Historically, the Mushuau Innu were nomadic hunters and gatherers who traveled across their traditional lands. However, by the mid-20th century, like many other Indigenous groups in Canada, they experienced significant disruption due to colonial policies and pressures to settle in fixed locations. This led to their settlement in Davis Inlet in the 1960s, which proved problematic due to poor planning, lack of infrastructure, and environmental unsuitability.

Davis Inlet became notorious for social issues such as poverty, substance abuse, and inadequate housing, especially after a disturbing video in the early 1990s showed children inhaling gasoline fumes, sparking national and international concern. In response, the Canadian government initiated the relocation of the Mushuau Innu people to Natuashish in 2002, a move intended to improve living conditions and restore cultural pride. Natuashish was designed to provide better housing, infrastructure, and access to traditional hunting grounds.