Mashteuiatsh, Quebec
Mashteuiatsh, formerly called Pointe- Bleue, is a place in the Canadian province of Quebec, located on the west bank of more than 1000 km ² of Lac Saint -Jean, more to the west of the Innu as Piékoagami or Pekuakami ( " shallow lake " ) designated Lac Saint- Jean, about 6 km from the Roberval away. He is also the headquarters of the Montagnais du Lac St -Jean, a First Nation Innu, which due to their traditional fish and tribal areas around the lake as Première Nation of Pekuakamiulnuatsh or Ilnuatsh you Pekuakami ( abgel of Pekuakami - "flat See ", and Ilnuatsh - " people " ) call. Of the (as of March 2013) 6,182 2,046 Pekuakamiulnuatsh live in Mashteuiatsh, more in other reserves as well as the rest off the reservation 21. They speak Nehlueun ( "Our Language "), which (also Western Montagnais ), together with the Leluwewn the gang of Innus de Pessamit (also called Pessamit Innu band ) the so-called Southern Montagnais dialect of Ilnu aimun - also Quebec French.
They are Catholic and their church bears the name of the first indigenous Blessed (1980 ), of Kateri Tekakwitha (1656 - 1680), who had a Mohawk father and Algonquin mother.
History
The region is now home to the Innu, the Ilnuatsh called themselves. They used him before the European colonization as a meeting place. Their ancestors, the Tshishennuatsh lived here since at least 6000 years; they were followed by Pekuakamiulnuatsh. They called the Lac Saint -Jean Pekuakami or Piékoagami.
After 1604 the French had established a trading post at Tadoussac, also attracted first Innu from the region around Mashteuiatsh there. Therefore, they were for the French Montagnais, because they came from the mountains to the coast. They called themselves Kakouchak, after their totem animal porcupines. They traded skins and furs for iron goods such as pots, pans and knives. Quickly they were the only supplier, so were given a monopoly, which they maintained until the mid-17th century. They paid careful that the French learned neither their territories, nor the trade use or exchange values . But then brought wars between the French and the English, smallpox, excessive hunting and famine the population to collapse, so they let other Indigenous first time in their country. The francophone population called the Innu simply " Montagnais du Lac -saint -Jean ".
With the acquisition of New France by Great Britain from 1760 or 1763 London areas for Indians began to reserve, leave to them the decision on habitat and religion, but they determined now, who is Indian. After the death of the chief ( Otchimao ) Siméon in 1849 Peter McLeod acted as his successor. He undertook in 1852 the first attempt to establish a reserve for the Indians of the area in Metabetchouan.
On July 25, 1856 Reserve Ouiatchouan was set up under British colonial rule, for the asserted itself gradually the name Pointe Bleue, after the reflection of the lake, while the Innu the place initially called Ka Mestasiats, pointe de terre. It drew 5.35 km along the lake and had a width of about 16 km. 1869 had the Innu the predominant part of the hinterland assign, so that only a strip of 1.6 km in width, or one tenth of the surface remained. 1870 lived 30 families. Their chief was Basile, but came as early as 1857 the first Abenaki to them.
Opened in 1866, the Hudson's Bay Company trading post on the reservation, in 1875 published the Oblates to proselytize. Step by step, the reserve was reduced. The town received its present name in 1985; 1987 he was officially recognized. In 1921, the reserve 1,878 inhabitants, came to 549 members who lived outside the reserve. 1984 lived on the 1,947 tribesmen 1,428 in reserve.
1977 was the Musée amérindien the resort, which deals with the history of the Innu in the region. As input school was the Amisk - school, to visit the secondary school, students had to go to Roberval and Saint - Félicien. 1983-84 296 students attended primary school, 140, a secondary school, 35 visited a Collège d' enseignement général et professionnel and another 25 university.
1978 44 % of the community spoke French only, 19 % spoke Innu and French, 21% English and French, 14% of all three languages. The tribal council (band council) was the largest employer with 80 points, including 65 in a training environment. At the same time the church that had integrated many whites threatened, and lived in the numerous offspring of mixed marriages to fall apart in a group of traditionalists and one of the assimilated. Some were presented incorrectly as Métis ( not to be confused with the ethnic group of the same name ) referred to the others as "pure Indians ". The former had adapted culturally dominated local politics, accumulated more wealth and were much more focused on competition. Access to resources and information of the tribal offices (band office ) reinforced this cleavage.
Since then the situation has changed in terms of language. Over half of the Innu speak the native language, but in the community and in Essipit this proportion was in 2005 at nearly 95 %.