Avanimiut : A History of Inuit Independence in Northern Labrador

Called the Northlanders by the Moravian missionaries who sought to colonize them, Avanimiut were Inuit who maintained traditional lifeways, autonomy, and spiritual beliefs in northernmost Labrador. Despite the attempts of the Moravian Mission, the Hudson’s Bay Company, and the Anglican Church to bring them into their Christian and commercial trading worlds, the Avanimiut often held on to their independence. Avanimiut: A History of Inuit Independence in Northern Labrador is the story of a people often displaced by relocation who survived and thrived despite the hardships they faced.

The first version of Avanimiut, a 1996 report titled “Northlanders,” was commissioned by the Labrador Inuit Association and written by Carol Brice-Bennett. Lena Onalik and Andrea Procter have modified the original manuscript to incorporate historical Inuit writing and interviews, including the Inuit voices that had previously been almost entirely omitted. Avanimiut presents these voices alongside the colonial accounts of Inuit families who continued to live in their ancestral territories of Labrador, providing a glimpse into their lives, families, and relationships.

From the earliest interactions between Inuit and Europeans in Labrador to the final eviction of Inuit from their northern homeland, this book illustrates the dignified history of Avanimiut families and honours the strength, resilience, and survival of their ancestors in the north.

Carol Brice-Bennett (1949–2018) was an anthropologist who worked for decades with Inuit in northern Labrador. Originally from Montreal, she coordinated land-use research for the Labrador Inuit Association in the 1970s. Her edited volume, Our Footprints Are Everywhere: Land Use and Occupancy in Labrador (Labrador Inuit Association, 1977), formed the basis of the land claim agreement for Nunatsiavut. Among other posts, she served as the Director of the Labrador Institute from 1985 to 1996 and as the Director of Aboriginal Health Programs and Research with the Labrador Grenfell Health Authority before she retired in 2015. She is the author of several books, including Dispossessed: The Eviction of Inuit from Hebron, Labrador (Imaginaire|Nord, 2017). She earned an MA from Memorial University.

Lena Onalik is an Inuk and descendant of Avanimiut. She grew up in Makkovik with her grandparents, who were relocated there from Okkak Bay. She is an advocate for Inuit language and culture and works as the Archaeologist for the Nunatsiavut Government’s Department of Language, Culture, and Tourism. She earned a BA in Archaeology from Memorial University. Lena is happiest when she is on the land and sea. She loves fishing and sharing experiences on the land with others, especially her family.

Andrea Procter is a historical anthropologist who focuses on settler colonialism and community-driven research. She has authored several books with Inuit partners, including TautukKonik: A Portrait of Inuit Life in Northern Labrador, 1969–1986 (Memorial University Press, 2022), and A Long Journey: Residential Schools in Labrador and Newfoundland (Memorial University Press, 2020), winner of the 2021 Atlantic Book Award for Scholarly Writing, the CLIO Prize (Atlantic), and the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award for Non-Fiction. She earned a PhD from Memorial University and lives, hikes, and kayaks in St. John’s with her family.