Les Indiens Algonquins (French version)

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˜Algonquin Indian Fact Sheet

Native American Facts For Kids was written for young people learning about the Algonquins for school or home-schooling reports. We encourage students and teachers to visit our main Algonquin website for in-depth information about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with Algonquin pictures and links we believe are suitable for all ages. Photographs are the property of the sources we have credited.


  Algonquin Indian family  Algonquin dancer Karly Meness

   Algonquin Tribe

How do you pronounce "Algonquin?" How do you spell it?
 It's pronounced Al-GON-kin. "Algonquin" is the most common spelling, but you'll often see "Algonkin" too. Either way is fine--but avoid spelling the word "Algonquian" or "Algonkian," because that refers to a whole group of Native American languages (including Cree, Blackfoot, and Delaware)! The Algonquins are only one of the many Algonquian-speaking tribes, and they have a unique identity and independent political status from the others.

What does the word "Algonquin" mean?
 "Algonquin" was the French name for the tribe. The French were probably trying to pronounce elehgumoqik, the Maliseet word for "our allies," or Algoomaking, a Mi'kmaq place name. The Algonquins call themselves Anishnabe, which means "original person." (The plural is Anishnabek.) However, Algonquins use Anishnabek to refer to other Indians also. So when they are specifically referring to their tribe, they usually use "Algonquins" or "Algonkins" to distinguish themselves.

Where do the Algonquins live?
 The Algonquins are original natives of southern Quebec and eastern Ontario, in Canada. Today they live in nine communities in Quebec and one in Ontario.

But weren't there Algonquin Indians in New York state?
 No. Other Algonquian tribes lived in New York, but never the Algonquin tribe. This is a mistake that happened because of the similar spellings of these words. Algonquian tribes that lived in New York included the Mahican and Wappinger tribes, the Montauk and Shinnecock tribes, and the Munsee Delaware tribe. You can visit this page about New York Indian tribes to see where in New York each of those tribes lived.

How is the Algonquin Indian nation organized? How are chiefs chosen?


Algonquin band flags		 Each Algonquin community lives on its own reserve, or reservation. Reserves are land that belongs to the tribe and is legally under their control. Each Algonquin tribe--known as a band or First Nation in Canada--is politically independent and has its own leadership. Algonquin First Nations have their own government, laws, police, and services, just like small countries. However, the Algonquins are also Canadian citizens and must obey Canadian law.

The leader of each Algonquin band is called ogima or ogema, which is translated as "chief" in English. The ogima used to be chosen by tribal councilmembers, often from the last chief's sons, nephews, or sons-in-law. Today ogimas are elected by the Algonquins, just like governors or mayors.

What language do the Algonquin people speak?
 Some bands are English-speaking, and others are French-speaking. About half the Algonquin population also speak their native Algonquin language. Algonquin is a musical language that has complicated verbs with many parts. If you'd like to learn a few easy Algonquin words, "kwey" (rhymes with "day") is a friendly greeting and "meegwetch" means "thank you." You can listen to an Algonquin woman talk in her language here and see an Algonquin picture glossary here.

What was Algonquin culture like in the past? What is it like now?
 Here's a link to the Algonquin Nation Tribal Council homepage. There you can find information about three Algonquin communities in the past and today.

How do Algonquin Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?

 Algonquin doll		 They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many Algonquin children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play, like early colonial children. But they did have toys, games and dolls, like this 18th-century doll in its miniature cradleboard. Algonquin mothers, like many Native Americans, carried their babies in cradleboards on their backs--a custom which many American parents have adopted now. There's a cute picture of Algonquin Indian children in their cradleboards on this site.

What were Algonquin men and women's roles?
 Algonquin women gathered plants to eat and did most of the child care and cooking. Men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Both genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine. In the past, the Algonquin Indian chief was always a man, but today a woman can be chief too.

What were Algonquin homes like in the past?

     Wigwam in Ontario		 The Algonquins didn't live in tepees. For most of the year they lived in settled villages of birchbark houses, called waginogans or wigwams. During the winter, the village split up to go to hunting camps, and each Algonquin family built a smaller cone-shaped wigwam like this for their camp, also made from birch bark. Here are some more pictures of American Indian houses like the ones the Algonquins used.

Today, Native Americans only build a birchbark home for fun or to connect with their heritage. Most Algonquin people live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.

What was Algonquin clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?

 Chief Rocky Boy


       Moccasin 		Algonquin women wore long dresses with removable sleeves and the men wore breechcloths and leggings. Both genders wore moccasins on their feet and cloaks in bad weather. Later, the Algonquins adapted European costume such as cloth blouses and jackets, decorating them with fancy beadwork. The Ojibway chief to the left is wearing the same style of clothing Algonquin men did. Here are more pictures of Ojibway and Algonquin clothing styles, and some photographs and links about Native American clothing in general.

