Originally settled by Maritime Archaic Indians, the Miramichi River valley was controlled by the Mi'kmaq Nation at the time of European discovery.
The Miramichi River valley initially became a refuge for Acadians fleeing the Great Upheaval in the Annapolis Valley, Tantramar Marshes and Ile-Saint-Jean following the Seven Years' War, however these families were soon forced to move to more isolated coastal areas to the northeast.