Long before the Bronze Age, before the first stones of the Egyptian Pyramids were put into place, before the Romans expanded and then conquered the known world, the Mi’kmaq made their home in this area as the ice sheets from the last Ice Age were melting away. Living a semi-nomadic lifestyle, they moved from place to place, following nature’s cycle as they searched for food and resources. A language and customs developed, seven districts were formed and the Mi’kmaq nation emerged.

Mi’kmaq legend foretold the eventual contact with European settlers and they were greeted as friends. Portuguese, Basque, English and French fishermen came first to this “New World” and a casual trade developed. With the claiming of Nova Scotia as part of Acadia in the 1600s by the French, Roman Catholicism came onto the scene. In 1610, Grand Chief Membertou was converted to the religion and the Mi’kmaq nation’s first treaty was with the Vatican and the Holy See.

Allied with the French, the Mi’kmaq endured some difficult times during the period of conflict between France and England, with the lowest point occurring during what some historians refer to as Father Le Loutre’s war. After a long period of conflict, a series of treaties with the British Crown were established.

For more information on the modern Mi’kmaq people, their history, traditions and beliefs, visit the Mi’kmaq Spirit website.