Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg ("Garden River People") is an Algonquin First Nation in Quebec, Canada. It is based in the Outaouais region and owns one Indian reserve named Kitigan Zibi, located on the shores of the Gatineau River near Maniwaki. In 2018, it has a total registered population of 3,286 members.
Politics
The Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg are governed by a band council elected according to an election system based on Section 11 of the Indian Act. For 2020-2022 tenure, the chief of this council is Dylan Whiteduck.
Languages
According to Statistics Canada's 2011 Census, on a total population of 1,395, 36.2% knew an indigenous language. More precisely, 25.4% had an indigenous language still spoken and understood as first language and 21.1% spoke an indigenous language at home. Regarding Canada's two official languages, 43% knew both English and French, 54.8% knew only English and 2.1% knew only French. Concerned about the disinterest of its youth in their own language, the community has decided to reintroduce the teaching of the Algonquin language in school.
As of the 2016 census of those living on the Kitigan Zibi reserve: 20.7% learned their indigenous language as their first language. 17.4% spoke an indigenous language at home. 31% had knowledge of an indigenous language. 59.5% spoke only English out of the official languages. 2.4% spoke only French out of the official languages. 37.6% spoke both English and French.
List of chiefs
The chiefs have been: Chief Antoine Pakinawatik - 1854-1874 Chief Peter Tenasco - 1874–1884, 1890–1896 Chief Simon Odjick - 1884-1890 Chief Louizon Commanda - 1896-1899 Chief John Tenasco - 1899-1911 Chief Michael Commanda - 1911-1917 Chief John Cayer - 1917-1920 Chief John B. Chabot - 1920–1924, 1939–1951 Chief Vincent Odjick - 1927-1933 Chief Patrick Brascoupe - 1933-1936 Chief Abraham McDougall - 1936-1939 Chief William Commanda - 1951-1970 Chief Ernest McGregor - 1970-1976 Chief Jean Guy Whiteduck - 1976-2006 Chief Stephen McGregor - 2006-2008 Chief Gilbert Whiteduck - 2008-2015 Chief Jean-Guy Whiteduck - 2015–2020 Chief Dylan Whiteduck - 2020–Present
Culture and tourism
The Kitigan Zibi Pow wow is held annually on the first weekend of June. The Kitigan Zibi Cultural Centre has a number of exhibits, cultural artifacts, paintings, and photographs relating to the Algonquin culture and history. A living museum, Mawandoseg Kitigan Zibi, is dedicated to the Anishinaabeg way of life.
Notable members
Claudette Commanda, university professor and 15th Chancellor of the University of Ottawa. Nadia Myre, interdisciplinary artist Joshua Odjick, actor