Aboriginal peoples in Quebec
Encyclopedia
Aboriginal peoples in Quebec total 11 distinct nations. The 10 Amerindian nations and the Inuit
nations number 71,415 people and account for approximately 1% of the total population of Quebec
, Canada
.
. There are Inuit communities at:
communities named the Odanak First Nation (in Odanak
, near Trois-Rivières
) and the Wolinak First Nation (in Wôlinak
, near Sorel). They number approximately 1,900 people.
g, comprise 9 First Nations who live in communities located in the Outaouais and Abitibi-Témiscamingue regions of Quebec. These First Nations communities are:
The Algonquins number approximately 8,600 people.
Atikamekw
The 3 Atikameks (sometimes Atikamekws) bands live in 4 communities located in the Mauricie region of Quebec. These First Nations are:
The Atikamek number approximately 4,900 people.
Cree
The Crees are the most populous nation in the Algonquian family. The majority live in Quebec and Ontario, but they are also found in Manitoba
and Saskatchewan
. There are 9 Cree First Nations communities in northern Quebec. They are the:
The Crees of Quebec number approximately 16,000 people.
Innu
The Innus (formerly referred to as the Montagnais) comprise 9 First Nations in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec. These First Nations are:
The Innus number 13,800 people.
s live in northern Quebec. They comprise one First Nation, the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, based in Kawawachikamach
. They number approximately 570 people.
The Naskapis are recognized as a distinct nation by the governments of Quebec and Canada; however, they are often considered to be Innus living in a remote area.
Their main language is Naskapis and their second language is English. The Naskapi committee is known as the NLMB (The Naskapi Local Management Board)
----
in Wendake
, a reserve enclosed within Quebec City. Their original homeland was in Ontario
. They number about 2,800 people.
Mohawk
The Mohawks of Quebec number approximately 13,000 people. They comprise the three following First Nations
:
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
nations number 71,415 people and account for approximately 1% of the total population of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Inuit
The Inuit communities of Quebec are located in the northern most part of the province, in an area known as NunavikNunavik
Nunavik comprises the northern third of the province of Quebec, Canada. Covering a land area of 443,684.71 km² north of the 55th parallel, it is the homeland of the Inuit of Quebec...
. There are Inuit communities at:
- Akulivik, QuebecAkulivik, QuebecAkulivik is an Inuit village in Nunavik, in northern Quebec, Canada. It is located on a peninsula that juts southwesterly into Hudson Bay across from Smith Island...
- Aupaluk, QuebecAupaluk, QuebecAupaluk is the smallest Inuit settlement in Nunavik. In 2001, there were 159 residents; the 2006 population of 174 marks a 9.4% increase over these five years. There are 49 private dwellings in the settlement, all occupied by usual residents. The settlement spans 30.12 km² in terms of area and...
- Inukjuak, QuebecInukjuak, QuebecInukjuak , alternatively spelled Inoucdjouac, former name and current postal name Port Harrison, is an Inuit settlement located on Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Innuksuak River in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, Canada. Its population is 1,294...
- Ivujivik, QuebecIvujivik, QuebecIvujivik is the northernmost settlement in the Canadian Province of Quebec. It is also the northernmost settlement in any Canadian province...
- Kangiqsualujjuaq, QuebecKangiqsualujjuaq, QuebecKangiqsualujjuaq is an Inuit village with a population of approximately 620, located on the east coast of Ungava Bay at the mouth of the George River, in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada....
- Kangirsuk, QuebecKangirsuk, QuebecKangirsuk is an Inuit village in northern Nunavik, Quebec, Canada. It is north of Kuujjuaq, between Aupaluk and Quaqtaq. The community is only accessible by air and, in late summer, by boat...
- Kuujjuaq, QuebecKuujjuaq, QuebecKuujjuaq is the largest Inuit village in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada with a population of 2,132 as of the 2006 census. This is up roughly 10% from 1,932 as of the 2001 Census. It is the administrative capital of Nunavik and lies on the western shore of the Koksoak River.Kuujjuaq previously was known...
