Members of the Naskapi Nation have a deep knowledge of a vast boreal area. The Naskapi continue to apply their traditional know-how to hunting, fishing and tourist expeditions on the tundra and taiga. Caribou are a major theme in their craftsmanship.

 

Naskapi is an Algonquian language spoken by the Naskapi people, who live in Quebec and Labrador. There is only one Naskapi community in Quebec, Kawawachikamach, which is located about 15 kilometres north of Schefferville. The population speaks Naskapi and uses English as a second language.

 

The Naskapi language is written in Cree syllabics from the east. The Naskapi language is a dialect that shares many linguistic features with the Cree’s "northern dialect." It also shares many lexical terms with the Innu language.

 

Although there is a very close linquistic and cultural relationship between the Naskapi and the Innu, Naskapi remains a unique language that is distinct from the other varieties of languages found on the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula.