Despite relentless attempts by the Canadian government to erase Norse history and heritage in Canada, and to deny the existence of many Norse settlements, there is increasingly mounting evidence that the Norse were in fact the first European settlers in many parts of Canada.
Beyond ancient texts, sagas, oral traditions, and archeological evidence, there are also peculiar similarities between norrœnt (Old Norse) and the Algonquin language. As a matter of fact, after years of studying both languages, Reider T. Sherwin, author of "The Viking and the Red Man" went as far as declaring that “The Algonquin Language is Old Norse... The truth cannot be defeated.”
The premise that the Algonquin language would be in fact based on Old Norse also puts into question the very concept of the Algonquin as "First" Nations.
