From the sea to the 55th parallel (Schefferville), this exhibition wishes to pay tribute to our builders, all communities combined. Working hard, they were the architects of a development providing quality of life in this beautiful part of the country.
Nestled in the northeast of Quebec, Schefferville is a small town located in the administrative region of Côte-Nord, within the RCM of Caniapiscau. It lies at the heart of the Quebec-Labrador Trench, a geological formation rich in iron ore, which shaped its history and development since 1947. Accessible mainly by train or plane, Schefferville is surrounded by a vast territory of boreal forests, lakes and tundra. This unique location is also a meeting place for several cultures, where the Innu communities of Matimekush-Lac John and the Naskapi of Kawawachikamach live together.
Shaputuan Museum, permanent exhibition « In Innu Country… The march of the seasons », traditional clothes.
It seems that the 55ᵗʰ parallel as not very detailed in their maps, and before the confirmation of the natural resources so far inland it was not a feature on the maps. During the years 1900 to 1945 prospection for natural resources was not very active. Only few white people were present on the territory. But this region saw many travellers… The Innus. From the shores of the Gulf of the Saint Laurence River family groups left for their hunting and trapping grounds that were handed down from father to son for generations.
It seems that the 55th parallel as not very detailed in their maps, and before the confirmation of the natural resources so far inland it was not a feature on the maps. During the years 1900 to 1945 prospection for natural resources was not very active. Only few white people were present on the territory. But this region saw many travellers… The Innus. From the shores of the Gulf of the Saint Laurence River family groups left for their hunting and trapping grounds that were handed down from father to son for generations.
Hunting, fishing or berry picking, these people lived with the resources provided by nature. Nothing was wasted! Like the caribou, the spirit animal of the Innus, offering its life for food and warmth. The caribou hide was made into warm clothes, useful tools and objects of decoration. Dried of smoked meat was easy to preserve and the bones were used to make everyday tools. The descendants of the Northern Walkers occupy the territory and keep the traditional values.
Photo source « Walker with the slide » : « the-naskapis-people-of-the-great-spaces ».
Nomads since the begging of time, the Naskapi Nation followed the rhythm of the caribou migrations. This way of life meant that families would walk long distances and under all conditions. Despite the climate, these trips went from the Bay of Ungava to the Labrador region. Essential to the survival of the people, the caribou provided food and clothing.
The arrival of trading posts in the 19th century radically changed an ancestral way of life. Situated at Fort Chimo and Fort MacKenzie these stores, typical for the period, traded merchandise for furs – the trading
item of excellence. The Hudson Bay Company exerted a certain pressure to obtain more furs. However, these posts did not correspond to the actual migration route of the caribou. The Naskapi people faced a new challenge. The beginning of the 20ᵗʰ century would not be easy.
Their way of life did not prioritize the fur trade. For this reason, as they did not meet the quotas of the Company, the families were penalized. Refusing to trade certain merchandise, such as bullets for their guns, caused a great famine
to hit the community. In order to survive, the Naskapi were forced to adapt. Years later, going from rivers and portages, a trip of 404 miles (650 km) brought the members of the community further south. Becoming more sedentary and wanting to bring change, the Naskapi People have made the 55ᵗʰ Parallel their home.
