Oldest living Innu dies at 103 in Sheshatshiu
Respected elder Shimun Michel Sr. was born in 1914
A respected elder considered to be the oldest living Innu died Tuesday in Labrador.
Shimun Michel Sr., 103, died October 30 at his daughter's home in Sheshatshiu while surrounded by his family and friends.
A spiritual man who felt strong about his culture and believed the Innu "have a caribou spirit master," Michel Sr. often spoke of life on the land, said Deputy Grand Chief Etienne Rich.
"He would always talk about the land," said Rich, "the land issues, and the caribou."
Death leaves a big hole: Grand Chief Rich
When Michel Sr. was born in 1914 in Nitassinan, the Innu still lived a traditional nomadic lifestyle in their ancestral territory covering the eastern portion of the Labrador peninsula.
His family relocated to Sheshatshiu in the 1950s.
Michel Sr. was involved with Innu land issues from their early beginnings through to the development of megaprojects like Voisey's Bay and Muskrat Falls.
He was fighting for rights he believed were "grounded first and foremost," said Rich, in respect for the land and animals.
Despite his age, Michel Sr. remained active and involved in his community, Rich said. He was well into his 90s when he traveled to sign the partnership agreement between Nalcor Energy and Emera Inc. for the Lower Churchill Project in 2010.
His death leaves a big hole in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish, in the Innu community and in the Innu heritage, said Rich.
"He was really good person to listen to, to talk about the history of the Innu."
Michel Sr.'s funeral will be held in Sheshatshiu on Saturday.