Montagnais

Montagnais, tribe of people that dwelled in Canada's Labrador Peninsula. Because the climate was too cold to grow adequate crops, the Montagnais (“Mountaineers”) traveled the land in bands of 50–100 people to hunt and fish for their food. Their diet included moose, seals, fish, and small game. In the 1600s, the Montagnais became active in fur trading with the French. By the 1700s, the population of large animals had declined severely, leading to starvation among the Montagnais. Today, approximately 7,000 Montagnais remain, living in Quebec and Labrador.