Kitigan Zibi

Kitigàn Zìbì – "garden river" (Algonquin language). ==Economy==

The creation of a forestry company, Migot, which holds a forest management agreement allows them to cut trees on their ancestral territories. They also work in collaboration with other forest operators. They are also important partners in the management of the Eagle Forest, a territory located west of Maniwaki, where logging, outdoor activities and wildlife protection go hand in hand. The community also has a 12,000-tap maple grove whose potential has not yet been fully exploited and it is in Kitigan Zibi that Awazibi pure maple syrup is produced. ==Toponymy==

Kitigàn can be translated from Algonquin as "garden", "cultivated land" or "cleared land". This name may have originated as a reference to a clearing made by the Hudson's Bay Company for the establishment of its post, dependencies, and the adjoining garden. ==Geography==

The reserve is bounded by the Eagle River along its west side, by the Désert River on the north side, and the Gatineau River on the east side. Most of its development is along or near Highway 105, while forest still covers much of the reserve. It is also home to 13 fresh water lakes with areas in excess of and approximately 29 smaller lakes and streams located throughout the territory. Fish species found within these waters include walleye, pike, bass, trout, carp, catfish, and fresh water sturgeon. Mammals found within the reserve include beaver, muskrat, fisher, marten, mink, otter, bobcat, lynx, cougar, deer, black bear, wolf, and moose. ==History==

The history of the reserve is closely linked to that of the Town of Maniwaki, which developed concurrently. In the first half of the 19th century, Algonquins of the mission at Lake of Two Mountains, under the leadership of Chief Pakinawatik, came to the area of the Désert River. Shortly after, in 1832, the Hudson's Bay Company followed them and installed a trading post at the mouth of this river (now within the municipal boundaries of Maniwaki). A decade later, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate established the mission of Notre-Dame-du-Desert and, from 1849, they demanded of the authorities the demarcation of a township in order to establish a reserve for the Algonquins. Chief Pakinawatik, along with other leaders, journeyed by canoe on three separate occasions to Upper Canada (Toronto) and negotiated the terms for the setting aside of the reserve land. The township limits were drawn in 1850 and given the name of Maniwaki by the Oblates at this time. Legally established in 1851, the reserve was demarcated in 1853. In the decree implementing it, the reserve was called "Manawaki" (after mani aki meaning "Mary's Land") and also "River Desert". The name "Kitigan Zibi" came to replace the other two on September 24, 1994, when the band council gave this title to the reserve. The same community filed in December 2016 a claim in Ontario Superior Court, claiming it never surrendered and still owns the land in Ottawa on which Parliament of Canada stands. ==Demographics==

As of May 2022, the registered population of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation is 3,685 members, of whom 1,624 live on the Kitigan Zibi reserve and 2,061 live off reserve. Historic populations: • Population in 2021: 1,204 • Population in 2016: 1,221 • Population in 2011: 1,401 • Population in 2006: 1,165 • Population in 2001: 1,081 • Population in 1996: 969 • Population in 1991: 563 Diversity, 2021 Canadian Census: Indigenous ancestry only – 77.24%, Indigenous and non-Indigenous ancestries – 14.95%, Non-Indigenous ancestry only – 7.81%. Religion, 2021 Census: No religion and secular perspectives – 47.34%, Christianity – 34.47%, Indigenous Spirituality – 15.78%, Other – 2.41%. Language As of the 2016 census, the mother tongue of those living on the Kitigan Zibi reserve are: • English: 62.7% • French: 15.2% • Algonquin: 18.0% • French and English: 1.2% Mother tongue, 2021 Census: English – 64.78%, French – 14.12%, Anicinabemowin (Algonquin) – 9.97%. == Education ==

There are two schools on the reserve: • Pakinawatik Kikinamadinan (pre-school) • Kitigan Zibi Kikinamadinan (elementary and high school) == Notable people ==

• Joshua Odjick – actor == See also ==