Miꞌkmaw hieroglyphs

Miꞌkmaw hieroglyphic writing or Suckerfish script (

In 1978, Ives Goddard and William Fitzhugh of the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution, contended that the pre-missionary system was purely mnemonic.^{[citation needed]} They said that it could not have been used to write new compositions.^{[citation needed]}

By contrast, in a 1995 book, David L. Schmidt and Murdena Marshall published some of the post-missionary prayers, narratives, and liturgies, as represented by hieroglyphs—pictographic symbols, which the French missionaries had used in the last quarter of the seventeenth century, to teach prayers and hymns.^[2] Schmidt and Marshall showed that these hieroglyphics served as a fully functional writing system.^[2] They said that it was the oldest writing system for a native language in North America north of Mexico.^[2]

Michelle Sylliboy^[4] indicates that "(a) French missionary stole our historical narrative with outlandish claims about our written language," and cites her Mikm'aw grandmother (Lillian B. Marshall, 1934-2018) who stated in her "last conversation before she died, to make sure to tell “them” that we’ve always had our language," seemingly asserting that Le Clercq did not invent the script, and it had been in use by the people long before him. However, this does not square with the fact that after Le Clerq's return to France in 1687, the script had to be taught to other groups of Mi'kmaq by other missionaries, indicating it was not a script that the indigenous peoples already knew.^[5]

History

Father Le Clercq, a

This adapted writing system proved popular among Miꞌkmaq. They were still using it in the 19th century.^[citation needed] Since there is no historical or archaeological evidence of these symbols from before the arrival of this missionary, it is unclear how ancient the use of the pre-missionary mnemonic glyphs was. The relationship of these symbols to Miꞌkmaq petroglyphs, which predated European encounter, is unclear.

The Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site (KNPNHS), petroglyphs of "life-ways of the Mi'kmaw", include written hieroglyphics, human figures, Mi'kmaq houses and lodges, decorations including crosses, sailing vessels, and animals, etched into slate rocks. These are attributed to the Mi'kmaq, who have continuously inhabited the area since prehistoric times.^[7]: 1 The petroglyphs date from the late prehistoric period through the nineteenth century.^[7]: 32 A Mi'kmaq healer, Jerry Lonecloud, transcribed some of these petroglyphs in 1912, and donated his copies to the provincial museum.^{[7]: 6 [8]}

• 
  The beginning of the Lord's Prayer in Míkmaq hieroglyphs. The text reads Nujjinen wásóq – "Our father / in heaven"
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  The full text.
• 
  Text of the Rite of Confirmation in Míkmaq hieroglyphs. The text reads Koqoey nakla msɨt telikaqumilálaji? – literally 'Why / those / all / after he did that to them?', or "Why are all these different steps necessary?"
• 
  Page 5 of Buch das gut, enthaltend den Katechismus by Christian Kauder

See also

• Wiigwaasabak – Ojibwe hieroglyphic birchbarks

References