Indigenous Trois-Rivières: Nitaskinan, Nations and Community

About Trois-Rivières

Trois-Rivières had 139,163 residents in the 2021 census, making it the largest city in the Mauricie. Its name comes from the three channels the Saint-Maurice River forms around two islands at its mouth. The city stands on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, about halfway between Montreal and Quebec City. French is the first language for the great majority of residents. Around 1930 the city was known as the world capital of paper products, with four large pulp and paper mills. Its economy has since broadened into foodstuffs, metals, electrical goods and technology. The Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières opened in 1969. The Laviolette Bridge, built in 1967, links the city to the south shore.

Trois-Rivières history

Long before French settlement, the mouth of the Saint-Maurice was a meeting point for Indigenous peoples. The Algonquin, allies of the French, lived in the area for a long time. They likely left an earlier stockade here around 1600 because of hostilities with the Haudenosaunee. The Saint-Maurice valley itself is Nitaskinan, the homeland of the Atikamekw. Their ancestral territory once covered about 80,000 km². By the 20th century, the land set aside for them had shrunk to roughly 51 km² in three reserves. On July 4, 1634, Sieur de Laviolette founded a fortified post here at Champlain's request. It became the second permanent settlement in New France, after Quebec City. After the 1663 reorganization of the colony, it served as a seat of local government. The nearby Forges du Saint-Maurice became Canada's first ironworks. The town had only 586 residents at the British conquest in 1760. It was incorporated as a city in 1857. Sawmills and textile plants gave way to paper, and by about 1930 four large mills made it a world centre for paper products. The old prison dates from 1816 and the cathedral from 1856.

Treaty and territory

Trois-Rivières sits at the mouth of the Saint-Maurice River, whose valley is Nitaskinan, the ancestral territory of the Atikamekw Nation. Algonquin people lived here when the French arrived, and the Abenaki (W8banaki) community of Wôlinak lies nearby.

Nearby: Wôlinak · Shawinigan · Bécancour · Odanak · La Tuque · Wemotaci

Indigenous Trois-Rivières today

The Centre d'amitié autochtone de Trois-Rivières works to improve the quality of life of Indigenous people living in the city. It serves First Nations people from the Haute-Mauricie, Centre-du-Québec and beyond. Its main building is on Laurent-Létourneau Street, with a downtown site on Saint-Maurice Boulevard and another in Shawinigan. Services cover education support, employment help, counselling, housing referrals, and cultural and wellness workshops. It also runs intercultural activities open to all residents. The Atikamekw have self-administration on three reserves: Manawan, Obedjiwan and Wemotaci. In 2014 the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw declared Atikamekw sovereignty over Nitaskinan. Across the St. Lawrence, Wôlinak and Odanak are the two Abenaki communities in Quebec. The Grand Conseil de la Nation Waban-Aki, founded in 1979, represents both. Abenaki language work includes a French-Abenaki dictionary and a first university-level Abenaki course. In autumn 2023, the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières launched a microprogram in Indigenous studies. It was built with the friendship centre, the Atikamekw Nation and the Grand Conseil de la Nation Waban-Aki. One of its five courses is taught in an Atikamekw or Abenaki community.

Life in Trois-Rivières

Trois-Rivières calls itself the poetry capital of Quebec, and words are part of city life. FestiVoix de Trois-Rivières is one of the major festivals the city hosts. As the second permanent settlement in New France, the city carries nearly four centuries of history. The Forges du Saint-Maurice National Historic Site preserves Canada's first ironworks. Parks Canada runs guided outdoor tours there each summer, along with an audio walk narrated by storyteller Fred Pellerin. The city's 1967 city hall and the Laviolette Bridge are local landmarks from the same era. Paper built the city, and the pulp and paper story still shapes its identity. Today technology parks and manufacturing help diversify the economy. UQTR has strengthened the city's service economy since 1969, and the city spreads over nearly 289 km² of land.

Trois-Rivières seasons and weather

Trois-Rivières has long, snowy winters, with about 274 cm of snow a year. Summers are warm, and July highs average around 25°C. A heavy hoodie and a warm crewneck see steady use from November to April, while a cotton tee covers festival season.

More on the region: Indigenous Quebec · all of Canada.

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