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Mushuau Innu First Nation Flag The flag of the Mushuau Innu First Nation highlights the History, Culture and way of Life of the Mushuau Innu and emphasizes the Land, which is not only a very important part of the Innu Way of Life, but in many respects it is Life for the Innu. The Innu have much respect for and a close relationship to the land and the country. The land is their history, their culture and their future. The land is the home of wildlife that sustained them for thousands of years. Every year the Mushuau Innu renews their connection with land by traveling into the country with families to enhance their spirituality and well being. The drum is a sacred symbol of the Innu and is only played by the Elder. While playing the Drum the Elder often has visions of the Caribou, especially when the Caribou are hard to find and the location of the herd often appears to the Elder so that the Innu will be able to hunt the Caribou for food for their families. The Bear is the most sacred animal to the Innu. Elders have been known to communicate with the Bear. While the Bear is sacred to the Innu, the Caribou is also very important in Innu tradition and culture and is treated with great respect, as the Caribou provides the Innu with food, clothing, tent covers, babiche for snowshoes and tools. As the Innu are close to the land, the seasons of the year has played an important part in the history of the Innu. The four seasons are depicted on the Flag as follows: Winter: The Mountains are covered with snow and the Northern Lights shine. The Innu traveled by toboggan and snowshoes in the winter. The partridge changes its color in winter to look like snow. The oldest Tshenuts (Elders) remember hunting partridge with bow and arrows while wearing caribou hide clothing. The painted caribou skin coats were so beautiful, some can now be found in museum collections around the world. Spring: The bear and geese are signs of spring and a new beginning, as is the migrating of caribou to their calving grounds. Ponds and lakes start to melt where waterfowl start to migrate.. The ptarmigan changes from white to the color of the land. Summer: The green represents the color of the barrens in summer and waters turn blue so as northern sky. In the summer the Innu lived by the lakes and coastal locations where caribou were plentiful. They traveled in birch bark canoes. Fall: The time when the land changes color and the Caribou to many northern regions and the Geese fly south while the Bear finds a den to hibernate for the winter. This is the legend of the Mushuau Innu First Nation Flag
BE PROUD OF YOUR CULTURE BE PROUD OF YOUR COMMUNITY BE PROUD OF YOUR NATION |
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