The Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation app is now availablenow availablefree to downloadon iPhone and Androidin your pocket

Paqtnkek (pronounced "buck-n-keg") means "by the bay" or "above the water, but at a distance from the ocean." The community was established on March 3, 1820. Its populated reserve, Paqtnkek-Niktuek 23, is in Antigonish County, about 24 km east of the town of Antigonish. Families from three earlier settlements moved to Afton, and the community took the name Paqtnkek around 2001. The Nation belongs to the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq.

Community life follows Mi'kmaw values, including living in a harmonious, renewable way that respects the local environment. Many members fish, hunt and trap, and the area has long been important for eel fishing. Gatherings include powwows, traditional feasts and drumming circles. The community is also working to revitalize the Mi'kmaw language through language programs. The well-known Marshall treaty-rights case began here, in Paqtnkek down Walneg and Antigonish Harbour.

Paqtnkek's economy is growing through community-owned businesses and partnerships:

• Bayside Development Corporation, the Nation's business arm, incorporated in 2018
• Bayside Travel Centre, an award-winning retail business that provides steady jobs
• Paqtnkek Fisheries Enterprise
• A 2024 federal housing agreement to help build 25 homes over the next decade

Building the Trans-Canada Highway in 1960 split the reserve's land. A new highway interchange was agreed to in 2017 and opened in 2019. Today the Nation serves more than 600 band members and offers support for language, education and employment. You can learn more at the Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation website.