Indigenous Sydney: Unama’ki, Nations and Community
An introduction to Sydney: its history, the Nations whose lands it sits on, and Indigenous community life today, with sources.
About Sydney
Sydney lies near the eastern end of Cape Breton Island on a sheltered harbour once known as Spanish Bay. Coal mining and, from 1899, the Dominion Iron and Steel works shaped the community for generations; both industries declined after the Second World War, and cruise ship visits now bring tourism to the waterfront. Incorporated as a city in 1900, Sydney became part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality when it formed in 1995. Cape Breton University stands on the outskirts of the city, and its Unama’ki College offers Mi’kmaq Studies and Integrative Science and has graduated more than 1,000 Indigenous students. Membertou First Nation borders Sydney; its residents were forced to relocate from the Kings Road Reserve on Sydney Harbour in the early twentieth century, and the community now runs a convention centre and a sports and wellness centre.
Sydney history
Cape Breton Island is Unama’ki, one of the seven districts of Mi’gma’gi, the Mi’kmaq homeland. The Mi’kmaq Grand Council, or Sante’ Mawio’mi, governed before Europeans arrived and still brings representatives together today. The Mi’kmaq signed treaties with the British in 1726, 1749, 1752 and 1760–61. These became known as the Peace and Friendship Treaties. In 1999 the Supreme Court’s Marshall decision affirmed a Mi’kmaq right to a moderate livelihood from hunting and fishing, based on the 1760–61 treaties. In 1784 Britain split Cape Breton from Nova Scotia as a separate colony and a refuge for Loyalists. The next year Governor J.F.W. DesBarres chose Sydney as its capital and laid out the townsite. He named it for Lord Sydney. Cape Breton rejoined Nova Scotia in 1820, after nearly four decades of separate rule. A rail link to central Canada arrived in the 1880s. More than a decade later, a steel company chose Sydney for its mill. After the industrial decline, a $400 million cleanup of the Sydney Tar Ponds, funded by Ottawa and the province, was finished in 2013.
Treaty and territory
Sydney is in Unama’ki, part of Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq, covered by the Peace and Friendship Treaties. Membertou First Nation is within the city.
Nearby: Membertou First Nation · Eskasoni First Nation · Glace Bay · North Sydney
Indigenous Sydney today
The Canadian Encyclopedia reports 13 Mi’kmaq nations in Nova Scotia, with 19,157 registered members as of January 2024. About 9,000 people spoke Mi’kmaw in 2021, up from around 6,000 in 1970. Since October 1, 1986, Treaty Day has marked the Peace and Friendship Treaties each year. Membertou calls itself an urban and progressive Mi’kmaq community on Unama’ki. It is led by a Chief and twelve councillors. Its development corporation, incorporated in 1989, drives business growth, and Membertou has been named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. Membertou Heritage Park offers guided tours, workshops, archives and community stories. Eskasoni describes itself as a leader in self-governance and cultural preservation, and it greets visitors in Mi’kmaw. At Cape Breton University, Unama’ki College has supported Indigenous education for almost 50 years. It has Mi’kmaw-speaking faculty and staff, and it delivers courses in Mi’kmaw communities. Its Elmitek Pathway Program was built with local communities to open doors for high school and mature learners. Its student spaces include study pods, kitchenettes and room for language learning and ceremonies.
Life in Sydney
Sydney had 30,960 people in the 2021 census. The world’s largest fiddle stands on the waterfront beside the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion, welcoming cruise passengers. Where the tar ponds once lay, Open Hearth Park now hosts major events, including an Aerosmith concert in 2014. Hockey is a big draw. The Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play at Centre 200. Goaltender Marc-André Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup winner, is among the team’s alumni. Music runs through the island. Each October, Celtic Colours International Festival fills nine days with 52 concerts and hundreds of community events across Cape Breton. The municipal events calendar also features the Makin’ Waves Festival. JA Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport, in nearby Reserve Mines, keeps the city connected year-round. The airport is served year-round by Air Canada and seasonally by WestJet.
Sydney seasons and weather
Cape Breton weather swings quickly, with snowy, windy winters and cool, foggy days even in early summer. Layering a tee under a heavier hoodie keeps you ready for the harbour breeze.
More on the region: Indigenous Nova Scotia · all of Canada.
Keep learning in the XUSI Journal
- First Nations, Métis and Inuit: What’s the Difference?
- How to Write a Land Acknowledgement That Means Something
- Orange Shirt Day & the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- National Indigenous Peoples Day and History Month: A Guide
- All Journal articles
Sydney questions
Is there free shipping to Sydney, Nova Scotia?
Orders of $90 or more ship free anywhere in Canada, including Cape Breton. Below that amount, the shipping cost is calculated at checkout.
What if a hoodie I ordered to Cape Breton does not fit?
Returns can be requested within 30 days. Every order ships from Saskatoon, usually leaving within 1–3 business days.
Could a Mi’kmaw language class in Membertou or Eskasoni order shirts with its own words?
Yes. Send us your wording and we will help with the layout, using up to 4 colours per design. Runs start at 10 garments, and every order is quoted before printing. Please check spellings with your own speakers, because we print exactly what you approve.
Would an XUSI shirt be a good gift for Treaty Day on October 1?
It could be a thoughtful choice. Our designs come from our home in Treaty 6 and carry Cree words and stories, explained on our meanings page. They are not Mi’kmaw designs, so pairing a gift with support for local Mi’kmaw artists is a good way to honour Treaty Day in Unama’ki.
Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources listed below.
Indigenous clothing from XUSI
From Saskatoon to Unama’ki: XUSI, a brand owned by Indigenous people in Treaty 6, sends its hoodies, hats and tees to shoppers in Sydney and across the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
Sydney weather is windy and wet, so we build for the harbour. A heavyweight cotton tee and an A-frame snapback suit a July afternoon by the Big Fiddle or a show at Open Hearth Park. When the October Celtic Colours season arrives, a Revitalize Culture crewneck or a zip hoodie handles cool nights between concerts. Eagles games at Centre 200 call for a Golden Era ringer tee under an open hoodie. Through stormy winters, our heaviest hoodie goes under a waterproof coat. A women’s baby rib tee layers neatly for CBU campus days.
