How does it come to be that Pikwakanagan is the unofficial headquarters of the Algonquin Nation in the Ottawa Valley?
The federal government created the Golden Lake Reserve in 1873.
Communities along the Madawaska and Bonnechere Rivers, as well as at Petawawa were “encouraged” to resettle in the community which became known as Pikwakanagan, meaning “a hilly place” in the Algonquin language.
The Madawasari or Madawasarini (also spelled Madaoueskarini) are historically and linguistically significant, and are a distinct Algonquin group whose territory was centered along the Madawaska River.
By the mid-1800s, Algonquin families living along rivers like the Madawaska, Bonnechere, and Petawawa were increasingly displaced by settler expansion, logging, and infrastructure projects.
Many families moved to Golden Lake over time, often in response to: loss of land or hunting grounds, pressure from Indian Agents or a desire to be near kin who had already relocated
David Cushing is a consultant with, and guide for Kichi Sibi Trails. He’s been given permission to share with us a letter from Wendy Jocko, current Chair of Kichi Sibi Trails.
Jocko is also a former Chief with Pikwakanagan First Nation.
Settler scholars have corroborated the presence of the Madawasari.
Not everyone was comfortable in the new Pikwakanagan home.
Wendy Jocko has herself served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
As land was surveyed and sold, many Indigenous families were pushed off their traditional lands or found it impossible to maintain their way of life.
By Rick Stow