How did the Mi’kmaq use Prince Edward Island before European colonization?

Before European colonization, the Mi’kmaq people utilized Prince Edward Island primarily during the warmer seasons. They visited the island to engage in fishing, hunting, and some planting activities.1

Traditionally, the Mi’kmaq were a seasonally nomadic people. While their broader regional practices included hunting caribou, moose, and small game during the winter, and fishing, gathering shellfish, and hunting seals along the coasts during the summer, their specific use of the island was characterized by these seasonal movements and resource gathering.12