Why did the Mi'kmaq settle in the Atlantic region?

Answer 1

North America was populated from the Northwest corner, down the West Coast and then across the continent towards Florida. The northern edge of this population expansion was limited by the Ice Sheet that was melting back due to global warming.

People would of course want to stay in the best areas, such as the North West Coastal areas but to do so they would have had to fight for it. There was a relatively constant flow of other people from Asia, and of increased North American population. These pressures forced people to fight if the wanted to stay and others to decide it was better to move on, deeper into the interior.

The Micmac and other tribes in the area were pushing the upper north east edge of habitable land. Habitable using their culture and technology. Further north other cultures like the Thule and Dorset would be better suited for the ice and cold that limited northward expansion by other cultures like the Micmac.

The Atlantic region of Canada was the last good supply of food and resources for such cultures. Migrations are not determined by climate as it was in the past, otherwise the Micmac and others would continue adjusting their territory based on climate and military power.

The Micmac settled in the Atlantic Region because it gave the resources and food they needed to be able to militarily defend their territory and to prosper. Which they did very well.