- Kuujjuarapik, QuebecKuujjuarapik, QuebecKuujjuarapik is the southernmost Inuit village at the mouth of the Great Whale River on the coast of Hudson Bay in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada. About 800 people, mostly Cree, live in the adjacent village of Whapmagoostui. The community is only accessible by air and, in late summer, by boat...
- Puvirnituq, QuebecPuvirnituq, QuebecPuvirnituq is an Inuit settlement in Nunavik on the Povungnituk River near its mouth on the Hudson Bay in northern Quebec, Canada. Its population is 1457 .The name means "Place where there is a smell of rotten meat"...
- Quaqtaq, QuebecQuaqtaq, QuebecQuaqtaq is an Inuit village in Nunavik, northern Quebec, Canada. The village is one of the northernmost inhabited places in Quebec, located on the eastern shore of Diana Bay , on a peninsula which protrudes into the Hudson Strait where it meets Ungava Bay.The name Quaqtaq signifies tapeworm...
- Salluit, QuebecSalluit, QuebecSalluit is the second northernmost Inuit community in Quebec, Canada, located on Sugluk Inlet close to the Hudson Strait. Its population was 1241 in 2006 , and growing rapidly...
- Tasiujaq, QuebecTasiujaq, QuebecTasiujaq is a community in Quebec, Canada. It was built on the shores of Leaf Lake at the head of Deep Harbour and lies a few kilometres north of the tree line, where the shrub tundra finally gives way to the arctic tundra. Tasiujaq actually refers to the whole of Leaf Basin: Leaf Lake, Leaf...
- Umiujaq, QuebecUmiujaq, QuebecUmiujaq is an Inuit village near the eastern shore of Hudson Bay in Nunavik in northern Quebec, Canada. The village was established in 1986 by Inuit from Kuujjuarapik, 160 km to the south, who decided to relocate away from the area affected by the James Bay Hydro-electric Project.Umiujaq,...
Abenakis
The Abenakis comprise two First NationsFirst Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
communities named the Odanak First Nation (in Odanak
Odanak, Quebec
Odanak is an Indian reserve in the Centre-du-Québec region, Quebec, Canada. The mostly Abenaki population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 469. The territory is located near the mouth of the Saint-François River at its confluence with the St. Lawrence River. It is partly within the limits of...
, near Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Trois-Rivières is a city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada, located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence Rivers. It is situated in the Mauricie administrative region, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of Bécancour...
) and the Wolinak First Nation (in Wôlinak
Wôlinak, Quebec
Wôlinak is an Abenaki Indian reserve in the Centre-du-Québec region, Quebec, Canada. An enclave within the city of Bécancour, it was one of the Seven Nations of Canada.-External links:**...
, near Sorel). They number approximately 1,900 people.
Algonquins
The Algonquins, who refer to themselves as AnishinaabeAnishinaabe
Anishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
g, comprise 9 First Nations who live in communities located in the Outaouais and Abitibi-Témiscamingue regions of Quebec. These First Nations communities are:
- Abitibiwinni First NationAbitibiwinni First NationThe Abitibiwinni First Nation is an Algonquian First Nation in the Canadian province of Quebec, residing primarily in the community of Pikogan in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region....
in PikoganPikogan, QuebecPikogan is an Indian reserve in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, inhabited by members of the Abitibiwinni First Nation.The reserve had a population of 487 in the Canada 2006 Census. It is part of the census agglomeration of Amos.... - Algonquins of Barriere Lake in Lac-Rapide
- Eagle Village First Nation - Kipawa in KebaowekKebaowek, QuebecKebaowek is a First Nations reserve in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec....
