The legend on how Nigadoo got its name goes back to those times before European settlers came. Historically, is known that the Mi’gmaq people and the Iroquois (Mohawk) people were sometimes at war with each other, as their territories bordered each other around the area now known as Edmundston.
It was during one of these wars or conflicts that it was said that a hundred Iroquois canoes were seen coming over the cape, what is known as Gespe'g "Gespe’g" meaning "end of the world", or "where the world ends".
The Mohawk were on a mission to invade the Mi’gmaq people along the Bay of Chaleur which was actually called (Mowebâktabāāk) meaning "The Biggest Bay".[4] Little did the Mohawk know, that there were Mi’gmaq scouts and runners who saw the fleet of canoes coming.
The Mi’gmaq in the Gespe’g sent runners or messengers ahead of the fleet to warn each village that the Mohawk warriors were coming. By the time the message was relayed all the way to Nepisiguit, “Oinpegitjoig ”[5] the Mi’gmaq warriors had enough time to gather an offensive and they chose the mouth of the Nigadoo river to hide their canoes to ambush the Mohawk.
The mouth of the Nigadoo River was a strategic location due to the way the River is hidden from the Bay, as it flows around a sand bar that can still be seen to this day.
As the Mohawk fleet of canoes made their way down along the coast, they were surprised and ambushed by the Mi’gmaq warriors who defeated the invaders. It was after the success of this battle that the Mi’gmaq forever called this place "Mimoogwodoo"”.
Over time, as French Acadian settlers came to this place, they asked their friends and neighbors the Mi’gmaq people what this meant. It is speculated that the French settlers could not properly pronounce Mimoogwodoo (mim-moo-gwah-doo) and over time it came to be known as Nigadoo.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Nigadoo had a population of 997 living in 436 of its 450 total private dwellings, a change of 3.5% from its 2016 population of 963. With a land area of 7.65 km2 (2.95 sq mi), it had a population density of 130.3/km2 (337.5/sq mi) in 2021.[1]
Canada census – Nigadoo, New Brunswick community profile
^Silas T. Rand Dictionary of the Language of the MicMac Indians who reside in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton and Newfoundland. by REV. Sials Tertius Rand, D.D., L.L.D. Halifax, N.S.: Nova Scotia printing company 1888
^Mowebâktabāāk (Mowee-bawk-tay-bay-k) -Mi’gmaq word meaning “The Biggest Bay” which is now known as the Baie Des Chaleur. Silas T. Rand, 1875. Oinpegitjoig (win-peg-it-joe-ick) meaning roughly flowing water or evil flowing waters
^Spelling by Linguist Gilbert Sewell at Pabineau First Nation. www.pabineaufirstnation.ca
