The Algonquin (or Algonkin) people traditionally lived along the Ottawa River in present-day Canada. Their tribal name was later used to refer to one of the largest Native American language groups, the Algonquians. In the early 17th century the Algonquin became important allies and trading partners of the French.

Society and culture

The Algonquin lived in scattered villages in thick forest regions. Their houses were made from wood and bark. Near their villages they cleared small fields, where they planted corn, beans, and squash. But the climate of their homeland was so cold that they could not count on a large harvest. Instead they had to rely on hunting and fishing for most of their food.

In the warmest months the Algonquin stayed near their villages and fished in nearby rivers. They navigated the area's waterways in birchbark canoes. In the winter, parties of hunters headed into forests in search of game animals. They traveled over the snow-covered ground by riding toboggans or by hiking in snowshoes.

The Algonquin performed many religious ceremonies. They believed in a great spiritual force called Manitou. This force existed in all things, both living and nonliving.

History

The French began arriving in Algonquin territory in the first decade of the 17th century. Soon the Algonquin were trading animal furs to them in exchange for European goods, such as metal tools, guns, and cloth. As successful middlemen in the fur trade, the Algonquin quickly became one of the most powerful tribes in the region.

To maintain their position, the Algonquin tried to prevent other tribes from dealing directly with the French. Despite their efforts, the French began trading more and more with the Huron. Soon the Huron replaced the Algonquin as the main trading partners of the French. The Algonquin also faced ongoing warfare with their greatest Indian enemy, the powerful Iroquois. The Iroquois eventually drove them from their homeland. Many Algonquin joined other tribes, especially the Ottawa. Some, however, were able to return to their territory once their relations with the Iroquois had improved.

After the British defeated the French in the French and Indian War (1754–63), the Algonquin became allies of the British. British settlers who moved into the Ottawa Valley took away much of the Algonquin land, however. At the end of the 20th century, about 8,000 Algonquin Indians lived in Canada, most of them on reserves. Although they long ago gave up most of the ways of their ancestors, some Algonquin continue to make a living by hunting and trapping.