Waskaganish, Quebec
Coordinates: 51°29′N 78°45′W / 51.48°N 78.75°W
Waskaganish (ᐧᐋᔅᑳᐦᐄᑲᓂᔥ Cree for Little House) is a Cree community of over 2,200 people at the mouth of the Rupert River on the south-east shore of James Bay in the Eeyou Istchee territory in Northern Quebec, Canada. Formerly called Fort Rupert, the location is one of three original Hudson's Bay Company posts on James Bay, the other two being Fort Albany on the west shore, and Moose Factory on the south.
Waskaganish has had road access to the James Bay Road since 2001. It has two school facilities: Ecole Annie Whiskeychan School (primary) and Ecole Wiinibekuu School (secondary).
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The Trading Post [edit]
Rupert House or Charles Fort was the first trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company. It is, in fact, two years older than that company which was founded in 1670. On 29 September 1668, the Nonsuch (ship) under the command of Zachariah Gillam and guided by Médard des Groseilliers anchored at the mouth of the Rupert River. Charles Fort, as they called it, was built on the south bank of the river. In October 1669 they returned to England with a load of beaver pelts. The post was occupied sporadically thereafter and new buildings were added. In 1670-1679 Charles Bayly was governor. In 1672 Charles Albanel reached Charles Fort from the Saint Lawrence. Finding all the English out hunting, he waited a week, left a letter, and returned to Quebec. In 1674 Albanel reached the fort again and was sent to England. In 1681, fearing French attack, a new Charles Fort was built downstream on a hill top. In 1686 the fort was captured by the French and burned. In 1688 the English tried to re-establish the fort, but it was captured again by D'Iberville, this time by sea. For the next century the east coast of James Bay was visited by HBC ships from Fort Albany, Ontario. In 1776 the site was re-occupied and named Rupert House or Rupert Fort or Fort Rupert. From then until the early 1900s, Fort Rupert was an important trading location, supplying inland communities and other posts via the Rupert River with regular canoe brigades. In 1991 the archaeologist J. V. Chism found the sites of the two Charles Forts. The first was at the site of the new tourist lodge (Auberge Kanio Kashee Lodge) and the second at the Anglican church.[1][2]
Contemporary [edit]
The James Bay Project impacts Waskaganish.
Billy Diamond was the chief of the Waskaganish Cree starting in 1970.[3]
Filmmaker Neil Diamond was born and raised in Waskaganish. His experiences as a child there, watching Westerns with other local children in the church basement, inspired him to make Reel Injun.[4][5]
References [edit]
- ^ Elizabeth Browne Losey,"Let Then Be Remembered: The Story of the Fur Trade Forts",1999
- ^ Arthur S Morton,"A History of the Canadian West to 1870-71", no date, circa 1950
- ^ "Billy Diamond". Power To Change. Retrieved 2008-02-03. "I became chief of our Cree community when I was 21. ... Four years later I became the first Grand Chief of the Cree Grand Council. I used this position to help my people develop. We modernized the villages, built housing and schools and encouraged health and economic development. I was very successful in this position. But like all successes, it had its drawbacks, especially in my personal life."
- ^ Skenderis, Stephanie (18 February 2010). "A reel shame". CBC News. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
- ^ Koepke, Melora (18 March 2010). "The real Neil Diamond". Hour magazine. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
External links [edit]
- Official website
- http://www.ottertooth.com/Native_K/waskaganish.htm
- http://www.cpcml.ca/Tmld2002/D32027.htm
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