The history of the Atikamekw is that of a nomadic people of the boreal forests, whose name means “white fish”. The ancestral territory of the Atikamekw people is called “Nitaskinan” (our land). Their language and identity originates from the land they have occupied and continue to occupy. It is in this land that their ancestors lie:  those who came before them and lived in this part of the world, which is why the Atikamekw consider it “most sacred”. Today, there are three Atikamekw communities in Quebec: Manawan, north of the Lanaudière region, and Wemotaci and Obedjiwan in Haute-Mauricie. 

Nehirowimowin is the language spoken by the Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok. It is a language of the Algonquian family. Like other Algonquian dialects, this language is very colourful and deeply connected to the land. For example, to refer to a hawk, the word kekekw is used, which is the sound of the call of the bird. Nehirowimowin has 15 letters, which produce 21 sounds. Ninety-five percent of the Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok speak the language fluently, making it the most widely spoken Indigenous language in Quebec.