Mathieu André
Nicknamed Mestenapeu ("The Big Man")
Mathieu André (1906-1994) was born in the forest 50 km northwest of Schefferville. A trapper and hunter by trade, he became a highly respected figure within the Innu nation, serving as chief for some twenty years. A staunch defender of Innu rights, he represented his nation multiple times at United Nations meetings in Geneva and at the organization's headquarters in New York. In 1985, he was honoured for his part in the discovery of major iron ore deposits on the Labrador Plateau. This discovery stemmed from his hunting expeditions in 1937, during which he collected high-grade ore samples and later presented them to geologist J.A. Retty. This led to intense prospecting activity, spurred on by the industrial boom of the Second World War. In 1950, the Iron Ore Company began construction of the mining town of Schefferville as well as a 600-kilometre railway to transport the ore to the port of Sept-Îles.
