Title

Ninawit : Colonization

Creator

Minwashin

Language

fra

eng

Description

00:00:00 to 00:00:46 – Land registration
The presenter recounts his experience at the land registry, where the first allocations are often marked as “unknown,” illustrating the erasure of Indigenous origins in official documents.

00:01:42 to 00:02:41 – Arrival of Europeans and diseases
Before colonization, the territory was occupied by the Algonquins. The arrival of Europeans brought devastating diseases to which the First Nations had no immunity.

00:02:51 to 00:05:43 – Resource exploitation and the fur trade
Europeans exploited forests and furs, disrupting Indigenous economic systems. The beaver trade nearly led to its extinction, requiring protective measures reserved for First Nations.

00:05:43 to 00:06:43 – Colonization and forts
The government established forts, such as Fort Témiscamingue, to assert its presence, profoundly altering Indigenous territorial organization.

00:06:54 to 00:08:07 – Recognition of millennia-long occupation
Speakers emphasize the need to recognize the millennia-long occupation of the land by First Nations as a foundation for respect and reconciliation.

00:08:36 to 00:09:33 – Trapping territories and prohibitions
Indigenous families were displaced from their trapping territories. Game wardens forbade hunting on their own land, reinforcing a sense of injustice.

00:09:33 to 00:11:03 – Resource pressure and adaptation
Logging affected wildlife and food sources, forcing Indigenous people to adapt their lifestyles.

00:11:03 to 00:12:36 – Exchanges and misunderstandings
Early exchanges were based on mutual aid, but government intervention introduced laws that were not understood, creating tensions and unfair prohibitions.

00:13:38 to 00:15:36 – Traditional organization of hunting
Communities managed hunting collectively. The “trap line” system imposed in 1951 ignored ancestral practices, fragmenting territories.

00:16:05 to 00:17:29 – Distrust of outsiders and mapping
Indigenous people were cautious of outsiders, often seen as government agents. Nonetheless, they contributed to mapping the territory through their knowledge of waterways.

00:17:30 to 00:19:17 – War and food sharing
During World War II, the Anicinabek allowed settlers to access meat through exchanges, fostering a form of coexistence.

00:19:27 to 00:20:59 – Erasure policies and forced compliance
Government policies aimed to erase Indigenous identity. Figures such as commanders were forced to cooperate, sometimes diverting projects to protect territories.

00:20:59 to 00:21:43 – Route 117 and camping prohibitions
The construction of Route 117 prohibited Indigenous people from camping nearby to avoid interfering with tourism and colonization.

00:21:43 to 00:23:01 – Land occupation and coexistence
The Anicinabek lived around the lake, avoiding colonial installations. It was only after certain companies left that they could settle on the land.

00:23:01 to 00:24:23 – Evolution of dwellings
Traditional dwellings evolved into houses inspired by settlers, built with salvaged materials, marking cultural adaptation.

00:24:23 to 00:25:22 – Resource depletion and invisibilization
Mining and logging projects depleted resources. Laws rendered Indigenous peoples invisible, pushing them to retreat despite their resilience.

Format

Video recording

Étendue

26 min.

Date Created

2019

Éditeur

Minwashin

Date Modified

29-10-2025

Access Rights

Open access

License

Protected by copyrights

Identifier

minwashin-ninawit-video-004