- Kitcisakik First Nation in Grand-Lac-Victoria
- Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation in Kitigan ZibiKitigan Zibi, QuebecKitigan Zibi is a First Nations Reserve of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, an Algonquin band. It is situated at the confluence of the Désert and Gatineau Rivers, and borders south-west on the Town of Maniwaki in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada...
- Long Point First Nation in Winneway
- Nation Anishinabe du Lac Simon in Lac-SimonLac-Simon, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, QuebecLac-Simon is an Indian reserve in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. Basically at N45.54 to N46 and W75.03 to W75.06There are also a number of residential cottages and summer houses around the lake. It is about 15 miles long and 2 miles wide with a large island containing a smaller pond itself...
- Timiskaming First Nation in Témiscamingue
- Wolf Lake First Nation in Hunter's Point
The Algonquins number approximately 8,600 people.
AtikamekwAtikamekwThe Atikamekw are the indigenous inhabitants of the area they refer to as Nitaskinan , in the upper Saint-Maurice River valley of Quebec , Canada. Their population currently stands at around 4500. One of the main communities is Manawan, about northeast of Montreal. They have a tradition of...
The 3 Atikameks (sometimes Atikamekws) bands live in 4 communities located in the Mauricie region of Quebec. These First Nations are:- Atikamekw d'Opitciwan in ObedjiwanObedjiwan, QuebecObedjiwan is a First Nation reserve and village on the north shore of Gouin Reservoir in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada. It belongs to the Atikamekw d'Opitciwan band of the Atikamekw Nation....
- Atikamekw de Manawan in ManawanManawan, QuebecManawan is a First Nation reserve on the south-western shores of Lake Métabeskéga in the Lanaudière region of Quebec, Canada. It belongs to the Atikamekw de Manawan band of the Atikamekw Nation....
- Conseil des Atikamekw de Wemotaci in WemotaciWemotaci, QuebecWemotaci is a First Nation reserve on the north shore of the Saint-Maurice River at the mouth of the Manouane River in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada...
and CoucoucacheCoucoucache, QuebecCoucoucache is a tiny First Nation reserve on the north shore of Blanc Reservoir on the Saint-Maurice River in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada...
The Atikamek number approximately 4,900 people.
CreeCree The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
s
The Crees are the most populous nation in the Algonquian family. The majority live in Quebec and Ontario, but they are also found in ManitobaManitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. There are 9 Cree First Nations communities in northern Quebec. They are the:
- Chisasibi First Nation in ChisasibiChisasibi, QuebecChisasibi is a village on the eastern shore of James Bay, in the Eeyou Istchee territory in northern Quebec, Canada. It is situated on the south shore of La Grande River , less than from the river's mouth...
- Eastmain First Nation in EastmainEastmain, QuebecEastmain is a Cree community located on James Bay at the mouth of the Eastmain River, Quebec, Canada. It is the smallest of the coastal Cree villages with a population of 606 people...
- Mistissini First Nation in MistissiniMistissini, QuebecMistissini is a Cree town located in the south-east corner of the largest natural lake in Quebec, Lake Mistassini . The town is inside the boundaries of the Baie-James Municipality, and is the largest Cree community with a population of around 4000 people...
- Nemaska First Nation in NemaskaNemaska, QuebecNemaska is a small Cree community located on the shores of Lake Champion, in Quebec, Canada. It is the smallest Cree village with a population of 560 people...
- Oujé-Bougoumou First Nation in Oujé-BougoumouOujé-Bougoumou, QuebecOujé-Bougoumou is the newest Cree community located on the shores of Lake Opemisca, in the Jamésie region of Quebec, Canada...
- Waskaganish First Nation in WaskaganishWaskaganish, QuebecWaskaganish is a Cree village of about 2000 people at the mouth of the Rupert River on the south-east shore of James Bay in the Eeyou Istchee territory in Northern Quebec, Canada...
- Waswanipi First Nation in WaswanipiWaswanipi, QuebecWaswanipi is a Cree/Iynu community in the Eeyou Istchee territory of central Quebec, Canada, located along Route 113 and near the confluence of the Chibougamau and Waswanipi Rivers. It has a population of 1,473 people...
