The Kichesipirini ("People of the Great River", "Island Indians") were an

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

First Nations in Canada ''First Nations'' () is a term used to identify Indigenous peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. Traditionally, First Nations in Canada were peoples who lived south of the tree line, and mainly south of the Arctic Circle. There ...

based near the

Ottawa River The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Name

The name ''Kichesipirini'' translates into English as "men of the great river," for their words ''kiche'' (great), ''sipi'' (river), and ''iriniouck'' (men).

Huron people The Wyandot people (also Wyandotte, Wendat, Waⁿdát, or Huron) are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of the present-day United States and Canada. Their Wyandot language belongs to the Iroquoian language family. In Canada, ...

called them Ehonkeronon. They were also known as Algommequin de l'Isle, Héhonqueronon, Honquerons, Kitchesipiiriniouek, and Nation de l'Isle. The Ottawa River was called Kitchissippi.

Territory

They lived on

L'Isle-aux-Allumettes L'Isle-aux-Allumettes () is a municipality in the Outaouais region, part of the Pontiac Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. The municipality consists primarily of Allumette Island (in French ''Île aux Allumettes''), and also includes ...

(Allumette Island) along the

in Quebec. Their primary village was located on Morrison Island in the Ottawa River, as well their territory was on both sides of the river in Ontario and Quebec, in the

Pontiac Regional County Municipality, Quebec Pontiac () is a regional county municipality in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. Campbell's Bay, Quebec, Campbell's Bay is the county seat. It should not be confused with the Pontiac, Quebec, municipality of Pontiac, which is located in the ...

, located just to the east of Morrison Island.

History

17th century

They may have been the first Algonquin nation to meet

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

explorers in the early 17th century.

Tessouat Tessouat (''Anishinaabe'': Tesswehas) ( c. ??? – 1636–1654) was an Algonquin chief from the Kitchesipirini nation ("Kitche"=Great, "sipi"=river, "rini"=people: the people from the great river, the Ottawa River). His nation lived in an ...

(d. 1636), their chief, met

Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; 13 August 1574#Fichier]For a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see #Ritch, RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December ...

in the summer of 1603, and Champlain visited their village again in May 1613. Because of their position on the river, they were able to charge tolls to French traders and missionaries. Chief Tessouat, noted for having one eye, decided which non-Algonquin people could travel up or down the river. In 1645, the Kichesipirini and the Hurons entered a peace treaty with the

Haudenosaunee The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

; however, the peace was not lasted, and by 1650 they had to flee their homelands. It is unknown where they settled, but likely they joined the

Odawa people The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ) are an Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous North American people who primarily inhabit land in the Indigenous peoples of the Eastern Woodlands, Eastern Woodlands region, now in jurisdictions of th ...

References

{{authority control First Nations in Ontario First Nations in Quebec First Nations in Renfrew County Algonquian peoples Algonquian ethnonyms Algonquin Extinct Indigenous peoples of the Americas