Obedjiwan

Obedjiwan reserve is situated on the north shore of Gouin Reservoir, at (direct line) south of Chibougamau, north of Wemotaci and northwest of La Tuque. The reserve is located between Lake Kamitcikamac (west) and Wopisiw Bay (East). In front (south side), there is the tip Martel Kiwam jutting into the lake Mamette. The reserve is an enclave within the City of La Tuque. It is the most isolated Atikamekw reserve in Quebec. It is accessible by a long gravel forest road of , which reaches towards the east Quebec Route 167 linking Saint-Félicien to Chibougamau. Hence the distance by road to reach Chibougamau is . From Obedjiwan, Forest road 1045 reaches westward Forest Road 1009, built in the north–south axis to circumvent the Gouin Reservoir to the west; this road goes up to Chapais. The road distance between Obedjiwan and La Tuque is , with a forest road bypassing the Gouin Reservoir on the east side. Toward West, the distance Obedjiwan-Senneterre is . In this context of distance, the aircraft is a mode of transportation widely used. ==Etymology==

The word Obedjiwan, written in the standardized Atikamekw spelling as Opitciwan, comes from the roots oba or obe meaning "strait", and djwan meaning "running". So, it can be translated as "current of the strait/narrows/pass". The name, first attributed to the lake, has undergone many spelling variations. In 1825, when the Hudson's Bay Company set up a post, they called it Waupatchinauganiskau, which is understood to be the original form of the toponym. In 1871, explorer John P. Bignell visited the place and made mention of the name Obidjouan. In 1904, the Fifth Report of the Geographic Board of Canada called it Obiduan and this remained the accepted form until 1964. Other variations included Obijuan and Wabijiwoine. ==History==

The area of the upper Saint-Maurice River had long been the homeland of the Atikamekw indigenous people. Lake Obedjiwan (a lake at the headwaters of the Saint-Maurice River that was inundated during the construction of Gouin Reservoir) was located along important canoe routes to Lac Saint-Jean via Lake Necouba (Lac Nicabau) and to James Bay. In the 17th century, and perhaps since prehistoric times, the shores of this lake were a gathering and trading place for the Atikamekw, as well as other indigenous people of surrounding areas, where they engaged in social, economic, and cultural interaction. The Atikamekw procured wheat, flour, and perhaps firearms from the Hurons, in exchange for moose or beaver skins. In 1825, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and the King's Posts Company established trading posts on Lake Obedjiwan, that quickly attracted indigenous hunters not only from the area, but also from the eastern James Bay and the upper Ottawa River regions. In 1840, the Hudson's Bay Company deserted Lake Obedjiwan and settled at Kikendatch Lake (now Kikendatch Bay at the outlet of Gouin Reservoir). Yet in 1911, the HBC transferred its Kikendatch Post back to Lake Obedjiwan, causing the Atikamekw also to return to the area. The HBC wanted to move away from competing dealers who undermined its trade at Kikendatch while the Atikamekw liked to avoid Europeans who became more and more numerous in the south. At that time, there was still no real settlement although the Oblates built a chapel in 1916, which was located on the left bank of the Saint-Maurice River opposite of the HBC Post, separated by the Obedjiwan Narrows. In 2002, the Atikamekw of Opitciwan initiated claims with the government of Canada in order to get compensated for the land and the goods lost in the flooding, the delay in the creation of the reserve, and the inadequate size of the reserve created. The claims are still ongoing. Land history circles the village. • 1941-12-31: Act of 1941, reservation lands not exceeding for the benefit of Indians by the transfer of the usufruct. • 1943-10-27: Surveying land for reserve Obedjiwan, Canton Toussaint (projected), Block A. Area: . • 1944-01-14: Order in Council 160, transfer of the management and administration of the Government of Quebec to Government of Canada. Canton Toussaint (projected), Block A. Area: . • 1950-03-21: Order in Council no. 1458, set aside the block acquired (1944) by Government of Canada to the use of Indians. Current situation • Canton Toussaint (projected), Block A, acquired under the Act of 1941. Transfer governance and administration of Government of Quebec to Government of Canada, by Order in Council 160 (1944-01-14). Area: ==Demographics==

Historic populations: • Population in 2016: 2019 • Population in 2011: 2031 • Population in 2006: 1782 • Population in 2001: 1666 • Population in 1996: 1464 • Population in 1991: 1125 Language Atikamekw language is still spoken by the vast majority of families, and therefore it is among the indigenous languages least threatened with extinction according to some studies. The language has some similarities with the Cree language spoken by the Cree communities of southern Quebec (Waswanipi and Oujé-Bougoumou). This parallel development of both languages may be the result of the frequent interaction between the nearby Cree and Atikamekw. The second language used in Obedjiwan is French. Mother tongue: • English: 0% • French: 2.5% • Atikamekw: 97.0% • Other: 0.5% ==See also==