Conne River, an Indian reservation, is inhabited by the Micmac Nation. The Micmac, a nomadic hunting and trapping tribe, moved between seasonal settlements at St. George's, Codroy, White Bear Bay and Conne River throughout the 1800's. These settlements were chosen chiefly because of their "proximity" to navigable waters (usually near the mouths of stream and rivers with heavy spawning runs). Conne River was also the most easterly point of hunting and trapping lines extending along the coast in the pathway of great caribou migration routes.

The advantages of its sheltered location at the mouth of the river, provided Europeans in the late 1700's with an excellent salmon fishing station. In the 1820's, it became a permanent sight of European activity.

There was no record of settlement at Conne River in the census of 1836 and 1845. In 1857, the census reported 55 residents, all Roman Catholic. The Use of the land a Conne River from the 1820's to the 1850's was seasonal. It appears that for Europeans and Micmacs, Conne River was one of the many bases touched upon in a migratory life that involved summer fishing for European fishermen at Conne River and winter at Ship Cove. For the Micmacs use of the location as a semi-permanent winter camp site and trapping base.

The religious devotion of the Conne River Micmac is that of the Roman Catholic faith. It had its roots in their early conversions by the French in Cape Briton in the 17th century. Bishop Fleming who had worked in encampment in August of 1835, had also noted their religion and described the settlement as a large collection irregularly disposed tents. The tents were constructed of long, straight poles which were struck in the ground, and tied at the top with birch fastenings. Flemming said mass every day for a week, regularly took confession and confirmed twenty-seven of their members. The others had been confirmed 50 years ago in Canada.

The first tent erected by the Indians when they had chosen a camp site was a large central one for prayer. According to a book used as an account and record book at Conne river since 1898, the first mass was said in a very rough house in 1841. Canadians with the European fishermen and traders alternately occupied Conne River. The Micmacs were not deep-sea fishermen like the Europeans, but they did depend on them for some food, clothing and part of their livelihood. The census of 1857 reported that the Indians of Bay d'Espior, Grandy's Brook and La Poile who traded hoops and buck rinds for bread, clothing and ammunition. There was a permanent resident, white European population in Conne River by at least the 1860's. Large quantities of wood and timber are being sent out of St. Pierre. Deer have been plentiful since November, and large numbers have been killed by the Indians. The census, 1869, reports that there were eighty Indians at Conne River and five whites were married to and resided among them.

A Roman Catholic school was established at St.Alban's in 1885 to serve the growing population of Bay d'Espoir where Conne River students attended school across the bay. There were 35 students from Conne River, Governor William MacGregor visited the settlement in 1908 to view first-hand its conditions and lifestyle. He reported a settlement of 23 families numbering 131 people who made their living mainly by hunting and trapping.

After World War II, in which some Conne River Micmacs served as sharp-shooters, Conne River became a settlement increasingly dependent on work outside the community.With the development contract logging, the Bay d'Espoir area provided employment in construction, although the flooding caused by these developments reportedly covered many of the traditional hunting grounds of Cone River Micmacs. In the report of the South coast commission(1957), out of the 149 residents of Conne River, 33 were reported to be employed with "shore activities" which constituted the major source of employment. The remainder were receiving assistance or "working away".

On May 29, 1972, Conne River was created as a Local improvement District(Royal Gazette: May 30, 1972). In 1974, mainly as a result of a renaissance of community awareness and action, to have their Micmac heritage officially recognized, Conne River was declared an Indian community under a Provincial agreement negotiated with the Government of Canada, whereby the latter reimbursed the province of Newfoundland for over 90% of monies spent on Indian reserves. At this time, a band council was formed with John n Jeddore as the first president. And Conne River Native Enterprises was established to help economic development on the new reserve.