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National Geographic : 1993 Oct
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FEW LABRADORIANS criticize such behavior openly, but many privately wonder what will happen if the Canadian government grants control over most of Labrador to its 1,500 Innu Indians. (Although the names sound similar, the Innu are unrelated to the Inuit, who live along Labrador's northern coast. In fact, the two groups fought each other long ago. Like the Innu, the Inuit also claim rights to Labrador's lands and resources.) The Innu, formerly known as Montagnais Indians in central Labrador and as Naskapi in the north, all belong to the Algonquian family, which includes native peoples from South Carolina to the fringes of the Arctic. "Those old names-Montagnais and Naskapi-were given to us by other people," explained Peter Penashue, president of the Innu Nation. "We call ourselves Innu, which simply means 'the people.' " Given the speed of change in the outside world, it is hard to remember that Penashue's people were still living as nomads just 30 years ago, when they moved from tents to houses in Sheshatsheits and Davis Inlet, their two primary settlements. Unemployment and alcoholism run high in both of these places, where the suicide rates are far above the norm for Canada. Labrador,Canada'sPlaceApart
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