The W8banaki Nation's name is derived from the words Waban and aki, meaning "land of the rising sun." Located in Odanak and Wolinak, the Abenaki people originated in southern Quebec and in the modern-day states of Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. They are known for their wickerwork, traditional dances, masks, totems, and the first Indigenous museum in Quebec.

 

Ndakinna, the ancestral territory of the W8banakiak, extends from the northeastern United States to the south of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. In the early 1700s, in the context of colonial wars, two Jesuit military establishments were set up in Odanak and Wôlinak.

 

In the second half of the twentieth century, for many reasons, the W8banaki language suffered a significant decline. While barely 40 years ago, Wbanaki was commonly heard in community homes, streets, and businesses, today only a handful of individuals can speak the language.

 

Aware of the richness of its language of Algonquian origin and the vision of the world that it carries, the Nation is striving to reaffirm and reclaim its cultural heritage.