Credits
Pepamuteiati nitassinat is dedicated to the memory of two Elders, the late Pinip Rich of Utshimassits and the late Shinipesht Andrew from Sheshatshiu. Both of these men loved Innu place names and were always very eager to share them with other people. They made a huge contribution to the names that went into this website, and we thank them for it. The history of the Innu people on the land continues through the names they shared with us over the years.
Pinip Rich
Pinip Rich could easily recite over 300 Innu places names by heart and was an excellent map reader. Pinip was proud of this knowledge of Innu place names and was truly one of the great experts in the village on this topic. He kept notebooks in which he wrote lists of names for the lakes, rivers and mountains in the territory.
Shinipesht Andrew
Shinipesht Andrew taught Innu culture at Peenamin McKenzie School in Sheshatshiu towards the end of his life. At one point, he made a very detailed map of the Innu place names in the Kakatshu-utshishtun (Grand Lake) area. Shinipesht loved Innu history, and place names were the meshkanau (path) down which he often took people in talking about Innu history in Nitassinan.
Credits – 2008 website
Project managers
Kanani Penashue and Peter Armitage
Website curator
Peter Armitage
Institutional supporters
Government of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage.
Canadian Boreal Trust.
Innu Nation.
Community University Research Alliance, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Department of Linguistics, Memorial University.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Northern Research Development Program, Department of Linguistics, Memorial University.
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Environment and Conservation, Surveys and Mapping Division, Lands Branch, and the Geographical Names Board of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Government of Canada, Department of Environment.
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation.
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.
Government of Canada, Parks Canada.
Labrador School Board.
Wolverine & Associates Inc.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through Canadian Culture Online.
Special thanks to Neil McNaughton, Randy Hawkins, Bruce Turner, and Gary Pittman for believing in the importance of Labrador Innu toponymic work.
The interactive place name map that appears on this site was greatly inspired by the Cree Cultural Institute’s work on a similar website. We wish to thank the Cree Cultural Institute for sharing their ideas and for their encouragement.
Researchers
The Innu place names on this site were collected through a number of research projects going back to the mid-1970s. The INNUTOP project was carried out in the fall of 1994 with a report submitted to the Innu Nation by José Mailhot in 1995. LAMAP was carried out in the summer of 1980 by Innu researchers in Sheshatshiu and the former Utshimassits (Davis Inlet). José Mailhot and Anne-Marie Baraby created the database of place names documented on LAMAP map sheets.
The people who worked on these projects:
Validation phase: José Mailhot, Peter Armitage, Marguerite MacKenzie, Ishpashtien Piwas, Shuash Gregoire, Napess Ashini, Pashin Penashue, Atuan Penashue.
INNUTOP: José Mailhot, Nui Rich, Naisha Penunsi, Pinip Nuna.
LAMAP: Anikashanit Andrew, Masen Ashini, Napess Ashini, Pitan Penashue, Tshan Jack, Shinipesht Andrew, Shuash Gregoire, Etien Pastiwet, José Mailhot, Anne-Marie Baraby, Adrian Tanner.
Other projects: Shuash Gregoire, Anikashanit Andrew, Georg Henriksen, Brenda Sakauye.
Interviewers to collect place names narratives: Atuan Penashue, Bart Jack Jr., Clarence Nui, David Nuna, José Mailhot, Mark Nui, Michelle Snow, Murielle Niemans, Napaen Rich, Peter Armitage, Pien Gregoire, Tamien Benuen, Tom Green.
Innu experts
Many Innu people shared their knowledge of place names with various researchers going back to the mid-1970s. While many of them are no longer with us, we are very happy that their memory lives on through the place names on this site.
Validation phase: Etuat Mistenapeo, Ishpashtien Benuen, Ishpashtien Penunsi, Mani-Aten Penashue, Mishen Jack, Napaien Mollen, Nishet Penashue, Nui Penashue, Pien Penashue, Pinashue Penashue, Puniss Nuke, Shapatish Malec, Shuashem Nui, Tshani Rich and Zacharie Bellefleur.
LAMAP and other projects: Etuat Mistenapeo, Etuat Piwas, Gilbert Rich, Manik Mistenapeo, Neun Rich, Pien Katshinak, Pinamen Katshinak, Pinashue Benuen, Pinip Rich, Sam Napeu, Shapatish Pastiwet, Shuashem Nui, Shushep Katshinak, Shushep Piwas, Tepit Rich, Tommy Rich, Tshan (Kaniuekutat) Poker, Tshishennish Pasteen, Tuma Noah, Enum Abraham, Etuat Rich, Ishpashtien Penunsi, Joseph Nuna Sr., Matias Pone, Matiu Nuna, Matiu Penashue, Mishen Pasteen, Nui Penashue, Nuk Nui, Pien Penashue, Pien-Shushep Selma, Shimun Gregoire, Shinipesht Andrew and Shushep Nuna Jr.
Audio recordings
Marguerite MacKenzie recorded each place name in the website database with Tuma Poker, Kanani Penashue, Pinute Atuan, Shanimen Benuen and Pashin Penashue. Laurel Anne Hasler undertook the editing work to create audio clips of the place names. Additional audio recordings were provided by Kanikuen Penashue and Pinip Rich.
