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Native American Legends: Nukumi (Nogami)
Name: Nukumi
Tribal affiliation: Micmac
Alternate spellings: Nogami, Nogumee, Nokumi, Noogumee, Nukumij, Noogume, Nogumich, Noogumich
Pronunciation: noo-goo-mee
Also known as: Kisikuskw/Kesegoocskw ("Old Lady")
Type: Wise woman,
grandmother
Related figures in other tribes: Grandmother Woodchuck (Abenaki),
Nokomis (Anishinabe)
Nukumi is the wise old grandmother of the Mi'kmaq culture hero
Glooskap.
The name Nukumi just means "grandmother" in Mi'kmaq.
In some legends Nukumi is said to have raised the hero after his mother's death in childbirth, but in most traditions, she was created from a rock by
Nishkam and adopted Glooskap as her grandson to give him guidance.
Nukumi and Fire
The Coming of Nukumi:
Mi'kmaq stories about the origin of Glooscap's grandmother Nukumi.
The Kidnapping of Glooskap's Family
A Wizard Carries Off Glooscap's Housekeeper
Glooskap and Winpe:
Three versions of a Mi'kmaq legend in which a giant kidnaps Glooskap's grandmother Noogumee.
Sponsored Links
Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends
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On the Trail of Elder Brother:
Good book of traditional stories told by a Mi'kmaq author and illustrator.
Giants of the Dawnland:
Another good collection of Wabanaki legends told by a Penobscot Indian author.
Algonquian Spirit:
Excellent anthology of stories, songs, and oral history from the Mi'kmaq and other Algonquian tribes.
Additional Resources
Mi'kmaq legends
The Micmac language
Wabanaki Confederacy
Nova Scotia Indians
Eastern Woodlands facts
Algonquians

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