Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg facts for kids
The Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg is an Algonquin First Nation located in Quebec, Canada. They live in the Outaouais region on their own land called Kitigan Zibi. This land is a special Indian reserve found along the Gatineau River near a town called Maniwaki. In 2018, there were 3,286 registered members of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg community.
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How Kitigan Zibi is Governed
The Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg community is led by a group called a band council. This council is chosen by the community members through elections. The way these elections work is based on rules from the Indian Act, which is a Canadian law about First Nations. From 2020 to 2022, the main leader, or chief, of this council was Dylan Whiteduck.
Languages Spoken in Kitigan Zibi
The people of Kitigan Zibi speak different languages. According to a count in 2011, about 36 out of every 100 people knew an Indigenous language. More specifically, about 25 out of 100 learned an Indigenous language as their first language. Also, about 21 out of 100 spoke an Indigenous language at home.
When it comes to Canada's official languages, English and French:
- About 43 out of 100 people knew both English and French.
- About 55 out of 100 people knew only English.
- About 2 out of 100 people knew only French.
The community noticed that young people were not as interested in their traditional language. Because of this, they decided to start teaching the Algonquin language in their schools again. This helps keep their culture and language strong for future generations.
In 2016, a new count showed similar trends:
- About 21 out of 100 people learned their Indigenous language first.
- About 17 out of 100 spoke an Indigenous language at home.
- About 31 out of 100 had some knowledge of an Indigenous language.
- About 60 out of 100 spoke only English.
- About 2 out of 100 spoke only French.
- About 38 out of 100 spoke both English and French.
Leaders of Kitigan Zibi
The Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg community has had many important leaders, known as chiefs, over the years. Here is a list of some of the chiefs and when they led the community:
- Chief Antoine Pakinawatik - 1854-1874
- Chief Peter Tenasco - 1874-1884, 1890–1896
- Chief Simon Odjick - 1884-1890
- Chief Louizon Commanda - 1896-1899
- Chief John Tenasco - 1899-1911
- Chief Michael Commanda - 1911-1917
- Chief John Cayer - 1917-1920
- Chief John B. Chabot - 1920-1924, 1939–1951
- Chief Vincent Odjick - 1927-1933
- Chief Patrick Brascoupe - 1933-1936
- Chief Abraham McDougall - 1936-1939
- Chief William Commanda - 1951-1970
- Chief Ernest McGregor - 1970-1976
- Chief Jean Guy Whiteduck - 1976-2006
- Chief Stephen McGregor - 2006-2008
- Chief Gilbert Whiteduck - 2008-2015
- Chief Jean-Guy Whiteduck - 2015–2020
- Chief Dylan Whiteduck - 2020-Present
Culture and Things to See
The Kitigan Zibi community celebrates its culture with special events and places.
- The Kitigan Zibi Pow wow is a big annual celebration. It happens every year on the first weekend of June.
- The Kitigan Zibi Cultural Centre is a great place to learn about Algonquin culture. It has many interesting displays, old artifacts, paintings, and photos. These items show the history and traditions of the Algonquin people.
- Mawandoseg Kitigan Zibi is like a living museum. It teaches visitors about the traditional ways of life of the Anishinaabeg people.