Audio stories
Audio stories about place names come from recorded interviews with a variety of people including: Etuat Mistenapeo, Georg Henriksen, Ishpashtien Penunsi, Manian Michel, Manian Selma, Maniaten Andrew, Mani-Matinen Nuna, Manishan Nui, Mani-Shushet Mistenapeo, Matiu Penashue, Napess Ashini, Nishet Penashue, Pien Penashue, Pien Penashue, Pinip Michel, Pinip Rich, Puniss Nuke, Shuashem Nui, Shushep Nuna and Uniam Katshinak.
Audio stories about different places were also shared by the following Innu youth: An-Mani Tuma, Ben Penashue, Irene Rich, Kanani Penashue, Leonard Rich, Maniaten Mistenapeo, Massen Benuen, Massen Rich and Tshan Hart.
Video clips
Video clips found on this website came from the Innu Nation, Nigel Markham, Peter Armitage, Rina Freed, Roland Butler, Tanien Ashini, Tom Perry, Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Falls, Newfoundland, and The Rooms, Provincial Archives Division.
Photos & background information
The following people provided background information on photographs and other matters related to the site: Alex Saunders, Amos Mucko, Audrey Wiggins, Frances Williams, Louis Montague, Mary Voisey, Max McLean, Natasha Canning, Ruth Voisey and Anthony Jenkinson.
The following people provided photos of places named on the site: Anikashanit Andrew, Gerry Pasteen, Kanishte Poker, Manishan Edmunds, Mark Nui, Prote Poker, Shuash Gregoire, Shuash Rich, Tanien Ashini, Tepit Nuke, Beatrice Dickers, Brian Williams, Camille Fouillard, Fred Schwarz, Gary Pittman, Georg Henriksen, Gerry Penney, Janet Kergoat, Kevin McAleese, Marie Wadden, Michael Weiler, Annette Lutterman, Moira McCaffrey, Nigel Markham, Peter Armitage, Rick Cober Bauman, Roland Butler, Stephen Loring, Ted Gorsline, Tony Jenkinson, Troy Gibbs and Trudy Sable.
Photos from the following institutions are also included on the site:
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Innu Nation archives
Labrador Institute of Memorial University
The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, Bowdoin College,
National Museum of the American Indian,
Smithsonian Institution, National Anthropological Archives
Them Days
Also thanks to:
Marguerite MacKenzie for significant assistance in crafting the text for “More Information on Labrador Innu place names.” This section is inspired by the work of José Mailhot. Thanks also to Marguerite MacKenzie for reviewing the phonetic transcriptions of the place name pronunciations, and her work on the Pronunciation Guide to Innu Place Names.
Innu youth in Natuashish and Sheshatshiu who contributed audio narratives to the website.
Manin Dicker and Manian Nui who recorded the narratives from the Natuashish youth.
Fred Wood (Queen Elizabeth Regional High School, Foxtrap, Conception Bay South, Newfoundland), Valérie Courtois (Innu Nation), Clarence Davis, and Wendy Thomas (Canadian Information Network) for reviewing draft versions of this site.
Enen Andrew, Jeanine Katshinak, Katie Rich, Manishan Edmunds, Pashin Penashue, and Shapatish Tshakapesh for their advice about the name for this website – Pepamuteiati nitassinat.
Laurent Girouard for creating the 4D database and digital basemaps in MAPINFO GIS used to manage place names from all of the databases that were used in preparing this website.
Cal Patey for assistance with project management in his capacity as acting Director of Education for the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation.
David Denton at the Cree Cultural Institute for his collaboration.
Credits – 2026 website
Website redesign coordinators
Camille Fouillard and Jodie Ashini
Research and writing
Camille Fouillard
Additional place names research
Napess Ashini
Manishan Edmonds
Website design
Duncan Major, Perfect Day
Website development
Christopher Postill
Innu consultants
Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education CEO Kanani Davis, board members Jolene Ashini and Manishan Edmonds, and Innu Curriculum Advisory Committee Members: Napess Ashini, Apatet Andrew, Jodie Ashini, Mani Pia Benuen, Ishpastien Piwas, Aldea Piwas, Barbara Katshinak, Nuna Pasteen, Munik Aster, Patricia Andrew, Irene Rich, and Manimat Andrew.
Additional photos
Thanks to the following for contributing more photos to the site:
Nigel Markham, Stephen Loring, Anthony Jenkinson, Valérie Courtois, Camille Fouillard, Greg Locke, Heidi Atter, Justin Brake, Georg Henriksen, Innu Round Table, PerfectDay, Mushuau Innu Natuashish School, Jodi Brown, Jimmy Nuna, Innu Nation, Smithsonian Institution and the Rooms, Provincial Archives Division, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Institutional supporters
Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education
Government of Canada, Indigenous Services Canada
Mushuau Innu Natuashish School
Copyright
© Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education, Innu Nation and Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation. All rights reserved.
This material is provided for personal, educational and non-commercial use only. Any unauthorized commercial use, reproduction, distribution, or modification of these contents is strictly prohibited.
