The Atikamekw are the autochtones surface which they call themselves Nitaskinan literally (" our terre" in atikamekw, aski wanting to say ground), in the upper part of the valley of the River Saint-Maurice (Quebec). This territory is located in the areas of Lanaudière, Mauricie and Center-of-Quebec, between the territories innu, algonquin and Cris.

Traditionally, they practiced the Agriculture (culture of the Maïs), as well as the fishing, the Chasse and the Cueillette. They would have been the discoverers of the Maple syrup. Atikamekw have traditional bonds with the Innu people, which were their historical ally against the Inuit. But they do not have family ties: their languages and their cultures are rather distinct.

The language atikamekw, which is a language algonquienne very near to the dialects creates, is always used daily.

In 2001, their population was estimated at 5.400 individuals. Atikamekw have four reserves: Obedjiwan, Wemotaci, Manawan and Coucoucache (uninhabited and managed by Wemotaci). One finds minorities with Roberval and Tuque.

Their name, which means literally Grand corégone (or white fish), is sometimes also written Attikamekw , Attikamek , Attimewk or Atikamek . The French colonists called them Head-of-Balls .

The Atikamekw territory

The territory atikamekw is divided by the family territories. Each family had her own territory whose surface varied. Today, the territories are often deforested because of the forest cut and forest fires which made flee much animals. The lakes are also often polluted there by mercury what harms the consumption of fish. It also made there an intensive hunting of the Duck, moose, Partridge… in any season. Here is about the state of the territory in 2006, but it has there negotiations carried out by the CNA (the Council of the nation atikamekw) to obtain more control on the territory. The CNA is a regrouping of the three communities atikamekws.

Population

Wemotaci

Wemotaci means “the mountain from where one observes”. Wemotaci was the place where Atikamekw were found during the summer season. The autumn, they went on their respective territories of Chasse. This village is between its two neighbors atikamekw who are Manawan (92 km in the south) and Opitciwan (140 km in north). The Indian village of Wemotaci is located into High Mauricie, in the county of Laviolette, with 115 kilometers in the North-West of Tuque. This community extends along bank from the Saint-Maurice close to the mouth to the Manouane river. Its territory is approximately 34 square kilometers. Wemotaci is formed, around, of hills in a species of amphitheater to the hollow of which many lakes, rivers and islands are found. On the other side of the river is the village of Sanmaur. Formerly, the village was not accessible by the car. In 1995 the construction of the bridge and the forest road took place. The population of Wemotaci is today 1500 people whose 1300 people live in the community. The majority of the population is very young, 60% has less than 35 years. The others reside outside as at Shawinigan, Three-Rivers, Tuque and Quebec. Some people left to finish their studies. Since 1974, the electricity exists at the village with the installation of the current generators. There is a construction project (in construction) of stoppings to the surroundings (Allard Fall and Rapid-of-hearts). The community will be connected to the provincial network in 2008.

Manawan

Manawan is located at 140 kilometers (as the crow flies) in the west of Tuque and with 72 kilometers (as the crow flies) of Saint-Michel-of-Saint on southern bank of the Lake Métabeska, in the area of Lanaudière.Sa surface is of 797,26 hectares and it counts approximately 1496 inhabitants. Just like the names of the other communities, the word “manawan” has a significatiton, it wants to say: “where one finds eggs”. Since August 29th, 1906, that was the date where Manawan became officially a reserve, the economic circle evolved/moved much. There exist now trade and industries in the food, art and the craft industry, the forestry, the trapping, the post office, the hiring of films, the machinery, the purveyance, the outdoor and general transport. It was into 1850 that people of the territory of Manawan were established at the edge of the Lake Métabeska because it was there a station of draft for the trade of the fur and a forest company. The men atikamekw started to work in this kind of trades while the women remained at the house to deal with the children. It is thus since this date that this part of their territory is occupied. Today, the reserve of Manawan is divided into two parts: there is a part which counts the principal services like the store or the service station and the other which comprises only houses and the secondary school. This part is located a little higher than the principal part.

Opitciwan or Obedjiwan

Most Scandinavian and the most isolated from the three communities, Opitciwan is located on northern bank of the Gouin tank. Its name means the “current of the strait”.

Traditional arts

Atikamekw manufactured their own hands of the Panier S of bark of all the forms of which they were used for to put their food. It would be them which would have discovered maple syrup that they put in this kind of baskets. They were made with roots and birch bark. For the thousand and one uses, they were also used of this legendary the Canot S, light and shaped material to manufacture. During the rigorous winters, the women were expert in the clothes industries of the mittens, the coats and the moccasins in skin of moose. It is by observing partridge, one of the rare birds to be gone on snow, that the Amerindians had the idea to manufacture rackets which thus enabled them to do as much of it. They were made of babiche of caribou or moose, and birch. All was useful for the Amerindian S. Aujourd'hui, one also manufactures some for the sale.

