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Nitaskinan

Coordinates: 52°49′9.8″N 67°11′53.3″W / 52.819389°N 67.198139°W / 52.819389; -67.198139
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52°49′9.8″N 67°11′53.3″W / 52.819389°N 67.198139°W / 52.819389; -67.198139

Nitaskinan
Nehirowisi Aski
Atikamekw Aski
Time immemorial–1763 (as a State)
Map of Atikamekw Aski in Quebec, Canada
Map of Atikamekw Aski in Quebec, Canada
StatusUnrecognized / former country
Common languagesFrench, Atikamekw Nehiromowin, English
Demonym(s)Atikamekw (nehirowisiwok, iriniwok)
History 
• Established
Time immemorial
1876
• Disestablished
1763 (as a State)
Area
Pre-invasion80,000 km2 (31,000 sq mi)
20th c.51.35 km2 (19.83 sq mi)
Population
• 2016
7,747
Today part ofQuebec, Canada
atikamekw / nehirowisiw
"lake whitefish" / "Indigenous person"
PersonAtikamekw Nehirowisiw
PeopleAtikamekw Nehirowisiwok
LanguageAtikamekw Nehiromowin
CountryNitaskinan (Nehirowisi Aski)

Nitaskinan, also known as Nehirowisi Aski and Atikamekw Territory, is the ancestral country of the Atikamekw people. It is located in the valley of the Saint-Maurice River in Quebec, Canada. It covers an area of 80,000 km2 (31,000 sq mi).[1] On 8 September 2014, the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw declared unilaterally the sovereignty of the Atikamekw Nation on the Nistaskinan.[2][3][4][5] The objective of this is mainly to obtain a right of review for the projects exploiting the natural resources and to highlight the Atikamekw's identity. "Nitaskinan" means "our (excl.) land" in the Atikamekw language, where "Kitaskinan" means "our (inclusive) land," similar to other Cree languages' use of aski. From a legal perspective, according to the Canadian Indian Act, the Atikamekw have self-administration on three Indian reserves, Manawan, Obedjiwan and Wemotaci, but territory of Nitaskinan covers an area much wider.

Etymology

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Nitaskinan and Nehirowisi Aski mean "our land" and "Atikamekw Country," respectively, in Nehiromowin. Both centre the root aski ("land"), originating from Proto-Algonquian *axskiy,[6] relating it to Ojibwemowin's aki and the Istchee in Eeyou Istchee,[note 1] each meaning "land" as well.

The name "Atikamekw" is derived from atikamekw, which means "lake whitefish" in Nehiromowin. In the language, the words nehirowisiwok and iriniwok are also used, both meaning "[Atikamekw] people". The latter has its roots in Proto-Algonquian *elenyiwa ("human"); the former derives from rowi ("action, movement"), with the prefix nehi- ("balance") and the suffix -siw ("human being"). Both have cognates in the likes of: nêhinawak ᓀᐦᐃᓇᐘᐠ and ininiwak ᐃᓂᓂᐘᐠ (Swampy Cree), nīhithawak ᓃᐦᐃᖬᐘᐠ and ithiniwak ᐃᖨᓂᐘᐠ (Woods Cree), and nêhiyawak ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐘᐠ and iyiniwak ᐃᔨᓂᐘᐠ (Plains Cree).

Nitaskinan means "our (excl.) land". It is formed by attaching the prefix ni- ("I; we") and the suffix -(i)nan ("us, but not yours") to the root aski, forming the possessive.[9] This construction is seen in neighbouring Algonquian languages like Plains Cree,[10] Anishinaabemowin,[11] and Innu Aimun. Indeed, Innu use a similar construction to refer to their homeland: Nitassinan.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ (/iːjoʊ̯ ɪst͡ʃi/,[7] Northern East Cree: ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔅᒌ Iiyiyiu Aschii /ijɪjɪu əstʃi/, Southern East Cree: ᐄᔨᔫ ᐊᔅᒌ Iiyiyuu Aschii /ijɪju əstʃi/ or ᐄᓅ ᐊᔅᒌ Iinuu Aschii /inu əstʃi/, all meaning 'The People's Land';[8] French: [iju istʃi])

References

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  1. ^ "Les Attikameks s'attaquent à l'indifférence de Québec". Le Devoir (in French). 9 September 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Les Atikamekw déclarent leur souveraineté". Radio-Canada.ca (in French). 8 September 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  3. ^ Caron, Jean-François (2016). "La declaration de souveraineté de la nation atikamekw : les méandres de l'octroi d'un titre aborigène" [The declaration of sovereignty of the Atikamekw Nation: the windings of granting an Aboriginal title]. Canadian Ethnic Studies (in French). 48 (1): 141–160. ISSN 0008-3496. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Couillard minimise la portée de la déclaration de souveraineté Atikamekw". Radio-Canada.ca (in French). 9 September 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  5. ^ Gagné, Louis (8 September 2014). "Les Atikamekws declarant leur souveraineté". TVA Nouvelles (in French). Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  6. ^ "axkyi". Proto-Algonquian Online Dictionary. Algonquian Dictionaries Project. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Video". www.youtube.com. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  8. ^ "Eastern James Bay Cree Dictionary on the Web: Words". Eastern James Bay Cree Dictionary on the Web. 2018-12-13. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  9. ^ "Le possessif des noms". Dictionnaire atikamekw. Algonquian Dictionaries Project. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  10. ^ Okimāsis, Jean L. Cree Language of the Plains - nehiyawewin paskwāwi-pīkiskwēwin (PDF). University of Regina Press. p. 250. ISBN 978-0- 88977-550-3. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  11. ^ "Notes on Possessed Nouns" (PDF). Ojibwe Grammar. Retrieved 26 May 2025.