Will Basque was a poet, activist, combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps, and sma’knis (soldier) of the Sante Mawio’mi until his untimely death in 1998. He is the son of Mi’kmaw educator Elsie Basque and father Isaac Basque. He was initially a member of the Indian Brook First Nation and changed his membership to Eskasoni Reserve, living  his wife Rose in Eskasoni, and their four children, Kristen, Bryan (now deceased), Nicholas and Anne. He was president of the Boston Indian Council for many years and worked for the Union of Nova Scotia Indian in protecting aboriginal and treaty rights. He led the way in having the United States and Massachusetts affirm the Treaty of Watertown, 1776, where the Mi’kmaw Nation was the first nation to recognize the revolutionary United States of America. He was also significant in establishing relationship with the Irish in Boston and Ireland. He inspired everyone he met and those who read his poetry.