“The Human-beings”
The Innu, called Montagnais by French missionaries, have lived on Canada’s Quebec-Labrador peninsula for over 1.800 years. Their territory is Nitassinan or Innu-assi1Mother Earth.
The nation comprises two bands, the Montagnais to the south, and the Naskapi/Pagan to the north. Their original language, Ilnu-aimum, is now extinct. Ilnu means “human being”.
Originally nomadic, the Innu lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle before colonization, roaming their vast territories hunting, trapping and fishing.
This is how they catalogued their territory, naming the places they walked.
From the 16th century onwards, they maintained relations with the French, participating in the fur trade with them. In the 17th century, they were evangelized by Catholic missionaries, without abandoning their own beliefs.
Colonization was punctuated by dramatic events, including terrible epidemics brought by the whites and famine in the communities, while deforestation, mining and hunting threatened their traditional way of life.
In the XXth century, they were subjected to policies of forced assimilation, including residential schools, and the repression of their language and culture. But the tide turned in the 1970s, period during which, the Innu decided to assert their rights and traditions, and began negotiations with the government.
Today, autonomy and self-determination are the order of the day. But if the territory’s issues are studied by band councils, development consultations are not unanimously approved by the majority in the communities. Some criticize them as hasty, with no regard for the environment or traditional values.
Although preserving their culture, language and territory is at the heart of their tradition, the Innu are currently facing major challenges due to the development issues facing the Far North.