Weenusk First Nation
Encyclopedia
Weenusk First Nation; unpointed: ᐧᐃᓇᐢᑯ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊᐠ) is a Cree
First Nation in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. In September, 2007, its total registered population was 516. Weenusk First Nation was an independent member of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation
(NAN) but now have joined the Mushkegowuk Council
, a regional tribal council, who is also a member of NAN.
Weenusk First Nation's reserve
is the 5310 ha Winisk Indian Reserve 90. Associated with the reserve is their Winisk Indian Settlement also known as Peawanuck, which also holds reserve status. Originally, the Weenusk First Nation was located within their reserve, but they were forced to move 30 km southwest to Peawanuck when on May 16, 1986, spring floods swept away much of the original settlement, which had been located 6 km upriver from Hudson Bay
.
In the Cree language
, "Peawanuck" means "a place where flint is found," while "Weenusk" means "ground hog." The community, being primarily Swampy Cree, speaks the n-dialect of the Cree language. Being that the community is composed of Cree
, Oji-cree, Ojibwa
and Métis
peoples, in addition to Cree, Anishininiimowin
and Ojibwemowin are also spoken here.
Cree
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...
First Nation in the Canadian
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...
province of 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....
. In September, 2007, its total registered population was 516. Weenusk First Nation was an independent member of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Nishnawbe Aski Nation is a political organization representing 49 First Nation communities across Treaty 9 and Treaty 5 areas of northern Ontario, Canada...
(NAN) but now have joined the Mushkegowuk Council
Mushkegowuk Council
Mushkegowuk Council , or officially as the Mushkegowuk Tribal Council, is a non-profit Regional Chiefs' Council representing Cree First Nations in northern Ontario, Canada...
, a regional tribal council, who is also a member of NAN.
Weenusk First Nation's reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
is the 5310 ha Winisk Indian Reserve 90. Associated with the reserve is their Winisk Indian Settlement also known as Peawanuck, which also holds reserve status. Originally, the Weenusk First Nation was located within their reserve, but they were forced to move 30 km southwest to Peawanuck when on May 16, 1986, spring floods swept away much of the original settlement, which had been located 6 km upriver from Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
.
In the Cree language
Cree language
Cree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana...
, "Peawanuck" means "a place where flint is found," while "Weenusk" means "ground hog." The community, being primarily Swampy Cree, speaks the n-dialect of the Cree language. Being that the community is composed of Cree
Cree
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...
, Oji-cree, Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
and Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
peoples, in addition to Cree, Anishininiimowin
Oji-Cree language
The Severn Ojibwa or the Oji-Cree language is the indigenous name for a dialect of the Ojibwe language spoken in a series of Oji-Cree communities in northern Ontario and at Island Lake, Manitoba, Canada...
and Ojibwemowin are also spoken here.