How European Hostilities Impacted First Nations in the Atlantic Provinces

The Indigenous history of the Canadian Atlantic Provinces is inseparable from that of the fur trade

Colin Fraser Jr., a trader at Fort Chipewyan (Alberta) photographed as he sorts fox, beaver, mink & other furs, 1890s, via Wikimedia Commons

When we think about Canada’s colonial history, we think about residential schools, forced relocations, land theft, battles, and massacres. However, Canada’s colonial history is also more than that. It’s a history of encounters and trade. The Mi’kmaq, the Wolastoqiyik, and the Beothuk, the traditional custodians of the Canadian Atlantic Provinces, were not just victims, as colonial propaganda often portrayed them.

When they sided with the French against the British, for instance, or when they joined the Wabanaki Confederacy, they were more than just pawns in the larger game of European alliances and hostilities: they were active players, determined to pursue their interests and actively influencing Canada’s history. Here is a look at their culture and history.

What do we mean by Atlantic Provinces?

Forillon National Park, Gaspé Peninsula, photograph by Jeffrey Eisen on Unsplash

Together with the rocky and windswept Gaspé Peninsula (La Gaspésie) in the Gulf of St…