Assembly of First Nations Denounces Newfoundland Labrador Innu History Claims

The Assembly of First Nations passed a consensus motion on July 14, 2026, denouncing the government of Newfoundland and Labrador for relying on a theory claiming the Innu people arrived in the province only 300 years ago. Chief Eugene Hart of the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation introduced the motion during the organization's annual general meeting in Ottawa.

The conflict stems from a 2021 report by provincial archaeologist Jamie Brake, which asserts that archaeological evidence for Innu presence in Labrador only dates back to the 18th century. Innu leaders and academics from Memorial University have rejected the findings as unscientific and methodologically flawed. This disagreement resulted in the cancellation of the Innu Pakassiun cultural exhibit in North West River.

Lela Evans, the provincial minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, affirmed that the Innu are first peoples of Canada and committed to completing their land claims. Evans also acknowledged the necessity of investigating the position held by the provincial archaeology office.