Algonquin - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Algonquins are aboriginal

Aboriginal peoples in Canada

Aboriginal 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....

/First Nations

First 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...

inhabitants of North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

who speak the Algonquin language

Algonquin language

Algonquin is either a distinct Algonquian language closely related to the Ojibwe language or a particularly divergent Ojibwe dialect. It is spoken, alongside French and to some extent English, by the Algonquin First Nations of Quebec and Ontario...

, a divergent dialect of the Ojibwe language

Ojibwe language

Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...

, which is part of the Algonquian language

Algonquian languages

The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...

family. Culturally and linguistically, they are closely related to the Odawa

Ottawa (tribe)

The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...

and Ojibwe, with whom they form the larger Anicinàpe

Anishinaabe

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...

(Anishinaabe) grouping. The Algonquin people call themselves Omàmiwinini (plural: Omàmiwininiwak) or the more generalised name of Anicinàpe.

Though known by several names in the past, the most common term "Algonquin" has been suggested to derive from the Maliseet word elakómkwik (ɛlæˈɡomoɡwik): "they are our relatives/allies". The much larger heterogeneous group of Algonquian

Algonquian languages

-speaking peoples, who stretch from Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

to the Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...

and north to 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,...

, was named after the tribe.

Most Algonquins live in 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....

. The nine Algonquin bands in that province and one 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....

have a combined population of about 11,000. (Popular usage reflects some confusion on the point. The term "Algonquin" is sometimes used, in the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...

, to refer to all Algonquian-speaking societies, although this is not correct.)

Culture

Many Algonquins still speak the Algonquin language, called generally Anicinàpemowin or specifically Omàmiwininìmowin. The language is considered one of several divergent dialects of the Anishinaabe languages. Among younger speakers, the Algonquin language has experienced strong word borrowings from 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...

.
Traditionally, the Algonquins lived in either a birch bark

Birch bark

Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus Betula.The strong and water-resistant cardboard-like bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which made it a valuable building, crafting, and writing material, since pre-historic times...

wìkiwàm
Wigwam
A wigwam or wickiup is a domed room dwelling used by certain Native American tribes. The term wickiup is generally used to label these kinds of dwellings in American Southwest and West. Wigwam is usually applied to these structures in the American Northeast...

s or in wooden mìkiwàm
Wigwam
A wigwam or wickiup is a domed room dwelling used by certain Native American tribes. The term wickiup is generally used to label these kinds of dwellings in American Southwest and West. Wigwam is usually applied to these structures in the American Northeast...

s. Today Algonquins live in housing much like that of the general public.

Traditionally, the Algonquins were practitioners of Midewiwin
Midewiwin
The Midewiwin or the Grand Medicine Society is a secretive religion of the aboriginal groups of the Maritimes, New England and Great Lakes regions in North America. Its practitioners are called Midew and the practices of Midewiwin referred to as Mide...

(the right path). They believed they were surrounded by many manitò
Manitou
Manitou is a general term for spirit beings among many Algonquian Native American groups.Manitou may also refer to:- Geography :* Manitou, Manitoba, Canada* Manitou, Kentucky, USA* Manitou, Oklahoma, USA- Other uses :...

k or spirits in the natural world. French missionaries converted many Algonquins to Catholicism

Catholicism

Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....

in the 17th and 18th century. Today, many of the people practice traditional Midewiwin or a syncretic

Syncretism

Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...

merging of Christianity and Midewiwin.

Origins

In the earliest oral history, the Algonquins say they migrated from the Atlantic

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

coast. Together with other Anicinàpe
Anishinaabe
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...

k, they arrived at the "First Stopping Place" near Montreal. While the other Anicinàpe peoples continued their journey up the St. Lawrence River, the Algonquins settled along the Kitcisìpi (Ottawa River

Ottawa River

The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...

), a long-important highway for commerce, cultural exchange and transportation. A distinct Algonquin identity, though, was not fully realized until after the dividing of the Anicinàpek at the "Third Stopping Place". Scholars have used the oral histories, archeology, and linguistics to estimate this took place about 2000 years ago, near present-day Detroit

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

.

After contact with the Europeans, especially French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

and Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, the Algonquin nations became active in the fur trade

Fur trade

The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...

. This led them to fight against the powerful Iroquois

Iroquois

The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...

, whose confederacy was based in present-day New York. In 1570, the Algonquins formed an alliance with the Montagnais

Innu

The 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...

to the east, whose territory extended to the ocean.

