Discover the
11 Indigenous Nations in Québec
42 First Nations communities
The 10 First Nations and Inuit represent just over 1% of Quebec's population. There are 42 First Nations communities and 15 Inuit villages in Quebec. Each Nation has its own language, which can be broken down into several dialects. Indigenous languages are among the oldest still spoken, some with several millennia of history, long before the arrival of English or French.
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The language : fundamental pillar of Indigenous knowledge
The promotion, preservation, and teaching of ancestral languages are essential to our Nations. The ancestral language is intrinsic to our identity and culture. It represents a fundamental pillar of Indigenous knowledge. It embodies our identity, our worldview, and our collective values, within our communitied.
A heritage to preserve
Over the course of history, languages have evolved for a variety of reasons. Some languages declined rapidly due to the premature deaths of their speakers, notably by diseases brought by Europeans to North America. In some areas, heavy losses resulted from warfare. In recent times languages have been in danger as people have replaced their ancestral mother tongue with that of the dominant society. One of the worse forms of destruction of indigenous languages by the government was the implementation of a formal education system in residential schools, designed to separate children from the influence of their homes, families and culture during their formative years. Today, ongoing efforts are being made in order to repair the damages inflicted on numerous indigenous languages, to ensure their preservation. Advocates, knowledge keepers, teachers and elders continue to teach these languages and educate people on the heritage of Indigenous languages.
As true witnesses to an exceptional cultural memory and continuity, Indigenous languages represent a precious millennial heritage that must be protected and proudly promoted
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Anishinaabe
The Anishinaabeg are a large group of Indigenous people that span all the way from Quebec right through to the Rocky Mountains all the way down to Oklahoma, and up through to Ottawa.
Atikamekw
The history of the Atikamekw is that of a nomadic people of the boreal forests, whose name means “white fish”.
Innus
The ancestral territory of the Innu people is called “Nitassinan” (our land), covering the entire St. Lawrence River watershed between the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region and Labrador.
Inuit
Traditionally, the Inuit way of life revolves around hunting (seals, caribou, whales), fishing, and gathering, for subsistence and craftsmanship— hides being used to make clothing and bones to make tools.
Kanien'kehá:ka
The Kanien'kehà:ka people, meaning “the People of the Flint”, are part of the larger Iroquois Confederacy.
Mi'gmaq
The Mi'kmaq are among the first inhabitants of Atlantic Canada and occupy the coastal regions of Gaspé and the Maritime Provinces east of the Saint John River.
Naskapi
Extremely knowledgeable about a vast boreal territory, the Naskapi call their ancestral land “Nuchimiyuschiiy”.
W8banaki
The ancestral territory of the W8banaki people (“people of the rising sun”) is called “Ndakina” and extends from southern Quebec to New England.
Wendat
Since time immemorial, the Wendat have occupied the vast territory stretching from the St. Lawrence Estuary and Valley, all the way to the Great Lakes region.
Wolastoqiyik
Historically, the Wolastoqiyik occupied the valleys of the Wolastoq, also known as the Saint John River and its affluents, straddling the border that today separates New Brunswick, Quebec, and Maine.
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