Friendship with other peoples

Another aspect of Basque life in these lands was the friendly relations with the Montagnais Indians, the "innu". Unlike the Eskimos, "Innuit", who attacked the Basque fisherman fairly frequently, the Innu were delighted to be invited on board to share food and drink. Undoubtedly, the innu would sometimes bring a seal or caribou, which they’d hunted as a gift for the Basques or in exchange for a Ternua garment.

Certainly, there was an important exchange of products although this didn’t occur on large scale until the 17th century. The Basques returned to their ports with seal skins s so their local cobbler could make them boots and the innu made good use of the nails, knives, axes and even clothes gifted by the Basques. At a time when Europeans were acting in bad faith in many areas of North America, the Basque fishermen felt happy with the excellent alliance made with the innu.

Selma Huxley Barkham