Algonquin people facts for kids

Algonquin territory around the year 1800, shown in green.

The Algonquin people are an Indigenous group who live in Eastern Canada. They speak the Algonquin language, which is part of the larger Algonquian language family. They are closely related to other groups like the Odawa, Potawatomi, and Ojibwe. Together, these groups form the larger Anicinàpe family. Algonquins call themselves Omàmiwinini (plural: Omàmiwininiwak).

The name "Algonquin" might come from a word meaning "our relatives" or "allies." Most Algonquins live in Quebec. There are nine recognized Algonquin communities in Quebec and one in Ontario. Their total population is about 17,002 people. Algonquins are the original Indigenous people of southern Quebec and eastern Ontario.

Many Algonquins still speak their language, called Anicinàpemowin. This language is similar to other Anishinaabe languages. Younger speakers sometimes use words borrowed from the Cree language.

Traditional Algonquin Life

Traditionally, Algonquins lived in homes called mìkiwàms. These were made from birch bark or wood. Today, Algonquins live in modern houses, just like other people.

Beliefs and Spirituality

Algonquins traditionally followed Midewiwin, which means "the Path of the Heart." They believed that many manitòk, or spirits, were present in the natural world. In the 17th and 18th centuries, French missionaries introduced Catholicism. Today, many Algonquins practice either traditional Midewiwin or a mix of Christianity and Midewiwin.

Ancient Journeys

According to their oral history, the Algonquins migrated from the Atlantic Ocean coast. They traveled with other Anicinàpek to a place near Montreal. While other groups continued up the Saint Lawrence River, the Algonquins settled along Kitcisìpi, now known as the Ottawa River. This river was important for trade and travel. Scholars believe this migration happened about 2000 years ago.

Trade and Alliances

After Europeans arrived, especially the French and Dutch, the Algonquin nations became active in the fur trade. This led to conflicts with the powerful Iroquois Confederacy. In 1570, the Algonquins formed an alliance with the Innu people. The Algonquins also had strong ties with the Wendat, Abenaki, and Cree.

Meeting the French

An Algonquin couple from the 18th century. This watercolor shows how some Algonquins dressed during that time.

Algonquins first met Europeans in 1603. This happened when Samuel de Champlain met a group led by Chief Tessouat at Tadoussac. They were celebrating a victory over the Iroquois with their allies. Champlain learned that Algonquins were united by a strong clan system, not like European nations. Each Algonquin group had its own chief. Champlain needed to build relationships with many chiefs and clan leaders.

From 1603, some Algonquins allied with the French. This alliance helped the Algonquins gain access to European firearms. In 1613, Champlain explored the Ottawa River. He reached the fortified village of the Kitcisìpiriniwak at Morrison Island. This group was unique because they did not move with the seasons. They controlled a key trade route between the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. They became wealthy by collecting beaver pelts from traders.

At first, the French used "Algonquin" for only one specific group. But by 1615, they used the name for all Algonquin groups along the Ottawa River. These groups faced strong opposition from other tribes who wanted control of the river. Two large Algonquin groups, the Kitcisìpiriniwak and the Wàwàckeciriniwak, allied to protect their identity and land.

Conflicts and Changes

French-Indian War

The Iroquois Confederacy pushed Algonquins from their lands. The Iroquois had help from the Dutch and later the English. In the 1620s, the Iroquois and English defeated the French and Algonquins.

In 1623, the French began trading muskets to the Algonquins and their allies. French Jesuits also started trying to convert Algonquins to Catholicism.

The Iroquois never attacked the Kitcisìpirinik fortress directly. However, in 1642, they launched a surprise winter attack. This caused many casualties among the Algonquins. In 1647, a large Mohawk war party attacked the Kitcisìpiriniwak near Trois-Rivières and almost wiped them out. Some Algonquins moved to a mission at Sillery. Sadly, many died there from an infectious disease epidemic by 1676. Others stayed near Trois-Rivières.

Algonquin History: 18th Century to Today

The Lake of Two Mountains Algonquin group signed the Great Peace of Montreal in 1701. This was a major peace treaty. In 1717, the King of France gave land to the Mohawk in Quebec. This land was also meant for about 100 Algonquins and 250 Nipissing people. The Sulpician missionaries managed this settlement, called Kanesatake. Over time, the Sulpicians claimed full ownership of the land. But the Mohawk, Algonquins, and Nipissing believed the land was held in trust for them.