French contact

The Algonquin first met Europeans when Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....

came upon a party led by the Kitcisìpirini Chief Tessouat

Tessouat

Tessouat was an Algonquin chief from the Kitchesipirini nation . His nation lived in an area extending from Lac des Deux-Montagnes to Pembroke, Ontario.Tessouat lived in L'Isle-aux-Allumettes, in a neck of the Ottawa River...

at Tadoussac

Tadoussac, Quebec

Tadoussac is a village in Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Saguenay rivers. It was France's first trading post on the mainland of New France and an important trading post in the seventeenth century, making it the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in...

, in eastern present-day Quebec, in the summer of 1603. They were celebrating a recent victory over the Iroquois

Iroquois

The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...

with the allied Montagnais

Innu

The 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...

and Etechemins (Malecite). Champlain did not understand that the Algonquins were socially united by a strong totem

Totem

A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...

/clan system rather than the European-styled political concept of nationhood. The several Algonquin bands each had its own chief. Within each band, the chief depended on political approval from each of the band's clan leaders. Champlain needed to cultivate relationships with numerous chiefs and clan leaders. From 1603, some of the Algonquin allied with the French under Champlain.

Champlain made his first exploration of the Ottawa River during May 1613 and reached the fortified Kitcisìpirini village at Morrison Island. Unlike the other Algonquin communities, the Kitcisìpiriniwak did not change location with the seasons. They had chosen a strategic point astride the trade route between the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

and the St. Lawrence River. They prospered through the collection of beaver

Beaver

The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...

pelts from native traders passing through their territory. They also were proud of their corn fields.

At first, the French used the term "Algonquin" only for a second group, the Wàwàckeciriniwak. However, by 1615, they applied the name to all of the Algonquin bands living along the Ottawa River. Because of keen interest by tribes to gain control of the lower Ottawa River

Ottawa River

The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...

, the Kitcisìpiriniwak and the Wàwàckeciriniwak came under fierce opposition. These two large groups allied together, under the leadership of Sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...

Charles Parcharini, to maintain the Omàmiwinini identity and territory.

Iroquois and Algonquin relationship

The Iroquois Confederacy drove the Algonquins from their lands. They were aided by having been traded arms by the Dutch

Dutch people

The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...

, and later by the English

Kingdom of Great Britain

The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...

. The Iroquois defeated the French and Algonquins.

In 1632, after Sir David Kirke's occupation of New France

New France

New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...

demonstrated French colonial vulnerability, the French began to trade muskets to the Algonquins and their allies. French Jesuits began to seek Algonquin conversions to Roman Catholicism, to tie them more closely to France. Such efforts divided the traditionalists and converts in the bands.

Through all of these years, the Iroquois never attacked the Kitcisìpirinik fortress. But, in 1642, they made a surprise winter raid, attacking the Algonquin while most of the warriors were absent, and causing severe casualties. On March 6, 1647 (Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...

), a large Mohawk war party attacked the Kitcisìpiriniwak living 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 almost exterminated them. The Kitcisìpiriniwak were still at Morrison Island in 1650 and inspired respect with their 400 warriors. When the French retreated from the Huron country that year, Tessouat is reported to have had the superior of the Jesuit mission suspended by his armpits because he refused to offer him the customary presents for being allowed to travel through Algonquin territory.

Some joined the mission at Sillery, where they were mostly destroyed by an infectious disease

Infectious disease

Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...

epidemic

Epidemic

In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...

by 1676. Encouraged by the French, others remained at Trois-Rivières. Their settlement at nearby Pointe-du-Lac continued until about 1830. That year the last 14 families, numbering about 50, moved to Kanesatake near Oka

Oka, Quebec

-References:...

. (The families who stayed in Trois Rivieres can be found in the Algonquin census of Trois Rivieres in the mid-19th century).

The Sulpician Mission of the Mountain was founded at Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

in 1677, and some Algonquins settled there together with Iroquois converts. The mostly Mohawk

Mohawk nation

Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...

community became known as Kahnawake. But many Algonquin maintained their attachment to the traditional territory and fur trading. Those who agreed to move to established reserves or joined other historical bands were federally "recognized". Many others who did not re-locate were later called "stragglers" in the Ottawa

Ottawa County

Ottawa County is the name of four counties in the United States:* Ottawa County, Kansas* Ottawa County, Michigan* Ottawa County, Ohio* Ottawa County, Oklahoma- See also :* Ottawa , a historical electoral district in Quebec, Canada...

and Pontiac counties.

