The history of human activity in Michigan, a U.S. state in the Great Lakes, began with settlement of the western Great Lakes region by Native Americans perhaps as early as 11,000 BCE.The first Europeans to arrive in Michigan were the French. Explorer Etienne Brule traveled through Michigan in 1618 searching for a route to China. Soon the French laid claim to the land and began to trade with the local natives for furs. Men called "voyageurs" would travel the rivers by canoe trading various goods for furs that would bring a high price back in Europe.