Mashteuiatsh: Ilnus

Mashteuiatsh means “Where there is a point”. Although this community is established on the western shores of the Pekuakami, its ancestral territory, the Nitassinan, extends well beyond the watershed of the lake. For thousands of years, Mashteuiatsh has been a gathering place for cultural, social and commercial exchanges of all kinds. The Pekuakamiulnuatsh (Ilnuatsh of the Pekuakami) speak Nehlueun, which means “our language” in addition to French. Through exhibitions, guided tours, activities and cultural workshops at the Amerindian Museum of Mashteuiatsh, the culture, history and language of the Pekuakamiulnuatsh is highlighted and made accessible to the public.

According to Indigenous Tourism Quebec, Mashteuiatsh is the only Aboriginal community in the Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean region. The name Pekuakamiulnuatsh (Ilnuatsh of Pekuakami) designates them today. The majority of its members are established in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, mainly in this community. Formerly known as Ouiatchouan, the community has been called Mashteuiatsh since 1985, also known by the popular name of Pointe-Bleue. The 6780 members of this Nation speak Nehleun and French.

Click HERE to discover more about the Ilnus and the Innus.