Though the Algonquins were defeated, they were never destroyed. The Algonquin culture lives on among bands and nations.

Settlement in Quebec

Starting in 1721, many Christian Algonquins began to settle for the summer at Kahnesatake, near Oka. The Mohawk Nation

Mohawk nation

Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...

was then considered one of the Seven Nations of Canada

Seven Nations of Canada

The Seven Nations of Canada were a historic confederation of Canadian First Nations living in and around the Saint Lawrence River valley beginning in the eighteenth century. They were allied to New France and often included substantial numbers of Roman Catholic converts. During the Seven Years War...

. Algonquin warriors continued to fight in alliance with France until the British conquest of Quebec in 1760 during the Seven Years War. After the British took over colonial rule of Canada, their officials sought to make allies of the First Nations. Fighting on behalf of the British Crown, the Algonquins took part in the Barry St Leger

Barry St. Leger

Barrimore Matthew "Barry" St. Leger was a British colonel who led an invasion force during the American Revolutionary War.Barry St. Leger was baptised on May 1, 1733, in County Kildare, Ireland. He was the son of Sir John St...

campaign during the American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

.

Loyalist

Loyalist (American Revolution)

Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...

settlers began encroaching on Algonquin lands shortly after the Revolution. Later in the 19th century, the lumber industry

Lumber

Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....

began to move up the Ottawa

Ottawa River

The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...

valley, and some Algonquins were relegated to a string of small reserves.

Economy

Although the historical Algonquin society was largely hunting- and fishing-based, some Algonquin practiced agriculture and cultivated corn

Maize

Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

, bean

Bean

Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed....

s, and squash

Squash (fruit)

Squashes generally refer to four species of the genus Cucurbita, also called marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker...

, the famous "Three Sisters

Three Sisters (agriculture)

The Three Sisters are the three main agricultural crops of various Native American groups in North America: squash, maize, and climbing beans ....

" of |indigenous horticulture

Indigenous horticulture

Indigenous Horticulture is practiced in various ways across all inhabited continents. Indigenous refers to the native peoples of a given area and horticulture is the practice of small-scale plant cultivation.-North Africa:...

. Being primarily a hunting nation, the people emphasized mobility. They used materials that were light and easy to transport. Canoe

Canoe

A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...

s were made of birch bark

Birch bark

, sewed with spruce roots and rendered waterproof by the application of heated spruce resin

Resin

Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...

and bear

Bear

Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...

grease. During winter, toboggan

Toboggan

A toboggan is a simple sled which is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people down a hill or other slope for recreation. Designs vary from simple, traditional models to modern engineered composites...

s were used to transport material, and people used snowshoe

Snowshoe

A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....

s to get around. The women used tikinàgan (cradleboards) to carry their babies. It was built with wood and covered with an envelope made of leather or material. The baby was standing up with his feet resting on a small board. The mother would then put the tikinàgan on her back. This allowed the infant to look around and observe his surroundings. The child was kept close to the mother but also had much stimulation.

Algonquian-speaking people also practiced agriculture, particularly south of the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

, where the climate allows for a longer growing season. Notable indigenous crops historically farmed by Algonquins are the sunflower

Sunflower

Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...

and tobacco

Tobacco

Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...

. Even among groups who mainly hunted, agricultural products were an important source of food. They obtained what was needed by trading with or raiding societies that practiced more agriculture.

Archaeological sites on Morrison Island near Pembroke

Pembroke, Ontario

Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...

, within the territory of the later Kitcisìpiriniwak, reveal a 1,000-year-old culture that manufactured copper

Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...

tools and weapons. Copper ore was extracted north of Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...

and distributed down to today's northern New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. Local pottery artifacts from this period show widespread similarities that indicate the continuing use of the river for cultural exchange throughout the Canadian Shield

Canadian Shield

The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...

and beyond.

Some centuries later, the Algonquin tribe moved in and inhabited the islands and shores along the Ottawa. By the 17th century the first Europeans found them well-established as a hunter-gatherer society in control of the river. The Kitcisìpiriniwak showed entrepreneurial spirit. On Morrison Island, at the location where 5,000-year-old copper artifacts were discovered, the Kitcisìpirini band levied a toll on canoe flotillas descending the river.

Modern events

In 1981, members of the Algonquin tribe successfully blockaded a commercial rice-harvesting venture which had been given federal governmental permission to harvest wild rice

Wild rice

Wild rice is four species of grasses forming the genus Zizania, and the grain which can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both North America and China...

