Virtual Museum
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European Contact
The first recorded encounter of the Mi’kmaq with Europeans was with John Cabot on June 24, 1497.
An Italian-born English explorer, Cabot initially set sail in hopes of finding a quick route to the orient. Instead, he landed on what is now known as North America and met people of the rising sun: the Mi’kmaq, who reside on the northeastern shore of what we now know as Canada.
Cabot was sponsored by the English King Henry VIII to find the riches of the orient, but the encounter brought him different riches, oceans full of cod, and land filled with fur-bearing animals. These ‘tales of riches’ were brought back to Europe, and captured the interest of many explorers who followed thereafter.
Where the Mi’kmaq first came into contact with the Europeans is uncertain. It is possible to determine two places of contact: they are Newfoundland and the Gaspé Peninsula.
The Mi’kmaq were living in Newfoundland as well as travelling from Cape Breton to fish off the coast of Newfoundland.
Their contact came from the European fishing ships travelling to fish the rich waters. The “first official” known European contact came from the French, most likely through Jacques Cartier.
They met on the Gaspé Peninsula, a part of modern-day Quebec. Although it cannot be 100% certain, it is most likely that the Mi’kmaq “first officially” met Europeans on the Gaspé Peninsula.
After European Contact, the Mi’kmaq and Europeans had regular contact and traded with each other. The diet of Europeans consisted of a lot of fish and was the first resource Europeans harvested.
Due to limited access to cheap sources of salt, the fish could not be processed aboard the European ships. They established fish-drying huts on the coast, which required stays of two or three months. Fur traders later moved into Mi’kmaq territories. This caused them to move farther inland to trap furs, changing the primary food source from sea mammals to land mammals. The Mi’kmaq adjusted to European presence and were willing to share their territory.