Honouring connections to place: Mi’kmaw language is included on signage

Indigenous peoples’ long-standing relationships with, and sacred responsibilities for, the lands, waters and ice have shaped their identities and influenced their cultures and languages for millennia. Many Indigenous place names have been replaced by colonial names through practices and policies, including some aimed at erasing Indigenous peoples, their cultures, and languages. By supporting the reclamation of Indigenous place names and the use of Indigenous languages in the sites it administers, Parks Canada is taking steps toward reconciliation. 

Parks Canada has worked closely with Mi’kmaw leadership and community members to develop and implement trilingual (English, French, and Mi’kmaw) signage, interpretive panels, and displays throughout places administered by Parks Canada on PEI. As a result of this effort, signage at all principal points of access to Parks Canada-administered sites on PEI has been updated to reflect trilingual place names.  

Work continues to expand the list of trilingual site names and to incorporate terms into visitor-facing signage and literature. It's not just about language; it's about respect, understanding, and honouring the Mi’kmaq for being caretakers of this land since time immemorial.