. The tribe had traditionally gathered this grain by hand for centuries. Hundreds of people blockaded roads, and despite police helicopters, paddy wagons, and "a lot of hostility and pushing and shoving," according to Harold Perry, honorary chief of the Ardoch Algonquins, the tribe and its supporters held their ground for 27 days—long enough for the federal government to reverse its decision and revoke the commercial permit.

In recent years, tensions with the lumber industry have flared up again among Algonkin communities, in response to the practice of clear-cutting. In Ontario, an ongoing Algonkin land claim has, since 1983, called into dispute much of the southeastern part of the province, stretching from near North Bay

North Bay, Ontario

North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...

to near Hawkesbury

Hawkesbury, Ontario

Hawkesbury is a town in the Eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada, on the Ottawa River, near the Quebec-Ontario border.It lies on the south shore of the Ottawa River about halfway between Downtown Ottawa and Downtown Montreal in Prescott and Russell Counties. The Long-Sault Bridge links it...

and including Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

, Pembroke

Pembroke, Ontario

Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...

, and most of Algonquin Provincial Park

Algonquin Provincial Park

Algonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Central Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Canada. Additions since its creation have increased...

.

In 2000, Algonquins from Timiskaming First Nation

Timiskaming District, Ontario

Timiskaming is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district was created in 1912 from parts of Algoma, Nipissing, and Sudbury districts. In 1921, Cochrane District was created from parts of this district and parts of Thunder Bay...

played a significant part in the local popular opposition to the plan to convert Adams Mine

Adams Mine

Adams Mine is an abandoned open pit iron ore mine located in the Boston Township of the District of Timiskaming, south of Kirkland Lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the Canadian Shield....

into a garbage dump.

Members of the Algonquin tribe began a peaceful blockade of a uranium mining

Uranium mining

Uranium mining is the process of extraction of uranium ore from the ground. The worldwide production of uranium in 2009 amounted to 50,572 tonnes, of which 27% was mined in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia are the top three producers and together account for 63% of world uranium...

operation on their sacred lands north of Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

on June 29, 2007. Oakville-based Frontenac Ventures, the prospecting company, sought a court order to force the protesters from the area. A court injunction was obtained on August 27, 2007, and a series of arrests followed, including that of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation

Ardoch Algonquin First Nation

Ardoch Algonguin First Nation is a non-status Algonquin community that is located around the Madawaska, Mississippi and Rideau watersheds, north of Kingston, Ontario-History:...

co-Chiefs Robert Lovelace and Paula Sherman

Paula Sherman

Paula Sherman is an Algonquin writer, activist and educator. She is of Omàmìwinini heritage and a Family Head on Ka-Pishkawandemin, the traditional governing council for the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation. She is also a professor of Indigenous Studies at Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario...

. Chief Lovelace served a six-month sentence for contempt of court

Contempt of court

Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...

for violating the injunction, which required all protesters to remain at least 200 metres from the mining site. Chief Sherman also received a six-month sentence, but it was suspended as she agreed to respect the injunction. Tens of thousands of dollars in fines were levied against them.

In addition to the charges of contempt, Frontenac Ventures is suing the Algonquins for $77 million in civil damages. On March 18, 2008, contempt charges were dropped "without costs" against three non-native activists: Frank Morrison and Christian Peacemakers David Milne

David Milne

David Milne may refer to:* Sir David Milne , British admiral* David Milne , Canadian artist* David Milne , Australian rugby league player...

and Reverend John Hudson

John Hudson

John Hudson may refer to:* John Hudson , older brother of actor William Hudson* John Hudson , former NFL player* John Hudson , former American basketball player...

. They had been charged with violating the same injunction as Lovelace and Sherman, but Frontenac Ventures declined to prosecute. During the same proceedings, however, warrants were obtained for the arrest of five other non-native activists who allegedly violated the injuncton.

Communities

At the time of their first meeting with the French in 1603, the various Algonquin bands probably had a combined population somewhere in the neighborhood of 6000. The British estimate in 1768 was 1500. As of 2000, there are close to 8000 Algonquins in Canada, organized into ten separate First Nations: nine in Quebec and one in Ontario.

Quebec

Kitcisìpiriniwak ("people of the great river") — They were the largest and most powerful group of Algonquins. Known variously as: Algoumequins de l'Isle-aux-Allumettes, Big River People, Gens d l'Isle, Honkeronon (Wyandot language
Wyandot language
Wyandot is the Iroquoian language traditionally spoken by the people known variously as Wyandot, Wyandotte, Wendat, or Huron. It was last spoken primarily in Oklahoma and Quebec...

