Welcome to Eskasoni Cultural Journeys

Eskasoni First Nation and the Highland Village Museum have collaborated to develop a unique multi-cultural tour (Mi’kmaq and Gaelic Culture). The tour includes two different and distinct cultures reflecting the parallels and common threads linking the cultures in history and present day.

Nestled along the Bras d'Or Lakes in Cape Breton's rolling heartland, where the highlands meet the lowlands along the shores of the island's beautiful inland sea, there's history, culture and beauty waiting to be discovered. There is a tremendously vibrant cultural heart in this region, beating with the drums of the Scottish who settled this land and of the Mi'kmaq who were here before. We'kwistoqnik', where the fir trees are plentiful, so derived our communities name Eskasoni. One of 5 Mi’kmaq communities in Cape Breton, 13 in Nova Scotia, Eskasoni is the largest Mi’kmaq community in the world. Eskasoni is the highest populated reserve in Nova Scotia, with a population of 3,893 (registered population as of October 2008).

Being a part of the Eskasoni Cultural Journey pilot tour allowed me to immerse myself into the culture of the Mi'kmaq people while taking in the breathtaking views of Cape Breton Island's Bras d'Or Lakes

Pilot Project Participant, 2009