Mathieu de Costa (sometimes d'Acosta) is the first recorded free black person in Canada, favoured by explorers for his multilingual talents. He was a member of the exploring party of Pierre Dugua, the Sieur de Monts and Samuel de Champlain in the early 17th century.
A.J.B Johnston, « Research Note: Mathieu Da Costa along the Coasts of Nova Scotia: Some Possibilities », Journal of the Royal Nova Scotia Historic Society, 4 (2001): 152‒64.
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