The Mi’kmaw were likely the first people that European explorer John Cabot met in 1497 on the East Coast of what would come to be Atlantic Canada. That legacy of welcome, of bridging two worlds, lives on in the songs and fiddling of Cape Breton’s breakout roots artist Morgan Toney. With thousands of years of tradition behind him, Toney melds the Scottish heritage of this Nova Scotian island with Mi’kmaq songs, stories, and language in his own genre of music, “Mi’kmaltic,” meaning Mi’kmaq + Celtic. His new album, Heal the Divide (2025, Ishkōdé Records), recognizes the difficult history the L’nuk (Mi’kmaq People) and all First Nations peoples have had in Canada, but it also celebrates the L’nu legacy in Canadian culture. It’s part of Toney’s larger vision to bring people together, to set our differences aside, and walk toward a place that Toney calls the “Promised Land”. Morgan proudly welcomes the rest of Canada and the world to L’nu traditions as they contain many universal teachings. In his trio, Morgan is joined on stage by Keith Mullins (guitar, vocals, percussion) and Ryan Roberts (mandolin, vocals). Together, they have created a fusion of cultures, a bridge between two worlds, and a path ahead for Truth and Reconciliation.