), Island Algonquian, Island Indians, Island Nation, People from the Island, Kichesippiriniwek, Nation de l'Isle, Nation of the Isle, and Savages de l'Isle. Their main village was on Morrison Island.
Kinònjepìriniwak ("people of the Pickerel-waters") — Also known as Keinouche, Kinonche, Pickerel, Pike and Quenongebin. Sometimes they were listed as an Algonquian band, but after 1650 they were associated with the Ottawa and were originally found along the lower Ottawa River below Allumette Island.
"Otaguottaouemin" — Also known as Kotakoutouemi or Outaoukotwemiwek. They were located along the Upper Ottawa River above Allumette Island.
Sàgaiganininiwak ("people of the lake") — Also known as Saghiganirini.
"Saginitaouigama" — Also known as Sagachiganiriniwek.
Wàwàckeciriniwak ("people of the deer[-clan]") — Also known as the Algonquian Proper, Weskarini, La Petite Nation, Little Nation, Ouaouechkairini, Ouassouarini, Ouescharini, Ouionontateronon (Wyandot language
Wyandot language
Wyandot is the Iroquoian language traditionally spoken by the people known variously as Wyandot, Wyandotte, Wendat, or Huron. It was last spoken primarily in Oklahoma and Quebec...

), or Petite Nation. They were located on the north side of the Ottawa River along the Lievre River and the Rouge River
Rouge River (Quebec)
The Rouge River is a river in western Quebec, Canada,which empties into the Ottawa River near Pointe-au-Chêne and flows north of Mont Tremblant.It is located in the Laurentides,about halfway between...

in Quebec.

Ontario

Iroquet — They were known as Hiroquet, Hirocay, Iroquay, Yroquetto, and to the Huron as the Atonontrataronon or Ononchataronon; they lived along Ontario's South Nation River
South Nation River
The South Nation River is a river in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It springs from forests and marshes located north of Brockville and it flows 175 km northeast to empty into the Ottawa River north of Plantagenet...

.
Matàwackariniwak "people of the bulrushed-shore" — Also known as Madawaska, Madwaska, Matouchkarine, Matouashita, Mataouchkarini, Matouechkariniwek and Matouescarini; the Madawaska River
Madawaska River (Ontario)
The Madawaska River is a river in Ontario, Canada. The river is long and drains an area of . It originates at Source Lake in the highlands of Algonquin Park at an elevation of and flows east, dropping before emptying into the Ottawa River at Arnprior....

in the Upper Ottawa Valley
Ottawa Valley
The Ottawa Valley is the valley along the boundary between Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec along the Ottawa River. The valley is the transition between the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the Canadian Shield...

is named after this band.
"Nibachis" — Located at Muskrat Lake
Muskrat Lake
Muskrat Lake is located in the Whitewater Region of Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. Said to be the home of lake monster Mussie. Muskrat Lake drains into Muskrat River. Other than a few cottages and campgrounds, Cobden, is only one community on the lakes shore...

near present-day Cobden, Ontario
Cobden, Ontario
Cobden is a small community in the Township of Whitewater Region, in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. It is located roughly halfway between Renfrew, Ontario and Pembroke, Ontario on Highway 17...

.

Contemporary

Status nations in Quebec

Quebec

Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, Kitigan Zibi
Kitigan Zibi, Quebec
Kitigan 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...

near Maniwaki
Maniwaki, Quebec
Maniwaki is a town north of Gatineau and located north-west of Montreal, in the province of Quebec, Canada. The town is situated on the Gatineau River, at the crossroads of Route 105 and Route 107, not far south of Route 117...

(population 2600)
Timiskaming First Nation, Notre-Dame-du-Nord, Quebec
Notre-Dame-du-Nord, Quebec
Notre-Dame-du-Nord is a municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality. It is located at the northern end of Lake Timiskaming where the Ottawa River enters into this lake....

(population 1553)
Nation Anishinabe du Lac Simon, Lac-Simon, Quebec
Lac-Simon, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec
Lac-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...

(population 1459)
Abitibiwinni First Nation
Abitibiwinni First Nation
The 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....

, Pikogan, Quebec
Pikogan, Quebec
Pikogan 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....

