More than 11,000 years ago, Mi’kma’ki was the home to the first peoples in Canada. Located in Debert, Nova Scotia, a suite of archaeological sites was first discovered more than 60 years ago. The area continues to reveal new evidence of people living in what was an ice-age landscape. They are the oldest directly-dated archaeological sites in Canada, and they are among the largest and best preserved archaeological sites of this age in North America.

For more than a decade the Mi’kmaw Nation has taken the lead in protecting this ancestral place. In partnership with Provincial and Federal agencies, the Nation has undertaken archaeological testing in order to protect the sites. This work has identified new sites in the Debert area, increasing the total number to more than ten. This is truly a remarkable legacy of life in Mi’kma’ki.

Elders Guide Us

The Mi’kmawey Debert Elders’ Advisory Council uses the concept of “wejisqaliati’k” to describe their understanding of the sites. Wejisqaliati’k translates to… (more)