Island Information
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1. From Prehistory to the Arrival of the Europeans
The first residents of Prince Edward Island arrived here about 10,000 years ago, when the area was still connected to the mainland. These Paleo-Indian hunters and foragers led a migratory existence, travelling throughout the region as the seasons and food supplies dictated. About 5,000 years ago, the sea level rose, removing the land bridge and creating an island once again.
More than a thousand years before Christopher Columbus made his landfall in North America, the Mi'kmaq had already made PEI their home. They called this beautiful Island "Epekwitk" (or "Abegweit"), meaning "resting on the waves."
Before the time of the European arrival, the Mi'kmaq of the Atlantic Region, the Gaspé Peninsula and parts of Maine were organized into seven political districts. Prince Edward Island was one of these districts. The seven districts made up the Mi'kmaq Nation, a union under the leadership of the Mi'kmaq Grand Council.
This information has been taken from website "Island Information"