The Atikamekw are the indigenous inhabitants of the area they refer to as Nitaskinan ("Our Land"), in the upper St. Maurice valley of Quebec (about 300 km north of Montreal). Their population currently stands at around 4500. One of the main communities is Manouane, about 160 kilometers northeast of Montreal. They have a tradition of agriculture as well as fishing, hunting and gathering. They have close traditional ties with the Innu people, who were their historical allies against the Inuit. At… (More on Atikamekw)