Cree have lived in the
Rupert River watershed area and around Lake Mistassini for centuries. French explorers and traders entered the area in the 17th century and by the second half of that century, a trading post was established on Lake Mistassini. The location of the post shifted from time to time until 1821, when the
Hudson's Bay Company established it at the present village site. The trading post was supplied by
canoe brigade from Rupert House (now
Waskaganish) up the Rupert River or through Neoskweskau (a former Cree site) on the
Eastmain River. The travel route shifted to the south - first through
Oskelaneo when the railroad was built in 1910, and subsequently through the
Lac Saint-Jean area. The road reached Mistissini in 1970. Through time Mistissini and the various posts in the area were also known as "Maison Dorval", "Patagoosh", "Abatagoushe", "Mistassini", and "Baie-du-Poste". ==Education==