Aroostook Band of Micmacs

At present, the estimated Micmac population enrolled on Canadian Band-lists is more than 10,000. Only 7,000 of these live on Reserves; the other 3,000 live scattered over the Maritimes and New England, or are just "on the road." In addition, there are an estimated 2,000-3,000 Micmacs who live in Canada who are not registered on the Band Rolls of the Canadian Reserves. In total, there are about 5,000 registered and non-registered Micmacs in New England, the majority of whom live in Boston. Aroostook County provides the major transitory route to and from the Canadian Reserves and the urban areas along the Atlantic seaboard of the U.S., both because of its location and because of the presence of a strong Micmac community.

The Micmacs were not part of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 and, as such, were without the services of the State of Maine's Department of Indian Affairs, which had closed its doors. In response, the Aroostook Micmac Council, Inc. was formed, which obtained recognition and assistance from the federal government's Bureau of Indian Affairs.

In June of 1982, members of the Micmac Indian Tribe in Aroostook County chose Presque Isle as their headquarters. As heirs of the First People, the Micmac Indians are part of the Eastern Algonquian-speaking peoples who have traditionally inhabited the territories of Maine and the Maritime Provinces.
Today, the resident core of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs consists of approximately 562 people. Of the 233 adult members, 135 live within a 20-mile radius of Presque Isle, 46 (20 percent) in and around Houlton, and 22 in and around Madawaska.

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