Obedjiwan, Quebec
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Obedjiwan (officially designated as Obedjiwan 28) is a
First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...
reserve and village on the north shore of Gouin Reservoir in the
Mauricie Mauricie () is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making tourism in Mauricie popular. The region has a land area of 35,860.05 km2 (13,845.64 sq mi) and a popu ...
region of Quebec, Canada. It belongs to the Atikamekw of Opitciwan band of the
Atikamekw The Atikamekw are an Indigenous people in Canada. Their historic territory, ('Our Land'), is in the upper Saint-Maurice River valley of Quebec (about north of Montreal). One of the main communities is Manawan, about northeast of Montreal. ...
Nation.


Geography

Obedjiwan reserve is situated on the north shore of Gouin Reservoir, at (direct line) south of
Chibougamau Chibougamau () is the largest town in Nord-du-Québec, central Quebec, Canada. Located on Lake Gilman, it has a population of 7,233 people (2021 Canadian census). Chibougamau is surrounded by, but not part of, the local municipality of Eeyou ...
, north of
Wemotaci Wemotaci (designated as Weymontachie 23 until 1997) is a First Nations reserve on the north shore of the Saint-Maurice River at the mouth of the Manouane River in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada. Together with the Obedjiwan and the Couco ...
and northwest of La Tuque. The reserve is located between Lake Kamitcikamac (west) and Wopisiw Bay (East). In front (south side), there is the tip Martel Kiwam jutting into the lake Mamette. The reserve is an enclave within the City of La Tuque. It is the most isolated Atikamekw reserve in Quebec. It is accessible by a long gravel forest road of , which reaches towards the east Quebec Route 167 linking Saint-Félicien to
Chibougamau Chibougamau () is the largest town in Nord-du-Québec, central Quebec, Canada. Located on Lake Gilman, it has a population of 7,233 people (2021 Canadian census). Chibougamau is surrounded by, but not part of, the local municipality of Eeyou ...
. Hence the distance by road to reach
Chibougamau Chibougamau () is the largest town in Nord-du-Québec, central Quebec, Canada. Located on Lake Gilman, it has a population of 7,233 people (2021 Canadian census). Chibougamau is surrounded by, but not part of, the local municipality of Eeyou ...
is . From Obedjiwan, Forest road 1045 reaches westward Forest Road 1009, built in the north–south axis to circumvent the Gouin Reservoir to the west; this road goes up to Chapais. The road distance between Obedjiwan and La Tuque is , with a forest road bypassing the Gouin Reservoir on the east side. Toward West, the distance Obedjiwan-Senneterre is . In this context of distance, the aircraft is a mode of transportation widely used.


Etymology

The word ''Obedjiwan'', written in the standardized
Atikamekw The Atikamekw are an Indigenous people in Canada. Their historic territory, ('Our Land'), is in the upper Saint-Maurice River valley of Quebec (about north of Montreal). One of the main communities is Manawan, about northeast of Montreal. ...
spelling as ''Opitciwan'', comes from the roots ''oba'' or ''obe'' meaning "strait", and ''djwan'' meaning "running". So, it can be translated as "current of the strait/narrows/pass". The name, first attributed to the lake, has undergone many spelling variations. In 1825, when the
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
set up a post, they called it ''Waupatchinauganiskau'', which is understood to be the original form of the toponym. In 1871, explorer John P. Bignell visited the place and made mention of the name ''Obidjouan''. In 1904, the Fifth Report of the Geographic Board of Canada called it ''Obiduan'' and this remained the accepted form until 1964. Other variations included ''Obijuan'' and ''Wabijiwoine''.


