The NunatuKavummiut (also called the ''people of

NunatuKavut NunatuKavut ( iu, italic=no, ᓄᓇᑐᑲᕗᑦ) is an unrecognized Inuit territory in Labrador. The NunatuKavut people (previously called Inuit-Metis or Labrador Metis) are the direct descendants of the Inuit that lived south of the Churchil ...

'', formerly Labrador Metis or Inuit-metis) are a people formally recognized by the federal government as among the

Indigenous peoples in Canada In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and ''Eskimo'' have fallen into disuse in Canada, and most consider them ...

. They live in central to southern Labrador, and are of mixed Inuit and European heritage. According to recent censuses completed by Statistics Canada, the vast majority of individuals living in NunatuKavut communities identify as 'Métis' as opposed to 'Inuit'. However, they are unrelated to the Metis people of the Red River Colony of Western Canada. ''Nunatuĸavut'' or ''

'' means "Our ancient land" in the traditional Inuttitut dialect of central and southern Labrador. The region claimed by the NunatuKavut Community Council encompasses southern Labrador, from the Grand River (Newfoundland name: Churchill River), South to Lodge Bay and West to the extent of the official border between Quebec and Labrador. However, their proposed land use area is much more extensive.

Nomenclature

The exact term for NunatuKavut's people is uncertain. Historically, terms such as "half-breeds" or "settlers" were used (the former was also commonly used to refer to the Métis). Terms today include "Métis", "Inuit-Métis" and "Southern Inuit".

History

Arrival in southern Labrador

The people are claimed to be the sole ancestors of the southern Inuit of Labrador who have continuously occupied and used the region for almost a thousand years, long before the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador refers to the provincial government of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was established by the Newfoundland Act and its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867. Lie ...

made any real foray into the area in the early 20th century. According to one theory, the Inuit arrived in Labrador in the 15th century from

Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is , slightly larger than Spain; its population was 13,039 as of the 2021 Canadia ...

. Archeological evidence shows they lived as far south as the Sandwich Bay area.

Contact with Europeans

The Inuit were in conflict with the Basque and French whalers beginning in the mid-1500s.

Treaty of 1765

Following the defeat of France in the Seven Years' War, Britain laid claim to Labrador. The British governor of Newfoundland

Sir Hugh Palliser Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet (26 February 1723 – 19 March 1796) was a Royal Navy officer. As captain of the 58-gun HMS ''Eagle'' he engaged and defeated the French 50-gun ''Duc d'Aquitain'' off Ushant in May 1757 during the Seven ...

signed a treaty with the southern Labrador Inuit in 1765.

Marriage between Europeans and Inuit

During the 19th century, some European men, settled, took Inuit wives, and permanently assimilated into the local culture. Although influenced in many ways by prolonged contact with seasonal workers and merchants, the culture and way of life has remained distinctly Inuit.

Distribution

NunatuKavut consists of a region of southern Labrador that encompasses communities from Lodge Bay (located on the Lodge River) to the communities located on the coast of Sandwich Bay (Paradise River and Cartwright). However, there are notable populations of people of mixed European and Inuit descent in other parts of Labrador too. Many Inuit in the southern parts of Nunatsiavut are descended from fur traders that worked in the region. NunatuKavut also has a large diaspora in many other parts of Newfoundland and Labrador such as the communities located along the Strait of Belle Isle and on the island of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. Many residents of the Quebec community of

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afri ...

(known officially as "Saint-Augustin") are also of Inuit and European descent but are represented by Nunamit.

Organization

NunatuKavummiut are today represented by the NunatuKavut Community Council which was formed in 2010 from its predecessor the Labrador Métis Nation (formerly Labrador Métis Association). They are members of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples along with other non-Status Aboriginal groups.

Land claim

The people of NunatuKavut, claim NunatuKavut as their homeland, and are in process of launching an Aboriginal land claim with the Canadian courts. They are also active in the debates over the

Lower Churchill The Lower Churchill Project is an ongoing hydroelectric project in the Labrador region of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, to develop the remaining 35 per cent of the Churchill River that was not developed by the Churchill Falls Generating Stat ...

hydroelectric project, and the dam at

Muskrat Falls Muskrat Falls was a natural waterfall located on the Churchill River (Atlantic), Churchill River about west of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador. The hydropower potential of Muskrat Falls was recognized in the early 1900s when the Grand River Pul ...

References

{{Inuit Indigenous peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador Labrador Inuit groups Métis in Canada