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The Innu people are sometimes sub-divided into two communities, the Montagnais ["mountain people" in French] who live along the shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and the less numerous Naskapi ["inland people" in Innu-aimun] who live farther North. However, the Innu themselves dislike these terms, and according to most sources the distinction is anyway largely an artificial one invented by the French colonists. Neither group has any common heritage with the Inuit, a completely separate people whose lands lie much further North. (Confusion may arise due to the similarity of their names.)
The Innu have never officially surrendered their territory to Canada. As a consequence of this they are not registered under the Indian Act and the government does not afford them the same protection, tax-breaks and benefits as other First Nations. From the 1950s on, the Canadian government and the Catholic church attempted to "civilise" the Innu, inducing them to settle in fixed encampments and to abandon their nomadic lifestyle. Before long, life in these artificially constructed settlements became marred by extremely high levels of alcoholismAlcoholism is an addictive dependency on alcohol characterised by craving (a strong need to drink); loss of control (being unable to stop); physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms; and tolerance (increasing difficulty of becoming drunk). 1820 Alcoholi, petrol-sniffing amongst children, domestic violenceDomestic violence by barest definition, is violence within a home. Beyond this, the term has a range of definitions, some more and some less formal, which are frequently used with little awareness that a range of definitions exists. Definitions The UK Hom, and suicideSuicide (from Latin sui caedere to kill oneself) is the act of ending one's own life. It is considered a sin in many religions, and a crime in some jurisdictions. On the other hand, some cultures have viewed it as an honorable way to exit certain shameful. Between 1975 and 1995 the Innu settlements averaged 178 suicides per 100,000 persons per year. This is more than twelve times the Canadian average.
Survival InternationalSurvival International is an organisation formed in 1969 that campaigns for rights for indigenous tribal peoples, helping them preserve their land and culture. What is Survival Survival is the only international organisation supporting tribal peoples worl have alleged that the Canadian government's policy of relocating the Innu away from their ancestral lands and preventing them from practising their ancient way of life is in contravention of international lawInternational law deals with the relationships between states, or between persons or entities in different states. It sub-divides into "public international law", and " private international law". When used without an adjective, "international law" genera, and they have drawn parallels with the treatment of the TibetanTibetan can refer to: A place or item from Tibet. The ethnic people of Tibet, see Tibetan people. The Tibetan language.s in the People's Republic of ChinaThe People's Republic of China PRC comprises most of the cultural, historic, and geographic area known as China. Since its founding in 1949, it has been led by the Communist Party of China (CPC). It is the world's most populous country, with a population.The best-known members of the Innu nation are the folk rock duo Kashtin.