History

The area of the upper
Saint-Maurice River The Saint-Maurice River (, ; ) is one of the main tributaries of the St. Lawrence River, after the Ottawa River, Ottawa and the Saguenay River, Saguenay Rivers and drains an area of 42,735 km2. It touches the Lac Saint-Jean, Lake Saint John waters ...
had long been the homeland of the
Atikamekw The Atikamekw are an Indigenous people in Canada. Their historic territory, ('Our Land'), is in the upper Saint-Maurice River valley of Quebec (about north of Montreal). One of the main communities is Manawan, about northeast of Montreal. ...
indigenous people. Lake Obedjiwan (a lake at the headwaters of the Saint-Maurice River that was inundated during the construction of Gouin Reservoir) was located along important canoe routes to
Lac Saint-Jean Lac Saint-Jean (, ) is a large, relatively shallow lake in south-central Quebec, Canada, in the Laurentian Highlands. It is situated north of the Saint Lawrence River, into which it drains via the Saguenay River. It covers an area of , and is ...
via Lake Necouba (Lac Nicabau) and to
James Bay James Bay (, ; ) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. It borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and is politically part of Nunavut. Its largest island is Akimiski Island. Numerous waterways of the ...
. In the 17th century, and perhaps since prehistoric times, the shores of this lake were a gathering and trading place for the Atikamekw, as well as other indigenous people of surrounding areas, where they engaged in social, economic, and cultural interaction. The Atikamekw procured wheat, flour, and perhaps firearms from the Hurons, in exchange for moose or beaver skins. In 1825, the
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
(HBC) and the King's Posts Company established trading posts on Lake Obedjiwan, that quickly attracted indigenous hunters not only from the area, but also from the eastern James Bay and the upper
Ottawa River The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...
regions. In 1840, the Hudson's Bay Company deserted Lake Obedjiwan and settled at Kikendatch Lake (now Kikendatch Bay at the outlet of Gouin Reservoir). Yet in 1911, the HBC transferred its Kikendatch Post back to Lake Obedjiwan, causing the Atikamekw also to return to the area. The HBC wanted to move away from competing dealers who undermined its trade at Kikendatch while the Atikamekw liked to avoid Europeans who became more and more numerous in the south. At that time, there was still no real settlement although the
Oblate In Christianity (specifically the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist traditions), an oblate is a person associated with a Benedictine monastery or convent who is specifically dedicated to God and service. Oblates are i ...
s built a chapel in 1916, which was located on the left bank of the Saint-Maurice River opposite of the HBC Post, separated by the Obedjiwan Narrows. The area experienced a great change when the dam at La Loutre was constructed in 1917. The reservoir forming behind the dam flooded not only hundreds of lakes, including Lake Obediwan, but also the old settlement and its archaeological sites. A new village, west at the current location, was not actually built until 1925 following arduous negotiations with the ''Commission des eaux courantes''. On December 31, 1941, the Quebec Government proclaimed the Lands and Forests Act that provided for the reservation of lands for the benefit of "Indians". On January 14, 1944, an area of in the geographic township of Toussaint was transferred from the
Government of Quebec The Government of Quebec (, ) is the body responsible for the administration of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. The term is typically used to refer to the executive of the day (i.e. Minister of the Crown, mini ...
to the
Government of Canada The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...
, and was officially established as the "Obiduan Indian Reserve" on March 21, 1950. It was renamed to "Obedjiwan Indian Reserve" on January 23, 1964. In 2002, the Atikamekw of Opitciwan initiated claims with the
government of Canada The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...
in order to get compensated for the land and the goods lost in the flooding, the delay in the creation of the reserve, and the inadequate size of the reserve created. The claims are still ongoing.


Land history

* 1941-12-31: Act of 1941, reservation lands not exceeding for the benefit of Indians by the transfer of the usufruct. * 1943-10-27: Surveying land for reserve Obedjiwan, Canton Toussaint (projected), Block A. Area: . * 1944-01-14: Order in Council 160, transfer of the management and administration of the Government of Quebec to Government of Canada. Canton Toussaint (projected), Block A. Area: . * 1950-03-21: Order in Council no. 1458, set aside the block acquired (1944) by Government of Canada to the use of Indians. Current situation * Canton Toussaint (projected), Block A, acquired under the Act of 1941. Transfer governance and administration of Government of Quebec to Government of Canada, by Order in Council 160 (1944-01-14). Area:


Demographics

Historic populations:Statistics Canada:
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
,
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
,
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
census
* Population in 2016: 2019 * Population in 2011: 2031 * Population in 2006: 1782 * Population in 2001: 1666 * Population in 1996: 1464 * Population in 1991: 1125


Language

Atikamekw language Atikamekw (endonym: ''Atikamekw Nehiromowin'', literally "Atikamekw native language") is a variety of the Algonquian language Cree and the language of the Atikamekw people of southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is spoken by nearly all the Atikame ...
is still spoken by the vast majority of families, and therefore it is among the indigenous languages least threatened with extinction according to some studies. The language has some similarities with the
Cree language Cree ( ; also known as Cree–Montagnais language, Montagnais–Naskapi language, Naskapi) is a dialect continuum of Algonquian languages spoken by approximately 86,475 people across Canada in 2021, from the Northwest Territories to Alberta to ...
spoken by the Cree communities of southern Quebec (Waswanipi and Oujé-Bougoumou). This parallel development of both languages may be the result of the frequent interaction between the nearby Cree and Atikamekw. The second language used in Obedjiwan is French. Mother tongue: * English: 0% * French: 2.5% * Atikamekw: 97.0% * Other: 0.5%


See also

* Coucoucache, uninhabited Indian reserve *
Wemotaci Wemotaci (designated as Weymontachie 23 until 1997) is a First Nations reserve on the north shore of the Saint-Maurice River at the mouth of the Manouane River in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada. Together with the Obedjiwan and the Couco ...
, Indian reserve


References


External links

{{authority control Atikamekw Communities in Mauricie Indian reserves in Quebec Hudson's Bay Company trading posts La Tuque, Quebec 1825 establishments in Lower Canada