- Wemindji First Nation in WemindjiWemindji, QuebecWemindji is a small Cree community on Paint Hills Bay off James Bay at the mouth of the Maquatua River in Quebec, Canada. The community has a population of 1238 people ....
- Whapmagoostui First Nation in WhapmagoostuiWhapmagoostui, QuebecWhapmagoostui |beluga]]") is the northernmost Cree village in Quebec, located at the mouth of the Great Whale River on the coast of Hudson Bay in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada. About 500 people, mostly Inuit, live in the neighbouring northern village of Kuujjuarapik. The community is only accessible by...
The Crees of Quebec number approximately 16,000 people.
Malecites
The Malecites comprise one First Nation, the Première Nation Malecite de Viger, whose members live in 2 communities located in the Bas-St-Laurent region of Quebec. The communities are Cacouna and Whitworth. They number approximately 570 people.Micmacs
The Micmac live in the Canadian maritimes and the Quebec region of Gaspesia. In Quebec, they number approximately 4,300 people and comprise 3 First Nations communities:- Gaspe First Nation in GaspéGaspé, QuebecGaspé is a city at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of eastern Quebec, Canada. As of the 2006 census, the city had a total population of 14,819....
- Gesgapegiag First Nation in Gesgapegiag
- Listuguj Mi'kmaq First Nation in Listuguj
InnuInnuThe Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
s
The Innus (formerly referred to as the Montagnais) comprise 9 First Nations in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec. These First Nations are:- Bande des Innus de Pessamit (also known as ‘Pessamit Innu Band’ or Betsiamites First Nation) in BetsiamitesBetsiamites, QuebecBetsiamites, also known as Pessamit , is a First Nations reserve and Innu community in the Canadian province of Quebec, located about southwest from Baie-Comeau along the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River at the mouth of the Betsiamites River...
- La Nation Innu Matimekush-Lac John (also known as ‘Innu Nation of Matimekush-Lac John’) in Lac-JohnLac-John, QuebecLac-John is a First Nations reserve on John Lake in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada, about north-east from the centre of Schefferville. Together with the Matimekosh Reserve, it belongs to the Innu Nation of Matimekush-Lac John...
and MatimekoshMatimekosh, QuebecMatimekosh is a First Nations reserve on Lake Pearce in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. Together with the Lac-John Reserve, it belongs to the Innu Nation of Matimekush-Lac John... - Innue Essipit (known also as Essipit First Nation or ‘Montagnais Essipit’) in EssipitEssipit, QuebecEssipit is an Innu Indian reserve and community in the Canadian province of Quebec, located on the north shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in the Côte-Nord region. It belongs to the Innue Essipit First Nation....
- Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam in Maliotenam and Uashat
- Les Innus de Ekuanitshit in MinganMingan, QuebecMingan, also known as Ekuantshit in Innu-aimun, is an Innu First Nations reserve in the Canadian province of Quebec, at the mouth of the Mingan River on Mingan Bay of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. It belongs to the Innu band of Ekuanitshit...
- Montagnais du Lac St.-Jean (also known as ‘Première nation des Pekuakamiulnuatsh’ or ‘Ilnuatsh du Pekuakami’) in MashteuiatshMashteuiatsh, QuebecMashteuiatsh is a First Nations reserve in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, about north from the centre of Roberval. It is located on a headland jutting out on the western shores of Lake Saint-Jean known as Pointe-Bleue, in the geographic township of Ouiatchouan, and belongs...
- Montagnais de Natashquan in Natashquan
- Montagnais de Pakua Shipi in PakuashipiPakuashipi, QuebecPakuashipi is an Innu community in the Canadian province of Quebec, located on the north shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in the Côte-Nord region. It is on the western shore of the mouth of the Saint-Augustin River, opposite the settlement of Saint-Augustin...
