Post Contact Mi'kmaqc. 1600 to PresentThe word "Mi'kmaq" derives from nikmaq, a salutation that means "my kin friends". Later, through misunderstandings, errors in transcription, and English pronunciation, this became Micmac, and the tribal designation. Sometime during the 1500s the Mi'kmaq began to trade with European explorers and fishermen. Mi'kmaq tools made of bone and stone were gradually replaced with tools made of metal. Contact with French missionaries in the early 1600s led to an acceptance of Catholicism. This, combined with a growing dependence on French goods, led to an alliance between the French and the Mi'kmaq which lasted for over a century. Important archaeological sites from the historic Mi'kmaq period include drawings carved into bedrock known as petroglyphs. The Mi'kmaq petroglyph below depicts a sailing vessel similar to those used by Europeans.
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