Maliseet
The Maliseet, also known as Wolastoqiyik or Welustuk and referred to as Malécite in French, are an Indigenous people primarily located in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Maine. Their culture is part of the Northeast region and is closely related to the Passamaquoddy and Natick peoples. Traditionally, the Maliseet engaged in a mix of maritime and inland activities, focusing on hunting, fishing, and gathering, with a strong reliance on birchbark for various utilitarian purposes. Historical interactions with European settlers varied, with friendly relations with the French contrasting with conflicts stemming from British land grants to non-Indigenous peoples.
As time progressed, many Maliseet transitioned from traditional lifestyles to more contemporary occupations in construction, education, and other sectors, particularly following the 20th century's assimilation pressures. However, the latter part of the 20th century saw a resurgence in cultural identity, language revitalization, and legal recognition, particularly for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians in Maine, who gained federal recognition and pursued land claims. Today, the Maliseet continue to work on preserving their language and culture while engaging in governance and environmental activism, striving for community development and social services. In Canada, they prefer the designation Wolastoqiyik and remain active in pursuing land claims and maintaining their cultural practices amidst modern challenges.
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Maliseet
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northeast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Maliseet-Passamaquoddy
- PRIMARY LOCATION: New Brunswick, Quebec, Maine
- POPULATION SIZE: 7,635 in Canada (Canadian Encyclopedia); 1,083 in US (2021: ACS 5-Year Estimates American Indian and Alaska Native Detailed Tables: Maliseet Tribal Grouping Alone); 1,700 (2024 Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians)
The Maliseet (Malécite in French; self-identified as Wolastoqiyik or Welustuk) include both the Passamaquoddy and the Natick peoples. The Passamaquoddy settlement patterns were maritime, whereas the Natick people were oriented along inland waterways, with an emphasis on land-mammal hunting. Both had extended family organization. Chieftainship was patrilineal. Birchbark was utilized by these Indigenous peoples for implements, housing, canoes, and other utilitarian products. Hunting and trapping of moose, deer, and other animals was supplemented by saltwater and freshwater fishing. Periodic boat excursions were made to neighboring islands for shellfish, lobsters, clams, and seals.
In 1604, Samuel de Champlain visited and described the inhabitants at the mouth of the Saint John River. Relations with the French were friendly; they were less so with the British, who issued land grants to non-Indigenous peoples. Conflict between the French and English resulted in diminished fur trading, and the Maliseets became increasingly agrarian. Many Maliseet members moved to the Kingsclear and Tobique reservations. Other reservations were established as populations increased. Over time, more Maliseets left traditional handicrafts, hunting, and trapping for work in construction and manufacturing, education, business, and medicine.
By the 1900s, assimilation had increased, and more Indigenous people were living off-reservation. The 1960s and 1970s saw a revitalization of traditional knowledge and language, a reduction of factionalism, nonprofit Indigenous corporations, and an increase in college graduates. Around that time, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians in Maine obtained federal recognition from the US government, enabling them to pursue land claims against the state of Maine. The subsequent Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 enabled them to repurchase lands. Poverty and unemployment remained challenging, but the Maliseet were increasingly middle-class members and participated in environmental and legal activism, governance, and community development. Efforts at language preservation were also undertaken in both Maine and the Maritimes in Canada.
In the twenty-first century, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians resided near the US-Canada border in the Littleton and Houlton areas of Maine. Along with the Mi'kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, and Penobscot Nation, the Maliseet were part of the Wabanaki Alliance. The Indigenous nation provided its members with social services, including housing, healthcare, and education. They practiced natural resource management and explored economic development opportunities. In Canada, the Maliseet preferred to self-identify as Wolastoqiyik, and several distinct Wolastoqiyik First Nations groups existed primarily in New Brunswick, with some in Quebec. The Wolastoqiyik worked to maintain their language, artistic culture, and history while also pursuing land claims against the Canadian government.
Bibliography
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"Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians." Wabanaki Alliance, www.wabanakialliance.com/houlton-band-of-maliseet-indians. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.
"Maliseet." New World Encyclopedia, 5 Nov. 2022, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Maliseet. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.
"Maliseet First Nation Celebrates Translation of Bible into Maliseet Language." CTVNews, 20 June 2014. atlantic.ctvnews.ca/maliseet-first-nation-celebrates-translation-of-bible-into-maliseet-language-1.1877685. Accessed 25 Mar. 2023.
McFeat, Tom, and Michelle Filice. "Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet)." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 19 Apr. 2022, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/maliseet. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.
Nicholas, Andrea Bear. "History of the Maliseet First Nation at Kingsclear to 1950." Kingsclear First Nation, June 2013, www.kingsclear.ca/about/history. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.
Perley, Bernard C. Defying Maliseet Language Death: Emergent Vitalities of Language, Culture, and Identity in Eastern Canada. U of Nebraska P, 2012.
"2021: ACS 5-Year Estimates American Indian and Alaska Native Detailed Tables: Maliseet Tribal Grouping Alone." US Census Bureau, data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5YAIAN2021.B01003?q=maliseet. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.