- Montagnais de Unamen Shipu in La RomaineLa Romaine, QuebecLa Romaine, also known as Unamenshipit in Innu-aimun, is an Innu First Nations reserve in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada, at the mouth of the Olomane River on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. It belongs to the Innu band of Unamen Shipu...
The Innus number 13,800 people.
Naskapis
The NaskapiNaskapi
The Naskapi are the indigenous Innu inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan, which comprises most of what other Canadians refer to as eastern Quebec and Labrador, Canada....
s live in northern Quebec. They comprise one First Nation, the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, based in Kawawachikamach
Kawawachikamach, Quebec
Kawawachikamach is an Naskapi/Iyiyiw First Nations reserve and community at the south end of Lake Matemace , approximately northeast of Schefferville, Quebec, Canada. It belongs to the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach. The village was built by the Naskapi/Iyiyiw from 1980 to 1983...
. They number approximately 570 people.
The Naskapis are recognized as a distinct nation by the governments of Quebec and Canada; however, they are often considered to be Innus living in a remote area.
Their main language is Naskapis and their second language is English. The Naskapi committee is known as the NLMB (The Naskapi Local Management Board)
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Wendats
The members of the Huron-Wendat NationHuron-Wendat Nation
The Huron-Wendat Nation is a Huron-Wendat First Nation whose community and reserve is at Wendake, Quebec, a municipality now enclosed within Quebec City in Canada. In the French language, used by most members of the First Nation, they are known as the Nation Huronne-Wendat.In 2006, historical...
in Wendake
Wendake, Quebec
Wendake is the current name for the Huron-Wendat reserve, an enclave within Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. One of the Seven Nations of Canada, this was formerly known as Village-des-Hurons , and also as -Lorette....
, a reserve enclosed within Quebec City. Their original homeland was in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. They number about 2,800 people.
MohawkMohawk nationMohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
s
The Mohawks of Quebec number approximately 13,000 people. They comprise the three following First NationsFirst Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
:
- Kahnawake First Nation in Kahnawake and DoncasterDoncaster, QuebecDoncaster is a Mohawk Indian Reserve in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada...
- Kanesatake First Nation in KanesatakeKanesatake, QuebecKanehsatake is a Mohawk settlement on the shore of the Lake of Two Mountains at the Ottawa River in southwestern Quebec, Canada, near Montreal. The Doncaster 17 Indian Reserve also belongs to the Mohawk of Kanesatake. The population of the community is 1700.The community was formally founded...
- Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne in AkwesasneAkwesasneThe Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne is a Mohawk Nation territory that straddles the intersection of international and provincial borders on both banks of the Saint Lawrence River. Most of the land is in what is otherwise the United States...
Recognized rights
- James Bay and Northern Quebec AgreementJames Bay and Northern Quebec AgreementThe James Bay And Northern Quebec Agreement was an Aboriginal land claim settlement, approved in 1975 by the Cree and Inuit of northern Quebec, and later slightly modified in 1978 by the Northeastern Quebec Agreement, through which Quebec's Naskapi First Nations joined the treaty...
- Charter of the French LanguageCharter of the French LanguageThe Charter of the French Language , also known as Bill 101 and Loi 101, is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada defining French, the language of the majority of the population, as the only official language of Quebec, and framing fundamental language rights for everyone in the province...
- Constitution of CanadaConstitution of CanadaThe Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
See also
- Demographics of QuebecDemographics of QuebecThe demographics of Quebec constitutes a complex and sensitive issue, especially as it relates to the National Question of Canada.Quebec is the only province in Canada to feature a francophone majority, and where anglophones constitute an officially recognized minority group.However, while...
- Demolinguistics of Quebec
- Native American languages
- Indigenous peoples of the AmericasIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
- First NationsFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
- Aboriginal peoples in CanadaAboriginal peoples in CanadaAboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
- Template:First Nations in Quebec