WHO ARE THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLES OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR?
Basic fact sheet prepared for faculty and staff of Memorial University
By Maura Hanrahan, Ph.D., Special Advisor for Aboriginal Affairs
1. The First Nations (formerly known as Indian) peoples include:
The Innu of Labrador (and Quebec): The Innu live in Natuashish and Sheshatshiu. Each community has
a chief and council (Mushuau Innu First Nation and Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation respectively).
Together they make up the Innu Nation. Their language, Innu-aimun, is the first language of all Innu
although education is in English. There are about 2300 Innu in the province, with the vast majority
living in the two communities. See www.innu.ca
The Mi’kmaq live all over the island but are concentrated on the West and South Coasts and Central
Newfoundland. The Federation of Newfoundland (FNI) has 11 member bands. Mi’kmaq speak English
in this province; like the majority of Aboriginal languages in Canada, the Mi’kmaq language is a
threatened language elsewhere in Canada. There are several thousand people of Mi’kmaq ancestry
currently registered in FNI bands. See www.fni.nf.ca (And see memo on Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation
for updated information.)
The only reserve on the island of Newfoundland is a Mi’kmaq reserve at Conne River (Miawpukek First
Nation), home to about 800 people with 1700 living off-reserve.
History and Politics: Note that when Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949 the Indian Act was not
applied. This means that First Nations people in this province did not have reserves, status, or access to
many of the benefits enjoyed by other First Nations people in Canada. Miawpukek became a reserve in
1987 -- after a long struggle. The other Mi’kmaq bands were set to follow but the federal government
did not act on this. It is only now that the other FNI bands are in the process of registering under the
Indian Act, again after a long struggle. There will likely be almost 20,000 members of the new band the
FNI is forming, the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation— see www.qalipu.com
The Innu were registered and reserves established earlier this decade, again after a long struggle for
recognition.
2. The Inuit (formerly known as Eskimo) never come under the Indian Act anywhere in Canada.
The Inuit peoples of this province include:
The Inuit of Nunatsiavut whose heartland is the North Coast of Labrador consisting of five communities
as well as others in Central Labrador. There are several thousand Nunatsiavut Inuit. They settled their
land claim in 2005 and established the Nunatsiavut Government (NG). Some Inuit in Hopedale and Nain
in particular speak Inuktitut and one of the priorities of the NG is to preserve the language. See
www.nunatsiavut.com
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The Southern Inuit of NunatuKavut’s heartland is the South Coast of Labrador from Lodge Bay to
Paradise River although members live in Central Labrador and elsewhere. There are several thousand
Southern Inuit, formerly known as Metis. Their first language is now English although, as in some
Nunatsiavut communities where Inuktitut is no longer the language of daily life, ‘pieces of Inuktitut’
survive. The NunatuKavut land clam is not yet settled although progress is being made. See
www.labradormetis.ca
One of the reasons for the historical and political divide between the Inuit-descended peoples is the
presence of the Moravian missionaries in Northern Labrador and not Southern Labrador.
3. Myths about the Aboriginal peoples of the province, some of them causing lasting damage,
include:
The Mi’kmaq were brought over from Nova Scotia to kill the Beothuck
The Mi’kmaq came to Newfoundland after Europeans did
Aboriginal communities are completely dysfunctional with alcoholism dominating everything
There were no residential schools in Newfoundland or Labrador
Indian status is decided by blood quotient
Inuit have Indian status
Aboriginal people don’t pay taxes
Aboriginal people get free tuition at university
Aboriginal culture is dead or not ‘real’ or ‘authentic’ anymore
Anyone can sign up for First Nation band membership and enjoy benefits
Etc.
Meanwhile, Aboriginal people are making significant contributions to the life of the province and to
Memorial. I am pleased to meet with any faculty and staff to help advance the understanding of the
Aboriginal peoples of the province and at Memorial, either formally or informally. In such discussions,
any and all questions are welcome.
Wela’lin (thank you in Mi’kmaq)
Maura Hanrahan
[email protected]
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