After the white man arrived it did not take long for the Micmac way of life to change. They soon began to wear some European clothing. They began to hunt animals, not for the food, but to trade with the white man. The animal fur most wanted was that of the beaver. The beaver has a heavy, rich fur. Beaver hats were very well-liked in Europe at the time.
In Micmac stories the beaver was a very important animal. The Micmac people even gave a small place north of Newcastle the name of Beaverbrook. It was from this place that a famous Canadian, Lord Beaverbrook, took his title. The Micmacs had lived there for thousands of years. They thought there would always be lots of beaver. Within two hundred years the beaver was almost gone from the face of the earth. This is just one example of how the Micmacs’ beliefs about nature had been upset.