Eleven Diverse Nations

The Waban-Aki live along the Saint François and Bécancour rivers in the Centre-du-Québec region near Trois-Rivières.

The Waban-Aki Odanak Reserve, which overlaps with the town of Pierreville, has developed various tourism projects to preserve Waban-Aki culture and traditions. Basket weaving, once a major source of income, remains a highly prized traditional craft. The Waban-Aki Nation honours its culture, and numerous bodies strive to promote it, including the Aln8bak dance troupe, the Aw8ssiak Akik singers and drummers, and the Noji Pakoliskwak women’s drum group. In addition, the Musée des Abénakis d’Odanak, founded in 1962, was the first Aboriginal museum in Québec. Odanak is also home to the Kiuna Institution, a college that opened in 2011 and offers programs designed by and for First Nations.

The Odanak and Wôlinak communities are governed by band councils that belong to the Grand Council of the Waban-Aki Nation. Public health, public safety, education, hunting and fishing territory and territorial expansion are the main issues currently being negotiated.

The nine Anishinabe communities lie in western Québec’s Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Outaouais regions. Historically, the Anishinabe way of life was built around the regions’ vast woodlands and abundant lakes.

The Anishinabe economy centres on forestry, tourism, crafts, construction and transportation. The Kitagan Zibi Anishinabeg Culture Centre, founded in 2005, is a place to share the nation’s culture, history, language and traditions.

Band council chiefs, known as Okima (wise one) in Anishinabe, are elected together with council members by their communities. There are two national organizations mandated to protect Anishinabeg interests: the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council and the Algonquin Nation Secretariat.

The Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok live in Nitaskinan, their ancestral territory in the northern part of Mauricie and in Lanaudière. Many also live in towns and cities such as La Tuque, Roberval, Senneterre, Trois-Rivières and Joliette. Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok territory is also prime land for hunting, fishing and gathering wild products.

The economy of the Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok Nation revolves around forestry, with an emphasis on sustainable development. Many women participate in economic life by weaving bark baskets, and others have pursued successful careers in the fields of education, healthcare, politics and management. The Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok devote a great deal of effort to economic development, establishing various projects.

The three Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok communities are governed by band councils, which are responsible for public services. There is also a Council of the Atikamekw Nation, whose mission includes promoting members’ interests and political, social, economic and cultural rights.

The Eeyou live east of Hudson Bay and James Bay in a vast territory dotted with lakes. The beauty of this land continues to cast its spell over those who live and travel there.

The Eeyou have been very successful in maintaining their language and culture. One project that grew out of their determination to protect their heritage is Aanischaaukamikw, the Cree Cultural Institute, a project designed to bring together modern life and Eeyou tradition.

Since the 1975 James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement and the Cree-Naskapi Act of 1984, the Eeyou have operated under a different legal framework than other Aboriginal groups. The Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government gives the Cree additional powers, most importantly over land and natural resource management. The Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) serves as the nation’s voice in dealings with other levels of government.

The Huron-Wendat live in Wendake on the outskirts of Québec City and are among the most urbanized First Nations. Since 2010, the community has been buying up new land to double the size of its reserve in Nionwentsïo, to head off an exodus of the nation’s membership.

Wendake has a thriving economy in a number of areas, including tourism, a major economic contributor. The Huron-Wendat are well known for their traditional crafts, and their moccasins, canoes and snowshoes are known and sold all over the world.

The Council of the Huron-Wendat Nation is made up of a grand chief and eight family chiefs, all elected by the community. The Council deals with all levels of government in the spirit of the Huron-British Treaty of 1760, which is recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada. It has jurisdiction over areas such as education, health services, recreation, land and housing.

All Inuit villages are north of the 55th parallel, with its typical tundra landscape. The area’s name, Nunavik, means “the place to live” in Inuktitut. It is more than 560,000 km² in area.

Inuit culture is still very much alive, as evidenced by the extensive use of Inuktitut, the ancestral language. The economy of most of the coastal villages centres on fishing, as well as air and marine transportation, wildlife protection and arts and crafts.

The Inuit have been under the jurisdiction of Québec institutions since being removed from Indian Act jurisdiction under the terms of the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement (JBNQA) in 1975. Northern village councils, like those of other Québec municipalities, elect a mayor and village council for two-year terms. The Inuit also have their own organization mandated to defend their rights under the JBNQA: the Makivik Corporation.

The reserves of Cacouna and Whitworth near Rivière-du-Loup, in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, are unusual in that they have never been inhabited full time. The Wolastoqiyik are not gathered together in a community and live scattered throughout the province. The Cacouna reserve covers only 0.201 hectares, making it the smallest reserve in Canada.

The Wolastoqiyik mainly work in fishing, the arts, crafts and tourism. An interpretation centre on the nation’s territory showcases Wolastoqiyik history, and there are also hiking and interpretive trails.

Québec’s National Assembly did not recognize Wolastoqiyik as a First Nation until 1989. The band council, made up of a grand chief and four council members, is based in Cacouna. Elders also contribute their wisdom through the Council of Elders, which works to ensure that customs are respected and traditions maintained.

The Mi’gmaq make their home in the Gaspé Peninsula, surrounded by the waters of Chaleur Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Fishing, outfitting, forestry, construction, the arts, crafts and tourism make up the core of the Mi’gmaq economy. Listuguj is involved in a joint project with the municipality of Pointe-à-la-Croix to build bridges between the two communities’ young people through a variety of shared cross-cultural activities.

The Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat represents the three Mi’gmaq communities for land claims and in consultations with the government. It oversees community services, the police force and volunteer firefighters. Governing council responsibilities include water, sewer and snow removal services.

The three Kanien’kehá:ka communities are located southwest of Montréal in urban or partially urbanized areas. The Akwesasne Reserve straddles the border between Québec, Ontario and New York State.

The Kanien’kehá:ka economy is based on trucking, excavation, construction and related trades such as ironworking, agriculture and forestry, as well as crafts and the arts. The Kahnawake community has an agreement with the Québec government to run its own hospital, police force and schools.

Akwesasne has its own unique electoral law, overseen by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. Every three years, each Akwesasne district elects four chiefs, for a total of 12 district chiefs. The grand chief is elected by the whole community. Kahnawake elects one grand chief and 11 council chiefs to terms of three years by universal ballot. In Kanesatake, terms are also three years, and the grand chief and six council chiefs are elected by universal ballot.

Innu communities are scattered across a vast area and each has its own distinct identity. Seven lie along the north shore of the St. Lawrence, another near Roberval in Lac-Saint-Jean, and another on the outskirts of Schefferville.

Economic development remains a major challenge for Innu communities. The main employer is the band council, although construction, transportation, trapping, forestry, fishing, crafts and the arts are also important to the economy. Mining projects and wind farm and hydroelectric developments are also in the works for certain communities. The majority of Innu still speak Innu-Aimun.

Communities are governed by band councils made up of a chief and council members elected by their communities. The Innu also have two tribal councils providing management and consulting services.

The Naskapi are concentrated in a single community – the village of Kawawachikamach, founded in 1984 as part of the Northeastern Quebec Agreement. The village is located about 15 km northeast of Schefferville.

The nation’s economy is based on arts and crafts, trapping, tourism, outfitting, construction and transportation. The Naskapi have preserved many aspects of their traditional way of life, such as hunting, fishing and trapping. Naskapi is the main language spoken in the community.

The Cree-Naskapi Act of 1984 removed the Naskapi from Indian Act jurisdiction and granted them greater powers of self-government. The chief is elected along with five council members for terms of three years. They are respon-sible for managing the nation’s land, natural resources and finances as well as community services and cultural preservation programs.