| Mathieu Da Costa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Africa |
| Died | 1698 |
| Other names | Lusofonia (African birth name)[1] d'Acosta da Costa |
| Occupation | Translator and Explorer |
| Known for | First recorded black person in Canada, Exploration of New France, Bridge between the Aboriginal peoples in Canada and the Europeon explorers through his translation |
Mathieu da Costa (sometimes d'Acosta or da Costa) (died 1698) is the first recorded black person in Canada. He was a member of the exploring party of Pierre Dugua, the Sieur de Monts and Samuel de Champlain in the early 17th century.
Not much is documented on da Costa, but he is known to have been a freeman favoured by explorers for his multilingual talents. His portfolio of languages - thought to include Dutch, English, French, Portuguese and pidgin Basque, the dialect many Aboriginals used for trading purposes - led him into the employ of Champlain in the role of interpreter.[2]
This job came to be known as un grumete. He not only worked with Pierre Du Gua de Monts, but other nations, like France and Holland. There were even disputes over which country would benefit from his services. His talents helped him bridge the gap between the Europeans and the Mi'kmaq people.
It is thought that he came to Canada at some time before 1603, using his visit to learn the Mi'kmaq dialect. One source has him coming to Acadie in a Portuguese ship where he learned the Micmac language. A Rouen merchant then kidnapped him in Portugal or in the East Indies and sold or lent him to De Monts as an interpreter.[3] French papers record him working for government of Port Royal in 1608.[4] He likely travelled the St. Lawrence River and worked at various locations along the Canadian Atlantic Coast. There is controversy as to how he had learned to communicate with the Aboriginals, with one answer being that the North American context was very similar to the African one.
Mathieu Da Costa was a shopkeeper and translator from an African background who likely traveled throughout the Atlantic world in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. As a translator, he was wanted by the French and the Dutch to help in their trade with the Aboriginal people.
The tradition of Europeans depending on Black translators was more than a century old by Da Costa's time. It began by exploring off the African coast and continued as Europeans and Africans came across to the Americas. Mathieu Da Costa sailed on many voyages, traveling up the St. Lawrence River and all along the coast of what is now Atlantic Canada. He worked with Pierre Du Gua de Monts, a leader in the group of French settlements in Eastern Canada, and with Samuel de Champlain in the 17th century. It is said that he obviously spoke Mi' kmaq. That shows that he was here before Champlain. His translating skills helped link the cultural gap between early French explorers and the Mi'kmaq people.[5] His work in Canada is honored at the Port Royal Habitation National Historic Site of Canada in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.[5]
A plaque at Port Royal, Nova Scotia commemorates Da Costa's contribution. It is part of the Mathieu da Costa African Heritage Trail, a series of monuments marking African Nova Scotian history in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley.[6] It was unveiled in July 2005[7]
The Mathieu Da Costa Challenge is an annual creative writing and artwork contest launched in 1996 by the Department of Canadian Heritage. The challenge encourages youth to discover how diversity has shaped Canada’s history and the important role that pluralism plays in Canadian society.[8]