Transhumance among European settlers in
Until recently in Newfoundland, southern Labrador and an adjoining part of Qu6bec, many of the coastal fishing population regularly migrated to the forests or other zones for the winter. The principal motivations were: firewood, shelter, hunting, fur-trapping and fishery gear production. This was one of several forms of seasonal migration by families and communities that characterized the area for nearly three centuries. The practice, unusual among European settlers, was rooted in various environmental, economic and political features. It had important effects on the processes of adaptation and colonization in the region.