Though Newfoundland and Labrador is Canada’s newest province, only having joined the confederation in 1949, its history goes back as far as 9,000 years! Archaeologists have found traces of several groups of Aboriginal people that have lived here. The Maritime Archaic and the Inuit or (Paleo-Eskimo) are two groups that date back the farthest. The Inuit are believed to be descendants of the Thule people that migrated from Alaska around 1000 AD. The Beothuk people once occupied the land but were considered extinct in 1829 due to fighting, deprivation, and being exposed to Tuberculosis. The Mi‘kmaq and Innu people are said to have been here since before 1600!

When the province was explored by the Cabots in 1497, King Henry VII referred to the island as “New founde lande.” The name has evolved and it is now Newfoundland. Islanders often refer to the island as Terra Nova, which directly means “new land.” The name, Labrador, comes from the 15th-century Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador. 

The Indigenous People, the Inuits, have also called Labrador’s name, Nunatsuak, meaning “the big land.” They also refer to Newfoundland as Ikkaumikluak, which means “place of many shoals.”

The Newfoundland and Labrador culture is influenced by its melting-pot history featuring English, Irish, Scottish and French Newfoundland heritage with strong ties to its’ Indigenous People’s roots. 

The Viking explorer, Leif Erikson, is thought to have been the first European to discover North America (though he may not have been the first to lay eyes on the land). Erikson and the other Vikings created a settlement here, though their population dwindled over time. 

Since then, there have been many other Europeans who have explored this part of North America. They sought to stake claim to the land due to its excellent fishing opportunities. This created many wars between England, France, Spain, and the Mi‘kmaq people from the late 1500s through much of the 18th century. 

The Irish began to have a strong presence here too, in the early 19th century as permanent fishing opportunities became available. Since then, NL has been dubbed “The most Irish place outside of Ireland.”

Though Newfoundland and Labrador have had a rough history, today this province prides itself on having a “reputation for being friendly.” It was even ranked on Maclean’s Magazine as one of the Top 10 Friendliest Cultures in the World!

Because the Newfoundland and Labrador province has a broad mix of cultures, this has influenced the language and the way Newfoundlander and Labradorians speak. The official language is Newfoundland English, which has a variety of different accents and dialects of English. This style of English is so unique the province has its own dictionary: The Dictionary of Newfoundland English! 

You will also find a vestige of French speakers in a community off the island’s west coast and in pockets of the province. You will notice Algonquian languages from the Mi‘kmaq and Innu, as well as Eskimo-Aleut or Inuktitut. 

For about three hundred years, fishing for cod was the bread and butter of economic life in Newfoundland and Labrador. This came to a screeching halt in the 1990s when the species was nearly extinct. Approximately 60,000 left the province when this happened. Since then, the economy has had a change in direction, and things are booming again! Not because of fishing, but because of resources and energy. The population has since seen growth, and unemployment rates have dropped!