The Mi’kmaq made canoes which could go in streams and rivers and even far out to sea. The canoes were made of birch bark over a light wooden frame. The Mi’kmaq could tell when it would be easiest to get the birch bark off the trees by the brightness of the firefly. The Mi’kmaq also made snowshoes, sleds and toboggans to get around easily in winter.

One of the most interesting ways the Mi’kmaw people used nature was their herbal medicines. They were so good at finding and using herbs that early explorers were amazed. Many European settlers would not have lived through their first winters here if the Mi’kmaq had not helped them with their medicines.

For example, ground juniper was boiled in pots made of birch bark to make a tonic for kidney ailments. White spruce bark was used as a tonic for colds, tuberculosis and sore throat. The outer bark of the alder bush was shaved off and soaked in water with a dash of peppermint. The shavings were then wrapped in a covering and put on the head for migraine headache.

For cuts, the Mi’kmaq placed a slice of beaver’s kidney on the open wound to draw out infection. Fir balsam was then used to dress the wound. A splint of three layers was used to set broken bones. First, the bones were reset. Then they were padded with fine moss which had been soaked in balsam, or a mixture like turpentine. This layer was then wrapped with soft birch bark. Hard pieces of bark were then tied around the broken arm or leg.

This is the way the Mi’kmaq lived until Europeans arrived. After that, their lives changed in many ways.