Some Algonquin warriors shaved their heads in the Mohawk style, using grease to stiffen their hair so that it spiked up. Otherwise, Algonquin men and women both wore their hair in long braids. Some men wore a porcupine roach with a feather in it. (These roaches are made of porcupine hair, not the sharp quills!) In the 1800's, some Algonquin chiefs began wearing a feathered headdress like their neighbors the Sioux. The Algonquins painted their faces and arms with bright colors. They used different patterns for war paint and festive decoration. Some Algonquin men also wore elaborate tribal tattoos.

Today, some Algonquin people still wear moccasins or a beaded shirt, but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear feathers in their hair on special occasions like a dance.

What was Algonquin transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?

 Algonquin canoe
 Yes--the Algonquin Indian tribe was famous for their birchbark canoes. These canoe pictures compare straight-stem Algonquin canoes to the canoe styles of other tribes. Canoeing is still popular in the Algonquin nation today. Over land, the Algonquins used dogs as pack animals. (There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe.) The Algonquins used sleds and snowshoes to help them travel in the winter.

Today, of course, Algonquin people also use cars... and non-native people also use canoes.


  Algonquin deer hunt		 What was Algonquin food like in the days before supermarkets?
 The Algonquins were semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers. That means they didn't do much farming, and moved around a lot as they collected food for their families. Besides fish and meat, the Algonquins gathered berries and wild plants to eat. They also traded with neighboring tribes to get corn, and made maple syrup from tree sap.

What were Algonquin weapons and tools like in the past?
 Algonquin hunters and warriors used bows and arrows, spears, and knives. Hunters also built traps like the ones in this picture to catch deer and other game animals. Algonquin fishermen used pronged spears to stab fish from their canoes or through holes in the ice, instead of fishing with hooks.

What are Algonquin arts and crafts like?

 Algonquin basket		 Algonquin artists are known for their beadwork and basketry. Like other eastern American Indians, Algonquins also crafted wampum out of white and purple shell beads. Wampum beads were traded as a kind of currency, but they were more culturally important as an art material. The designs and pictures on wampum belts often told a story or represented a person's family. Today, Algonquin people also create contemporary art like oil paintings. You can visit this site to see photographs of Algonquin paintings.

What other Native Americans did the Algonquin tribe interact with?
 The Algonquins are related to the Ojibway and Ottawa tribes, who have usually been their allies. They were also friends with the Hurons. The Algonquins often fought with the Iroquois tribes, but when they weren't at war with them, they were trading partners. The Algonquins traded beaver pelts and other furs for Iroquois corn and tobacco from the south.

What kinds of stories do the Algonquins tell?
 There are lots of traditional Algonquin legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the Algonquin Indian culture. Here is one Algonquin legend about the sunset.

Who are some famous Algonquin Indians?
 Hockey star Gino Odjick is Algonquin from Kitigan Zibi. Here's a fan site dedicated to him. Odjick is also active in trying to combat alcohol abuse among First Nations youth. Here is an article about that.

What about Algonquin religion?
 Religions are too complicated and culturally sensitive to describe appropriately in only a few simple sentences, and we strongly want to avoid misleading anybody. You can visit this site to learn more about Algonquin religious traditions or this site about Native American religions in general.

Can you recommend a good book for me to read?
 It's hard to find a good book on the Algonquins because people get so confused about their name. Kipawa gives you a good look at an actual Algonkin nation, but it is out of print. The Algonquins is a good collection of essays with interesting information about the Algonquin people past and present, but it could be hard for younger kids to read. You can also browse through our reading list of good Native American books in general.

We *don't* recommend Algonquin Legends by Charles Leland. These are Wabanaki stories, not Algonquin, and the author has also rewritten them in an inauthentic way, adding new characters that are not traditional. We also *don't* recommend Native New Yorkers or No Word For Time by Evan Pritchard, because these books confuse the Algonquins with several other distinct Indian nations and contain too much incorrect information about Algonquian languages (see here and here for more detailed reviews.) And although The Last Algonquin is a good book, it is about a Wecquaesgeek (Wappinger) man, not an Algonquin.

How do I cite your website in my bibliography?
 You will need to ask your teacher for the format he or she wants you to use. Our names are Laura Redish and Orrin Lewis and the title of our site is Native Languages of the Americas. The site was first created in 1998 and last updated in 2007.

Thanks for your interest in the Algonquin Indian people and their language!

Learn More About The Algonquins

˜Algonquin Indian Tribe
An overview of the Algonquin people, their language and history.

˜Algonkin Language Resources
Algonkin language samples, articles, and indexed links.

˜Algonquin Culture and History Directory
Related links about the Algonquin people past and present.



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