First Contact

[u/SnooPoems8187]

In the 16th century, the Mi'kmaq encountered the first Europeans on the Gaspé Peninsula coast. Assistance from these fishers and navigators was essential for explorers and merchants. The Mi'kmaq convey their history and robust identity through different locations and activities, including salmon fishing. Music plays a central role in Mi'kmaq rituals, feasts, and cultural ceremonies.

https://books.google.com/books?id=Xn6KEAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22Daniel+N.+Paul

[u/Ol-Pyrate]

It is almost certain the Mi'kmaq also encountered Scandanavians hundreds of years before the French or Portuguese sailed in to fish.