Abitibiwinni First Nation

The Abitibiwinni First Nation or Première Nation de Abitibiwinni, short Abitibiwinni or also called Abitibi, are a people of North American aborigines who belong to the indigenous Algonquian language family and be counted among the First Nations of Canada, the Indian peoples of Canada. The just over 900 tribal members live mainly in the Indian reservation Pikogan in the province of Quebec, about three kilometers north of the city of Amos. Their official name is the Conseil de la Première Nation Abitibiwinni. Together with six other neighboring First Nations they are now a member of the Algonquin Nation Tribal Council or Conseil Anishinabegs Tribal de la Nation Algonquine Anishinabegs

Language

The language of Abitibiwinni belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Abitibiwinni is only spoken by about 60 people. Most have accepted the French spoken in the province of Quebec.

Culture and Religion

Founding myths and Shamanism

In addition to the spread in all the tribes of the Algonquian legends like the myth of Nanabozho, the founding myths often tell a close connection to certain animals. One of these tells the Bear had once been a man. Above all, his respect and his peaceful appearance are emphasized. The Abitibi feel this animal connected. Religion is generally shamanistic in the Algonkin and is based on nature.

Understanding of the seasons

As with many Algonkingruppen the Abitibiwinni distinguish six seasons, the autumn, the previous winter, this winter, early spring, spring and summer. The name of the month corresponding to their stand-out characteristics. So, January is the long moon, February the groundhog month of March is the geese month of April is the month when the snow on the lake shines, May is the flower month of June, the month of strawberries, July called raspberry month, August Blueberry Month, September is the month of the corn crop, the October month of the trout, the November of Coregonus, a special species of trout and December is the beginning of winter. This reflects the based on natural and agricultural cycles of life reflects. This is also true for most everyday things, such as child carriers, the tikanagan that are equipped with a protective guard and a board and are painted green, and blue to represent the central elements of plants and air.

Society and Lifestyle

The Algonkinstämme belonged to the patriarchal structured semi-nomadic peoples and lived as hunter- folk in the river valleys and lakes of Quebec. They understood each other. Mainly on hunting, fishing and the production of Elchlederprodukten, as well as woodworking and canoe building Tanning, collecting and drying were women's work. Your living quarters consisted of spherical straw, fur or bark huts. They had already sold around 1600 contacts with the French, as well as fur traders and their goods or exchanged with those against European goods such as guns or beads, hardware or tools.

History

Main article: History of the Algonkin and history of the First Nations

Today's Abitibiwinni consider the Anicinapek the Archaic Period as their ancestors. Excavations at Lake Abitibi date back to the period 4000-500 BC. After the division of Alfred Kroeber in the North American culture areas the Abitibiwinni are living in the northeastern culture area ethnic groups who settled around the Great Lakes.

The Indians from the Lake Abitibi are first mentioned in a parliamentary debate of 1897. At that time they were a group of hunters and gatherers who took cyclic hikes in their traditional territory. She studied in annual cycles for fishing, trapping and hunting, but also for rituals and ceremonies on significant sites.

This area extended north and north-east toward Long Sault to Pierre, Harris and the Montreuil Lakes in Ontario, even up to Quebec, or more precisely to Amos. To the south, the traditional territory handed over to the Kirkland Lake in Ontario and beyond to Rouyn, Quebec. For example in Cochrane was the western boundary.

The reserve should be 1906 with the conclusion of the contract no. 9, one of the Numbered Treaties so-called, are built. This contract, also known as James Bay Treaty, was signed on 7 June 1906 in a post of the Hudson's Bay Company on Lake Abitibi. This 19,239 ha have been provided as a reserve on the Lake Abitibi. Some of them moved there, another preferred the proximity to the newly built road and joined the Wahgoshig (formerly Abitibi- Ontario Band of Abitibi Indians or Abitibi ) to. Since the traditional territory of the Apitipiwinnik who had hunted and gathered up to that point on the border between Ontario and Quebec, was partly in Quebec and the Ontario government later denied recognition. The Apitipiwinnik or Abitibi, who lived until 1939 in an area of ​​approximately 230 times 260 km, were now forced into two reserves.

Only 1908 could reach the federal government that the province of Quebec, the Group formally included in Treaty 9 and a reserve awarded. To date, however, are the grants from the government among those who received the other Treaty -9 groups. The tribe recognized the living respectively in the other provincial members as members of the tribe. The Ontario Band of Abitibi Indians ( Wagoshig ) and the Abitibi Dominion Band of Abitibi Indians ( Abitibiwinni ) signed in July 1908 contract in Abitibi Post, and thereby waived their rights in the other province.

1913 investigated the anthropologist Frank Speck in Timiskaming Reserve at Notre Dame du Nord on behalf of the National Museum of Canada. The local Indians today Timiskaming First Nation reported that the Lake Abitibi Indians were linguistically and culturally to their group. They even called themselves anishnbek (plural of Anishinabe ), similar Ojibway, Mississauga, Ottawa and Potawatomi.

The construction of railways in the region of 1906-1912, ie, the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway North from the South and the National Transcontinental from the east, brought settlers, traders and prospectors into the country. This brought with them diseases and drastic cultural changes.

By 1972, in Quebec City was the Department of Indian Affairs is responsible for both the Abitibi Dominion Band of Abitibi Indians in Quebec as well as for the Abitibi Ontario Band of Abitibi Indians. Then took over the Ministry of Ontario, represented by Indian Affairs in Sudbury, the corresponding tasks for the Abitibi belt, Ontario. 1979 changed the Abitibi Dominion band changed its name to Abitibiwinni First Nation, while the group in Ontario henceforth called Wahgoshig First Nation.

In 1958, the current reserve Pikogan for Abitibi Dominion Band of Abitibi Indians was created. The first houses were built in 1964 and were purchased by members of the Algonquin of the rivers Temiscaming, Nottaway and Harricana, which is why the current strain is referred to as Abitibi- Témiscamingue. The original 52 hectare reserve was established in 1979 increased to 90.53 hectares. In addition, they share with the Wahgoshig First Nation reserve the Abitibi # 70, on the south shore of Lake Abitibi, which includes approximately 7770.1 hectares. 2006 celebrated the First Nation Abitibiwinni the centennial of the treaty with Canada under the direction of the chief Harry McDougall.

In the neighborhood came other reserves, such as the Eagle Village, which was set up in 1974 for the 1965 Kipawa recognized band that is now known by their place of residence as Eagle Village First Nation. In contrast, the Kitcisakik live ( officially: Kitcisakik First Nation or Anicinape Communauté de Kitcisakik ) is the only root of the province still nomadic, if they are being harassed by the establishment of Parc La Vérendrye, as well as by logging, the construction of Highway 117 and dams at Lac Dozois. 2003, the Group accepted a village plan, otherwise they live in summer tent villages on the Grand- Lac- Victoria and winter camps at the Lac Dozois. Keep you free snowmobile trail between Outaouais and the Val d'Or, live mostly without electricity and water supply.

Demographics and state-recognized status Indians

2004 814 people were registered as members of the tribe, of which 518 in Pikogan Reserve lived. In November 2009 915 people were listed as status Indians, and thus recognized as members of the Conseil de la Première Nation Abitibiwinni. Of these, 566 lived on the reserve, 31 in other reserves, a woman living on Crown land, the remaining 317 lived outside the reserve. In June 2012, the Abitibiwinni counted already 989 tribal members.