Kawawachikamach, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Kawawachikamach is an Naskapi
/Iyiyiw First Nations reserve and community at the south end of Lake Matemace (where it joins Lake Peter), approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) northeast of Schefferville
, Quebec
, Canada. It belongs to the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach. The village was built by the Naskapi/Iyiyiw from 1980 to 1983. The language spoken is Iyiyiw-Imuun
, a dialect closely related to Innu and Iynu (East Cree) and English. The name means "the winding river".
Kawawachikamach consists of two non-contiguous pieces of land: the Naskapi Reserve Land (Terre réservée naskapie, category 1-A) in the Caniapiscau RCM
under federal jurisdiction where the entire population lives; and the Naskapi Village Municipality (municipalité de village naskapie, category 1-B) in the Kativik Territory
under provincial jurisdiction.
Access to the village is by way of Schefferville Airport
or railway from Sept-Îles
to Schefferville, then by way of an 15 km (9 mi) road from the center of Schefferville. With the demise of Schefferville as a residential center for the iron ore mining operations, Kawawachikamach and Matimékush
are now the prime communities in the region.
Telephone and postal services are still provided from the Schefferville exchange by Telebec and from the Schefferville Post Office, while electricity is provided by the Schefferville Power Company. The Naskapi/Iyiyiw provide their own policing services. Naskapi Imuun provides broadband satellite Internet services to the Kawawachikamach/Schefferville region. Other services include community radio station, health-care centre, recreation centre and gymnasium.
in 1956. Government officials may have induced or ordered this move but did nothing in preparation for their arrival in Schefferville. The Naskapi settled near the train station in shacks built with scavanged materials, but they were relocated again by the Schefferville municipal authorities to a site on John Lake
, where they lived in poverty without water, sewage, electricity, schools, and medical facility. In 1968, the Matimekosh Reserve
was formed, and the Naskapi moved there in 1972, together with the Innu
.
In the 1970s, the Naskapi began negotiations for a settlement of their Aboriginal claims. In 1978, they ceded any rights or interests to the Matimekosh Reserve as a prerequisite to the Northeastern Québec Agreement that provided for the formation of their own reserve. As part of this agreement's implementation, 41.44 square kilometres (16 sq mi) of land was transferred from the Government of Québec to the Government of Canada for the exclusive benefit of the Naskapi band in 1981. By 1983, the first residents settled in the village that was specifically adapted to the environment.
Population trend:
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 134 (total dwellings: 140)
Mother tongue:
Naskapi
The Naskapi are the indigenous Innu inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan, which comprises most of what other Canadians refer to as eastern Quebec and Labrador, Canada....
/Iyiyiw First Nations reserve and community at the south end of Lake Matemace (where it joins Lake Peter), approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) northeast of Schefferville
Schefferville, Quebec
Schefferville is a town in the Canadian province of Quebec. Schefferville is in the heart of the Naskapi and Innu territory in northern Quebec, less than 2 km from the border with Labrador on the north shore of Knob Lake. The town has an incorporated area of . It is located within the...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada. It belongs to the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach. The village was built by the Naskapi/Iyiyiw from 1980 to 1983. The language spoken is Iyiyiw-Imuun
Naskapi language
Naskapi is an Algonquian language spoken by the Naskapi in Quebec and Labrador, Canada. It is written in Eastern Cree syllabics....
, a dialect closely related to Innu and Iynu (East Cree) and English. The name means "the winding river".
Kawawachikamach consists of two non-contiguous pieces of land: the Naskapi Reserve Land (Terre réservée naskapie, category 1-A) in the Caniapiscau RCM
Caniapiscau Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Caniapiscau is a regional county municipality in northeastern Quebec, Canada. The regional county municipality seat is Fermont. It is located in the northwest corner of the Côte-Nord region of Quebec. It has a land area of and a 2006 census population of 3,948 inhabitants, two-thirds of whom lived...
under federal jurisdiction where the entire population lives; and the Naskapi Village Municipality (municipalité de village naskapie, category 1-B) in the Kativik Territory
Kativik, Quebec
Kativik is a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality of Quebec, with geographical code is 992. Its land area is 443,372.3 km² , and its population was 10,815 as of the 2006 Census of Canada....
under provincial jurisdiction.
Access to the village is by way of Schefferville Airport
Schefferville Airport
Schefferville Airport, , is located adjacent to the community of Schefferville, Quebec, Canada.-Airlines and destinations:*Air Inuit -External links:*...
or railway from Sept-Îles
Sept-Îles, Quebec
For the islands in north of Brittany, see JentilezSept-Îles is a city in the Côte-Nord region of eastern Quebec, Canada. It is the northernmost town in Quebec with any significant population...
to Schefferville, then by way of an 15 km (9 mi) road from the center of Schefferville. With the demise of Schefferville as a residential center for the iron ore mining operations, Kawawachikamach and Matimékush
Matimekosh, Quebec
Matimekosh is a First Nations reserve on Lake Pearce in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. Together with the Lac-John Reserve, it belongs to the Innu Nation of Matimekush-Lac John...
are now the prime communities in the region.
Telephone and postal services are still provided from the Schefferville exchange by Telebec and from the Schefferville Post Office, while electricity is provided by the Schefferville Power Company. The Naskapi/Iyiyiw provide their own policing services. Naskapi Imuun provides broadband satellite Internet services to the Kawawachikamach/Schefferville region. Other services include community radio station, health-care centre, recreation centre and gymnasium.
History
The Naskapi of Kawawachikamach were originally from northern Quebec, but were subjected to relocations several times before moving from Fort Chimo to ScheffervilleSchefferville, Quebec
Schefferville is a town in the Canadian province of Quebec. Schefferville is in the heart of the Naskapi and Innu territory in northern Quebec, less than 2 km from the border with Labrador on the north shore of Knob Lake. The town has an incorporated area of . It is located within the...
in 1956. Government officials may have induced or ordered this move but did nothing in preparation for their arrival in Schefferville. The Naskapi settled near the train station in shacks built with scavanged materials, but they were relocated again by the Schefferville municipal authorities to a site on John Lake
Lac-John, Quebec
Lac-John is a First Nations reserve on John Lake in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada, about north-east from the centre of Schefferville. Together with the Matimekosh Reserve, it belongs to the Innu Nation of Matimekush-Lac John...
, where they lived in poverty without water, sewage, electricity, schools, and medical facility. In 1968, the Matimekosh Reserve
Matimekosh, Quebec
Matimekosh is a First Nations reserve on Lake Pearce in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. Together with the Lac-John Reserve, it belongs to the Innu Nation of Matimekush-Lac John...
was formed, and the Naskapi moved there in 1972, together with the Innu
Innu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
.
In the 1970s, the Naskapi began negotiations for a settlement of their Aboriginal claims. In 1978, they ceded any rights or interests to the Matimekosh Reserve as a prerequisite to the Northeastern Québec Agreement that provided for the formation of their own reserve. As part of this agreement's implementation, 41.44 square kilometres (16 sq mi) of land was transferred from the Government of Québec to the Government of Canada for the exclusive benefit of the Naskapi band in 1981. By 1983, the first residents settled in the village that was specifically adapted to the environment.
Demographics
As of December 2009, the band counted 690 members, of which 639 persons are living in the community.Population trend:
- Population in 2006: 569 (2001 to 2006 population change: 5.4 %)
- Population in 2001: 540
- Population in 1996: 487
- Population in 1991: 405
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 134 (total dwellings: 140)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 2.6 %
- French as first language: 1.8 %
- English and French as first language: 0 %
- Other as first language: 95.6 %