(population 814)
Eagle Village First Nation, Témiscaming, Quebec
Témiscaming, Quebec
Témiscaming is a town located at the south end of Lac Témiscamingue on the upper Ottawa River in the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality of western Quebec, Canada. Also nearby is Lake Kipawa.-History:...

(population 676)
Long Point First Nation, Winneway River, Quebec (population 652)
Algonquins of Barrière Lake, Lac Rapide
Rapid Lake, Quebec
Rapid Lake is a First Nation reserve on the western shore of Cabonga Reservoir in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. It belongs to the Algonquins of Barrière Lake of the Algonquin Nation....

(population 616)
Anicinape Community of Kitcisakik, Val-d'Or, Quebec
Val-d'Or, Quebec
-External links:* ***...

(population 384)
Wolf Lake First Nation, Témiscaming, Quebec
Témiscaming, Quebec
Témiscaming is a town located at the south end of Lac Témiscamingue on the upper Ottawa River in the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality of western Quebec, Canada. Also nearby is Lake Kipawa.-History:...

(population 262) — formed from three historical bands:
- Dumoine Lake Band of Algonquin, (historical)
- Grassy Lake Band of Algonquin, (historical)
- Lac des Quinze Band of Algonquin, (historical)

Status nations in Ontario

Ontario

Matachewan First Nation, Matachewan, Ontario (population 527) — formed in part by Algonquins
Temagami First Nation
Temagami First Nation
Temagami First Nation is located on Bear Island, Lake Temagami, Ontario, Canada. It is home to a portion of the Aboriginal community, the Teme-Augama Anishnabai . The island is the seconed largest in Lake Temagami after Temagami Island...

, Temagami, Ontario (population 668) — formed in part by Algonquins
Wahgoshig First Nation
Wahgoshig First Nation
-Services:For the Abitibi village of about 25 ha, the First Nation provides the following services:* band office* health clinic* warehouse / fire hall* public works garage* community hall...

, Black River-Matheson, Ontario
Black River-Matheson, Ontario
Black River-Matheson is a township in the Cochrane District of the Canadian province of Ontario. As of 2006, the township had a population of 2,619. The area was 1,161.67 square kilometers. The Matheson railway station is serviced by the Northlander....

(population 250) — formed in part by Algonquins
Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation
Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation
The Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, formerly known as the Golden Lake First Nation, are an Algonquin First Nation in Ontario, Canada...

, Golden Lake, Ontario
North Algona-Wilberforce, Ontario
North Algona Wilberforce is a township in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 2,729. The township was formed in 1999 when the North Algona and Wilberforce townships were amalgamated....

(population 1871)

Non-status nations

Ardoch Algonquin First Nation
Ardoch Algonquin First Nation
Ardoch Algonguin First Nation is a non-status Algonquin community that is located around the Madawaska, Mississippi and Rideau watersheds, north of Kingston, Ontario-History:...

, comprising 11 smaller bands:
- Big Rideau Algonquin First Nation
- Bob’s Lake Algonquin First Nation
- Calabogie Algonquin First Nation
- Eagle Lake Algonquin First Nation
- Eel Lake Algonquin First Nation
- Fall River Algonquin First Nation
- Golden Lake Algonquin First Nation, (historical): divided into two groups—
  - Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, (status - see above)
  - Bonnechere Algonquin Community, (non-status)
- Mattawachen Algonquin First Nation
- Ottawa Algonquin First Nation
- Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation
  Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation
  The Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, formerly known as the Sharbot Mishigama Anishinabe Algonquin First Nation and as the Sharbot Lake Algonquin First Nation, is a non-status Algonquin community located north of Kingston, Ontario. It is currently in negotiation with the federal and provincial...
- Tay River Algonquin First Nation
Beaverhouse Algonquin First Nation
Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation
Temagami Lake Band of Algonquin, (historical)
Washagami Lake Band of Algonquin, (historical)

These population figures are from Canada's Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.

The Nipissing First Nation

Nipissing First Nation

The Nipissing First Nation consists of first nation people of Ojibwa and Algonquin descent who have lived in the area of Lake Nipissing in the Canadian province of Ontario for about 9,400 years. Though in history known by many names, they are generally considered part of the Anishinaabe peoples,...

of North Bay, Ontario

North Bay, Ontario

North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...

is also sometimes considered to belong to the Algonkin group of Anishinaabe

Anishinaabe

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Culture

Origins

French contact

Iroquois and Algonquin relationship

Settlement in Quebec

Economy

Modern events

Communities

Quebec

Ontario

Contemporary

See also

Further reading

External links