Mi'kmaq
The Mi'kmaq (also Micmac, L'nu and Mi'kmaw) (English ; Mi'kmaq: [miːɡmax]) are a First Nations band, indigenous to Canada's Maritime Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. They call this region Mi'kma'ki. Others today live in Newfoundland and the northeastern region of Maine. The nation has a population of about 40,000 (plus about 25,000 in the Qalipu First Nation in Newfoundland), of whom nearly 11,000 speak Mi'kmaq, an Eastern Algonquian language. Once written in Mi'kmaq hieroglyphic writing, it is now written using most letters of the standard Latin alphabet.
The Grand Council (also known as Santé Mawiómi) was the traditional senior level of government for the Mi'kmaq people until Canada passed the Indian Act (1876) to require First Nations to establish representative elected governments. After implementation of the Indian Act, the Grand Council took on a more spiritual function. The Grand Council was made up of representatives from the seven district councils in Mi'kma'ki.