Innu facts for kids

The Innu (or Montagnais) are an Indigenous people group who live in Quebec and Newfoundland.

They lived as hunter-gatherers. Then the Canadian government moved them away from their homeland and forced them to practice Western lifestyles.

Land

The Innu call the territory they live in Nitassinan ("Our Land").

History

Roman Catholic ceremony of Innu and other First Nations people in the Labrador

The Canadian government forced the Innu to live in permanent communities instead of letting them practice their nomadic lifestyle. They also forced them to go to schools run by churches. In those schools, the Innu were not allowed to practice their religion or speak their language. Because of all the wrong things done to the Innu, they have a lot of social problems. On one hand, they lost a lot of knowledge about their traditional ways. On the other hand, the schools did not prepare them well enough to live in Western society and they still faced racism because they were Indigenous.

Images for kids

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  Lands traditionally inhabited by the Innu. Naskapi land is shown in yellow and Montagnais land in red

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  Reindeer hunting in Labrador

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  "Buckle up your children" sign in Innu-aimun language, in the Pointe-Parent reserve near Natasquan, Quebec.

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  Housing

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  Canoes

See also

In Spanish: Innu para niños