Algonquin warriors continued to fight with France until the British took over Quebec in 1760. After this, British officials sought alliances with First Nations. The Algonquins, along with many others, signed the Royal Proclamation of 1763. This was later confirmed by the Treaty of Niagara in 1764. Algonquins then fought alongside the British during the American Revolutionary War.

After the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, settlers began moving onto Algonquin land. The lumber industry also expanded into the Ottawa River valley. This caused Algonquins to lose more of their traditional territory. Starting in the 1820s, Algonquin Grand Chief Constant Pinesi sent letters to the British Crown. He asked for recognition of Algonquin land rights, as agreed in earlier treaties. The British did not respond.

From the 1830s, Algonquins were moved to small reserves. Those who moved to these reserves or joined other bands were "recognized" by the government. Others chose to stay on their traditional lands and continue fur trading. These Algonquins were not recognized as "Status Indians." The Kanesatake area eventually became known as a Mohawk reserve. However, many people there still have Algonquin ancestors.

Algonquins in northern areas gradually moved to towns like Témiscaming and Mattawa. This happened as settlers and resource companies took more land throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Economy and Tools

Historically, Algonquin society focused on hunting and fishing. They were mobile people, so they used light and easy-to-carry materials. Their Canoes were made of birch bark. These canoes were waterproofed with spruce resin and bear grease. In winter, they used toboggans for transport and snowshoes to travel. Women used tikinaagan (cradleboards) to carry babies. These allowed babies to look around and observe their surroundings.

Some Algonquian-speaking people also practiced farming, especially south of the Great Lakes. They grew crops like sunflower and tobacco. Around 800 CE, Eastern Algonquins learned maize (corn) farming from their neighbors. Even groups who mainly hunted still relied on farmed products. They traded for these foods or sometimes raided other farming societies.

Archaeological sites on Morrison Island show a 1,000-year-old culture that made copper tools and weapons. Copper was mined north of Lake Superior and traded far south. Pottery from this time shows that the river was used for cultural exchange. By the 17th century, European explorers found the Kitcisìpiriniwak well-established. They controlled the Ottawa River and even charged a toll for canoes passing through their territory.

Plants and Traditional Uses

Algonquins in Quebec gather berries from plants like Ribes glandulosum and Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides for food. They also eat and sell the fruit of Vaccinium myrtilloides.

They use leaves from Epigaea repens to make a tea for kidney problems. They apply a paste from the gum or needles of Abies balsamea to treat sores, insect bites, and infections. The needles are also used to help women after childbirth. The roots are used to treat heart disease.

Modern Challenges and Progress

In recent years, there have been new tensions with the lumber industry. This is due to the practice of clear-cutting forests.

In Ontario, an Algonquin land claim has been ongoing since 1983. This claim covers a large part of southeastern Ontario, including Ottawa and most of Algonquin Provincial Park. The Algonquins never gave up their rights to this land. In 2015, an agreement was reached between the Algonquins of Ontario, Canada, and Ontario. However, many Algonquins disagree with this settlement.

In 2000, Algonquins from Timiskaming First Nation played a big part in stopping a plan to turn Adams Mine into a garbage dump.

Algonquin Communities Today

When they first met the French in 1603, there were likely around 6,000 Algonquins. By 1768, the British estimated about 1,500. As of 2000, there are nearly 8,000 Algonquins in Canada. They are organized into ten separate First Nations. Nine are in Quebec and one is in Ontario.

Historic Communities (Examples)

• Kichesipirini ("people of the great river"): This was the largest and most powerful Algonquin group. Their main village was on Morrison Island.
• Weskarini ("people of the deer"): Their traditional land was along the Lievre River and the Rouge River in Quebec.
• Iroquet: They lived along Ontario's South Nation River.

Current Communities (Examples)

Status nations in Quebec

• Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, near Maniwaki (population 3,237)
• Timiskaming First Nation, Notre-Dame-du-Nord, Quebec (population 2,129)
• Nation Anishinabe du Lac Simon, Lac-Simon, Quebec (population 2,149)
• Eagle Village First Nation, Témiscaming, Quebec (population 991)

Status nations in Ontario

• Matachewan First Nation, Matachewan, Ontario (population 787)
• Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, Golden Lake, Ontario (population 2,635)

See also

• Eliot Indian Bible
• Great Trail
• Kingdom of Saguenay