History

Atikameksheng Anishnawbek are descendents of the Ojibway, Algonquin and Odawa Nations. In 1850, Chief Shawenekezhik, on behalf of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek signed the Robinson-Huron Treaty granting the British Crown and their people (Royal Subjects) a right to occupy and share the lands of the Anishnawbek. Originally named Whitefish Lake First Nation reserve No.6 as established through the Robinson Huron Treaty area in 1850 the territory spans from the valley of the Vermillion River eastward to the valleys of the Wahnapitae and Sturgeon River. Historically there was a trading post at Whitefish Lake established in 1824 from when the Hudson’s Bay Company and the NorthWest Company  merged in 1821. Some items have been recovered from the site in 1973 and many documented in the book called “Whitefish Lake Ojibway Memories” a copy of which is currently housed in a display cabinet at the Band Administration building. Historical content is being preserved in the repository system at the Library (Kendaasii Gamik) and is acquired through community donations and displayed on shelves while paper transcripts are converted into digital copies and are saved electronically. Efforts are currently being made to preserve Atikameksheng fluent speakers’ dialect through audio/visual recordings which are being archived at the Library. Seniors are encouraged to actively participate and invest into the archives in an effort to preserve and maintain Atikameksheng’s language and history.