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Jens Haven, founder of the Moravian mission in Labrador (b at Wust, Jutland, Denmark 23 June 1724; d at Herrnhut, Saxony [E Germany] 16 Apr 1796). After 10 years at the Moravian settlement at Herrnhut (1748-58), he was sent to the Inuit Mission in Greenland.
In 1764 he went to Labrador, hoping to found a mission for the Labrador Inuit. An earlier attempt (1752) had failed. Newfoundland's new governor, Hugh Palliser, whose jurisdiction included Labrador, supported Haven in the hope that the Moravians could help resolve conflicts between the Inuit and Europeans. In May 1769, 40,470 ha of land in Labrador were granted to the Moravian Church, and in Aug 1771 Haven and his followers established the first Moravian Mission at Nain on the northern coast. During Haven's 13 years in Labrador other missions were established at Okak and Hopedale. In 1784 he returned to Herrnhut. A strong-minded man, he believed it was his destiny to work among the Inuit of Labrador, a people he loved.
