There are four distinct and separate cultures in the region, the Inuit, the Innu, the Metis and the Settlers. In Labrador, the Innu, Inuit and Metis are referred to as aboriginal people. Labrador also has a French presence in Labrador West and the Straits area, due to its proximity to the province of Quebec.

The earliest humans to live in Newfoundland and Labrador arrived in Southern Labrador about 9,000 years ago, attracted to the Strait of Belle Isle by rich marine resources. About 5,000 years ago these Maritime Archaic people began moving north along the Labrador coast and south into Newfoundland.

The Inuit in Labrador account for roughly 20% of the region's total population. In January 2005 a new era of self-government began for the Inuit people in Northern Labrador, a region now called Nunatsiavut, "our beautiful land".

Archaeological evidence suggests that there were many different groups of Inuit living in Northern Labrador about four thousand years ago. The Dorset people survived in areas of Northern Labrador until about 600 years ago when a second wave of arctic peoples arrived known as the Thule, the ancestors of today's Inuit.The Inuit travelled as far south as the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland to trade with Europeans during the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1752, Moravian Missionaries from Europe travelled to Labrador to set up missions or stations in the region. These missions had a strong influence on the history of Northern Labrador.

Labrador has two Innu communities, Sheshatshiu & Natuashish. Natuashish is a new community which was developed in 2002. The people of Natuashish call themselves Mushuau Innu while the people in Sheshatshiu call themselves Sheshatshiu Innu. Archaeological evidence suggests Innu ancestors inhabited Labrador over 7,000 years ago. Both groups of Innu stem from one culture, known as caribou hunters. Innu in both communities speak Innu-aimun, but have slightly different dialects.

The Innu were traditionally nomadic, traveling the interior of Labrador and Quebec in the winter to hunt mostly for caribou, and migrating back to the coast in the summer to fish. There is archeological evidence that Innu have been traveling the interior for thousands of years.

In Labrador, Metis are primarily the descendants of European men and Inuit women, but the Metis of Labrador are aboriginal people that also have and honour ancestors of Inuit, Innu, French, Scottish, Irish and English origins. Many of these men who married Inuit women blended their ways with those of the Inuit. Winters were spent in sheltered bays where there was timber for firewood and construction as well as easy access to the interior for trapping and hunting. Summer places, in carefully chosen harbours or on islands provided easy access to the sea for cod and salmon and seal fisheries. Today Metis traditions still resonate with the ways of their elders.

The Metis people occupy and use land throughout Labrador. Most Labraodr Metis live in the Lake Melville area and in southern Labrador, from Cartwright down to Mary's Harbour. However, Metis are not limited to these regions as others live in the Straits, the west and the northern regions of Labrador.

Some say Settlers are ancestors of European countries, others say that Settlers are all 'non aboriginals' who live in Labrador, including those who come from the Island portion of the province as well as other areas in Canada. In either case, the origin of all Labrador settlers is vast and culturally diverse.

Fishermen from France came to Labrador's south coast in the 1700's for cod and seal fisheries. Many of the communities on the coast still bear French names. With the Treaty of Paris in 1763 most of New France, including Labrador, became part of British North America. Later, fishermen from England and the island of Newfoundland, who had previously used Labrador as a seasonal home, established permanent residence along the bays and inlets.