by Michael W. McDonald J.D. & Angel Julian, APCFNC

The Eskasoni First Nation is a Mi’kmaq community located in the district of Unama’kik. Unama’kik is translated into English as “the land of fog”. Mi’kmaq territory, known to Mi’kmaq as Mi’kma’kik, was split into seven (7) Districts. The word Eskasoni is derived from a Mi’kmaw word “We’kwistoqnik” meaning “where the fir trees are plentiful”.
Eskasoni First Nation sits 50 kilometres south of Sydney along the eastern shores of the Bras d’Or Lakes. Bras d’Or Lakes is an inland saltwater lake made up of bays, inlets, and deep basins located in the centre of Cape Breton Island, in the province of Nova Scotia. This large inland lake was known to the Mi’kmaw as Pitu’pok or Pitu’pa’q. Pitu’p ...