History of Atikamekw

The writings start to speak about Atikamekw at the beginning of the XVIIe century, whereas they lived into High-Mauricie in the northern forest. They were to form a group of 500 to 600 people and to thus represent “one of the most considerable nations of north”. The name Atikamekw was written “Atikamegouékhi then”. Atikamekw have their own traditional culture, their language and their Rituel S. the three communities have the same language but various accents. The members of the very whole tribe atikamekw speak their native tongue, but the majority cannot write it. Formerly, Atikamekw had an agreement with Europeans, but had a conflict with the Inuit S. Because of their allies, the Innu S, they caught diseases devastators which came from Europeans. The trade of the furs with Montagnais innus and French ends up attracting Atikamekw in a war between the Montagnais innus and the Iroquois greenhouse in which Innus did not succeed well. Still at the present time, Atikamekw as far as Innus suffer from poisoning to mercury because of the powerplants which contaminate their water reserves. Despite everything these events, the Atikamekw people were not moved of his traditional grounds.

Amerindian boarding schools

The boarding schools appeared about 1932. One taught there the history of Canada, the geography, French, the arithmetic one (mathematics) and the religion. There were six levels and three categories of age: the small ones (7 to 9 years), the means (10 to 11 years) and the large ones (12 to 16 years). The young people did not have any contact with the other groups. One showed there the discipline and the autochtones did not have the right to speak their native tongue, if not one punished them severely. All the young people autochtones were obliged to go to the boarding school. They were approximately 125 to 150 boys and approximately 150 girls atikamekw. They went in the boarding school of Blue Point because it was wanted that they are distant from Wemotaci for not which they flee. In September, they left their families and remained 10 months without seeing it and returned only in June. Their only means of transport were the train, except that instead of making them get into the momentary coaches one made them get into the coaches of the animals. When they arrived at the boarding school one washed them and one cut the hair of the girls. Often, their skin was rubbed so that it is paler. The young people were maltreated if they did not follow the rules or made blunders. The young people were far from their parents and of their culture. It was an assimilation to make lose the Indian culture. Today still, these boarders of the Thirties have after-effects of the traumatisms due to the maltreatment which they underwent.

Seasons and the division of the year

At Atikamekw, the year is divided into six. In each Season, there is an principal activity. The order of the seasons starts with Sikon which is a kind of pre-spring and, in this season, Atikamekw manufacture baskets of bark which can contain sap maple gathered during this time of the year. That which comes then, it is Miroskamin, equivalent to spring. In this season, Atikamekw will fish and drive out partridges. Then, the season which follows in the order, it is Nipin which is like the summer and one made there the same thing as at the former season. It is during the autumn, or Takwakin, which hunting for the moose begins. One then removes the skin of the moose carefully, the meat offals are glossy and consumed immediately and the meat is smoked in order to be preserved. It is during the beginning of the winter, or Pitcipipon, that they from go away trapper of the beavers and that the women make coats with their furs. During the winter, or Pipon, they fish under the ice with nets manufactured by men and where others manufacture pairs of rackets. The women remove the hair of the skins of moose, then they wash them, scrape them, cut out them in babiche to braid the rackets.

The year, at autochtones modern, is also divided into 12 months. On the other hand, old the atikamekw translated them into their language. The beginning of each month is the same one as in the calendar that one knows today. At the atikamekw, the months of the year are spread out as follows:

→ January is known as “Kenositc Pisimw” because it is the longest month

→ February “Akokatcic Pisimw” because it was the month or all the siffleux ones leave

→ Mars “Nikikw Pisimw” it is the month of the otter

→ April “Ka Wasikatotc Pisimw” the month or the moon is reflected on the ice

→ May “Wapikon Pisimw” the month of flowering

→ June “Otehimin Pisimw” the month of the strawberries

→ July “Mikomin Pisimw” the month of the raspberries

→ August “Otatokon Pisimw” the month when the young birds learn has to steal

→ September “Kakone Pisimw” because it is the month or the porcupine reproduces

→ October “Namekosi Pisimw” the month when the trout spawning time

→ November “Atikamekw Pisimw” the month or the corrégone (white fish = atikamekw) spawning time

→ December “Pitcipipon Pisimw” the month of long times.

For the transformation of these months, the old ones examined the activities which reproduced year after year at the time of the months which passed. Thus the names of the months and the seasons in order to correspond to reality suitable were adapted for the culture atikamekw. Those are always of use in these communities.

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