Niniskamijinaqik / Ancestral Images

Niniskamijinaqik - Ancestral Images provides a glimpse into the lives of the Mi'kmaq of Atlantic Canada. The opening images in this collection were created by the Mi'kmaq themselves: portrayals of human beings carved into the rock formations of Nova Scotia. Then there are the earliest surviving European depictions of Mi'kmaq, decorations on the maps of Samuel de Champlain. These people, too, are faceless, as anonymous to the artist as were the people of whom he had so little knowledge. This book includes 94 of the finest pieces of art or photography, chosen from more than a thousand extant portraits in different media, that show the Mi'kmaq people. The images in this collection date from the earliest petroglyphs to contemporary photographs, and are accompanied by explanatory notes about the individuals represented.