Mathieu da Costa

Mathieu da Costa is celebrated in national history as the first recorded person of African descent to arrive on Canadian soil. A highly skilled, free multilingual interpreter of Atlantic African or Portuguese background, da Costa possessed an extraordinary talent for learning Indigenous languages and maritime pidgins.

Hired by French lieutenant Pierre Dugua de Mons in 1608, da Costa joined Samuel de Champlain's expedition to Acadia and the St. Lawrence River. His fluency in Mi'kmaq pidgin allowed French colonists and Grand Chief Henri Membertou to negotiate trade agreements and alliances at Port Royal. Parks Canada designated him a Person of National Historic Significance.