaking Indian tribes.
The members of the Wabanaki Confederacy—the Wabanaki peoples—were located in, and named for, the area they called Wabanaki
(Dawnland). This area can be described roughly as that area now called New England
and the Canadian Maritimes
. In New England they were primarily located in Maine
, Vermont
and New Hampshire
but also in a part of Massachusetts
. In Canada they were located primarily in Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick
but also in Quebec
south of the St. Lawrence River.
Members of the Wabanaki Confederacy were:
They were also closely allied with the Innu
and Algonquin, and with the Iroquoian-speaking Wyandot.
The Wabanaki Confederacy disbanded in 1862, but the five Wabanaki nations still exist, and they remain friends and allies today.
The elders have been in discussions in order to revive the Confederacy.
literally means "Dawn Land People." Wabanaki Confederacy as called by the members of the confederation is:
and in other related languages as:
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
speaking Indian tribes.
The members of the Wabanaki Confederacy—the Wabanaki peoples—were located in, and named for, the area they called Wabanaki
Wabanaki
Wabanaki, Wabenaki, Wobanaki, etc. may refer to:In geography* area referred as the "Dawn land" by many Algonquian-speaking peoples to describe the Eastern region of the North American continent, generally described as being New England in the United States, plus Quebec and the Maritimes in CanadaIn...
(Dawnland). This area can be described roughly as that area now called New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and the Canadian Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
. In New England they were primarily located in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
but also in a part of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. In Canada they were located primarily in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
but also in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
south of the St. Lawrence River.
Members of the Wabanaki Confederacy were:
- Abenaki
- Míkmaq (Mi'kmaq or Micmac)
- Penawapskewi (Penobscot)
- Pestomuhkati (PassamaquoddyPassamaquoddyThe Passamaquoddy are the First Nations people who live in northeastern North America, primarily in Maine and New Brunswick....
) - Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet or Malicite)
They were also closely allied with the Innu
Innu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
and Algonquin, and with the Iroquoian-speaking Wyandot.
The Wabanaki Confederacy disbanded in 1862, but the five Wabanaki nations still exist, and they remain friends and allies today.
The elders have been in discussions in order to revive the Confederacy.
"Wabanaki Confederacy" in various indigenous languages
The term Wabanaki Confederacy in many Algonquian languagesAlgonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
literally means "Dawn Land People." Wabanaki Confederacy as called by the members of the confederation is:
- Mi'kmaqMi'kmaq languageThe Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
: Wabanahkiyik - Maliseet-Passamaquoddy: Waponahkiyik/Waponahkewiyik
- Abenaki-PenobscotAbenaki languageThe Abenaki language is a dialect continuum within the Eastern Algonquian languages, originally spoken in what is now Vermont, New Hampshire, northern Massachusetts and Maine...
: Wôbanakiak
and in other related languages as:
- AlgonquinAlgonquin languageAlgonquin is either a distinct Algonquian language closely related to the Ojibwe language or a particularly divergent Ojibwe dialect. It is spoken, alongside French and to some extent English, by the Algonquin First Nations of Quebec and Ontario...
: Wàbanakìk - Ojibwe: Waabanakiig/Waabanakiiyag
- Odawa: Waabnakiig/Waabnakiiyag
- PotawatomiPotawatomi languagePotawatomi is a Central Algonquian language and is spoken around the Great Lakes in Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as in Kansas in the United States, and in southern Ontario in Canada, 1300 Potawatomi people, all elderly...
: Wabnekiyeg
External links
- Native Languages of the Americas: Wabanaki Confederacy
- “Wabanaki People—A Story of Cultural Continuity”, timeline curriculum unit developed by the Abbe Museum.
- Storm Clouds Over Wabanakiak Confederacy Diplomacy Until Dummer's Treaty (1727) by Dr. Harald E. L. Prins
- http://www.wabanaki.com/Harald_Prins.htm
- Miingignoti-Keteaoag—a partnership committed to maintaining the integrity and way of life of the Wabanaki Nations
Further reading
- McBride, Bunny. (2001) Women of the Dawn
- Mead, Alice. (1996) Giants of the Dawnland: Eight ancient Wabanaki legends
- Prins, Harald E.L. “The Crooked Path of Dummer's Treaty: Anglo-Wabanaki Diplomacy and the Quest for Aboriginal Rights.” Papers of the Thirty-Third Algonquian Conference. H.C. WolfartH.C. WolfartH. Christoph Wolfart is a German-born Canadian researcher, editor, translator and Distinguished Professor of Linguistics at the University of Manitoba. He is a graduate of the University of Freiburg as well as Cornell University. He completed a Ph.D...
, ed. Winnipeg; U Manitoba Press (2002): 360-378 - Walker, Willard. “The Wabanaki Confederacy.” Maine History 37 (3) (1998): 100-139