You are standing on the ancestral land of Aboriginals going back over 12,000 years. Pre-Europeans, the area was inhabited by the Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy and especially the Wolastoqiyik people. The latter’s name means “people of the beautiful river.” These hunter/gatherers were concentrated around the Saint John River in a community named Wikotik or, more correctly, Menahkwesk. The colonists called these First Nation people Maliseets or Malecites. This is one of two murals along the Harbour Passage Trail honoring these original inhabitants. The artwork by Emili Naish depicts Glooscap offering a pipe from his stone canoe. Also known as Gluskabe, he was an omnipotent hero in many cultural stories.
