Native American Facts For Kids was written for young people learning about the Innus for school or home-schooling reports. We encourage students
and teachers to look through our main Innu website
for more in-depth information
about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with
Innu pictures and links we believe are suitable for all ages.
How are the words 'Montagnais,' 'Naskapi,' and 'Innu' used? What do they mean? Innu is the word that both Naskapi and Montagnais Indians call themselves. Innu means "the people" in
both their languages. Montagnais (pronounced moan-tahn-YAY) was what French explorers called certain Innu bands. Montagnais means
"mountain people" in French. Naskapi (pronounced NAS-ka-pee) was a Montagnais word for an
Innu band that spoke a slightly different language than the others. Apparently
they also dressed differently, because Naskapi means 'they wear crude clothes' in the Montagnais language!
Despite different fashion senses, the Naskapi and Montagnais bands
were constant allies and have always considered themselves part of the same Innu people.
'Innu' and 'Inuit' sound a lot alike. Are the Innu related to the Inuit/Eskimos?
No, the similarity is a coincidence. The Innu and Inuit languages are completely different.
The Innu are most closely related to the Cree Indians.
The Innus and Crees don't have much in common with the Inuit culturally, but they did interact with them sometimes.
It was probably Innu or Eastern Cree Indians who gave the Inuit their familiar Algonquian name, Eskimo (people who eat raw
meat.)
Where do the Innus live?
The Innu are indigenous people of Canada, particualrly eastern Quebec and Labrador. Most Innu people still live in this traditional territory
today, which they call Nitassinan.
How is the Innu Indian nation organized?
Montagnais and Naskapi Indian communities lives on special reserves (called reservations in the
United States.) A reserve is land that belongs to the tribe and is under their control.
Each Innu community, called a First Nation or band, has its own government, laws, police, and
services, just like a small country. Some Innu bands have also formed coalitions to address common problems.
Today, each Innu band is led by a chief chosen by the tribal council. In the past, though, there were no Innu chiefs.
The Montagnais and Naskapis made political decisions by consensus. That means that no Innu council member was in
charge of another one--they just had to keep talking until all the council members could agree.
Sometimes this took a long time, but Innu bands were small and the
people really valued harmonious behavior, so for them it was a good system.
What language do the Innus speak?
Most Innu people speak one of their two native languages, Montagnais and Naskapi. These languages are very similar to each other and to
Cree, but speakers of the three languages have trouble understanding each other.
Today, many Innu people also speak French or English.
If you'd like to know a few easy Innu words,
kue means "hello" in Montagnais and aiame
means "goodbye." You can also see a Montagnais Innu photo glossary here.
What was Innu culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here's a link to the homepage of the Innu Nation.
On their site you can find information about the Innu people in the past and today.
How do Innu Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house.
Many Innu children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more
chores and less time to play, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls and toys to play with--
here is a picture of an Innu children's toy.
Innu mothers generally carried their babies in moss-bag carriers, though some women adopted
Cree-style cradleboards.
What were Innu homes like in the past? The Innu made large conical wigwams out of wood frames
they covered with birchbark and caribou hides.
Here are some pictures of Native American wigwams like
the ones Innu Indians used.
Innu villages also often included a larger, central lodge for tribal gatherings and festivities.
Today, Native Americans only build a wigwam or lodge for fun or to connect with their heritage. Most Innus live in modern houses and apartment buildings,
just like you.
What was Innu clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Innu women wore long dresses with removable sleeves. Innu men wore
breechclout and leggings.
The Innus also wore moccasin boots and long coats made of white leather.
Innu people frequently painted their coats, leggings, and dresses with fancy black and red designs.
Some Naskapi Indians also adopted the warmer Eskimo-style parka. Maybe this was why the Montagnais thought the Naskapis were crude dressers, or maybe the
Montagnais just didn't like Naskapi painting designs as much as their own. Here is a link to our page on
First Nations clothing in general, where you can find photographs and more links
about these traditional clothing styles.
The Innus didn't wear headdresses. They usually wore hoods in the winter and went bare-headed in the summer. Innu men and women both wore their
hair long, which is still common today. The Innus didn't usually paint their faces, though Innu men did
tattoo patterns on their skin sometimes.
Today, some Innu people still wear moccasins or a traditional leather coat...
but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths.
What was Innu transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
Yes--the Innu tribe was well-known for their birchbark canoes. Here's a page of
canoe pictures comparing Innu canoes
to the canoe styles of neighboring tribes. Canoeing is still popular within the Innu nation, though few people handcraft
their own canoe from birch bark anymore. Over land, Innu people used snowshoes and sleds to help
them travel. Today, of course, Innu people also use cars and snowmobiles... and non-native people also use canoes and
snowshoes.
What was Innu food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Innu were primarily big game hunters. Men hunted moose, caribou, and bears by driving them into deep snow or
onto thin ice and shooting them with arrows. Women snared small game like rabbits and collected berries and wild plants.
Along the coasts, the Innu also speared fish for their diet. Unlike the Inuit, the Innu always cooked meat before eating it.
What were Innu weapons and tools like in the past?
Innu hunters and warriors used bows and arrows, spears, and knives.
What are Innu arts and crafts like?
Innu artists are known for their hide paintings and their beautiful clothing. With red ochre and black paint, Innu men and women decorated their
clothing and personal items with intricate patterns. Here is a website with photos of
Innu caribou-hide paintings.
What other Native Americans did the Innu tribe interact with?
The most important Innu trading partners were the Cree,
Algonquin, and
Ojibway tribes. Since they weren't farmers themselves, the Innus
liked to trade furs for agricultural products like corn and tobacco. The Innu people were not especially warlike, but they
sometimes fought against the Iroquois tribes and the
Inuit.
What kinds of stories do the Innus tell?
There are lots of traditional Innu legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the
Innu Indian culture. Here is a humorous Innu legend about a greedy lynx.
What about Innu religion?
Religions are too complicated and culturally sensitive to describe appropriately
in only a few simple sentences, and we strongly want to avoid misleading anybody. You can visit this site to learn more about
Innu spirituality or this site about
Indian religions in general.
Can you recommend a good book for me to read?
You may enjoy
River Runners, which is an adventure story
about two boys befriended by Naskapi youths in the wilderness. If you want to know more about Innu culture and history,
you could try It's Like the Legend, a book
of interviews with Innu women. Culturally, the Innu are very similar to the Eastern Cree, so you can get a good idea of the Innu lifestyle by reading books
about the East Cree people, such as
The Eeyou, which shows the culture and history of the James Bay Cree
(neighbors and kinfolk of the Innu.) Finally, there's an interesting art book,
To Please The Caribou, which shows a collection of traditional Innu and
Cree painted caribou coats.
You can also browse through our reading list of recommended Indian books in general.
How do I cite your website in my bibliography?
You will need to ask your teacher for the format he or she wants you to use. Our names are Laura Redish and
Orrin Lewis and the title of our site is Native Languages of the Americas. The site was first created in 1998 and last updated in 2007.
Thanks for your interest in the Innu Indian people and their language!
Les Indiens Montagnais (French version)
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