Ottawa – Canada is the most multicultural country in the world and home to many immigrants of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. However, in the past centuries, the only people in the country were the Aboriginal people, who are now collectively known as the First Nations of Canada.
The First Nations include many different cultural groups, even though they are referred to by a single name. There are at least 53 different languages used by the first peoples, with each group referring to themselves by a specific name in their own language. One of them is the Abenaki group that lives in the vast regions that extend across the southern part of the Canadian Maritimes and most of northern New England.
Geographical Growth and Development
Even with the country’s First Nations range that covers roughly half of the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia, the Abenakis are particularly concentrated in Quebec and the Maritimes of Canada. Aside from these areas, they also live in the New England region of the United States called Wabanahkik (“Dawn Land”) included among the areas identified by the Eastern Algonquian languages. Here, they are one of the five members of the Wabanaki Confederacy.
Canada’s Tribal Communities
Even with different locations within and beyond the borders, the Abenaki are primarily divided into two tribal communities. These two tribal reserves continue to grow and develop to this day. They are known as Saint-François-du-Lac near Pierreville, Quebec and the other near Bécancour. Today, these two places are named Odanak and Wôlinak, respectively.
Cultural Similarities
The Abenaki people call themselves Alnôbak, which means “Real People.” They call their homeland Ndakinna meaning “our land,” and they are composed of peaceful tribes who share a lot of similarities with the Algonquin. Their way of life closely resembles those of the ethnic tribes in southern New England. They rely largely on agriculture, with most of the villages located on the fertile floodplains of rivers. They are farmers, hunters, gatherers, and fishers.
The group’s modern history has been a cycle of attrition and regrouping. However, their distinct Algonquin language shares many similarities to the terms used by the various tribes living from New England to Northeast and Central Canada.
Language Distinction
Their language is holophrastic, which means that an entire sentence or a phrase is expressed in a single word. This particular characteristic of their language makes it possible for the groups of the said regions to verbally communicate. Aside from this unique feature, many modern place names in Southern Quebec, New Hampshire, Vermont, and some parts of New York and Maine are derived from the original native pronunciation.
However, with the continuous global development of the communities as well as those smaller villages in Canada, the use of the native Abenaki language as a spoken language has come close to extinction. In this case, more than the language connection, continuous research of the group’s rich culture, including traditional folklore, contemporary artwork, and archaeological findings is needed. Linguists and other researchers work closely with the tribes and help preserve the remaining customs as well as the Abenaki language.
Image from Abenaki Inn, abenaki-inn.com
