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Mushuau Innu First Nation
The Mushuau Innu First Nation is one of the two Innu First Nations in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a unique cultural and historical background. The community is primarily located in Natuashish, a remote settlement on the northeastern coast of Labrador, which was created in 2002 after relocating from an older settlement called Davis Inlet. The Mushuau Innu people are of the Innu group, indigenous to the Nitassinan region, which spans parts of Labrador and Quebec.
History and Relocation
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.
Culture and Language
The Mushuau Innu retain many aspects of their traditional culture, including Innu-aimun, their language, which is part of the Algonquian language family. Hunting and fishing, particularly of caribou, remain central to their cultural practices. Elders in the community continue to pass down traditional knowledge, skills, and spiritual practices related to the land.
