Waswanipi () is a Cree community in the Eeyou Istchee territory of central Quebec, Canada, located along Route 113 and near the confluence of the Chibougamau and Waswanipi Rivers. It has a population of 459 people (Canada 2021 Census). Waswanipi is a compound word composed of wâswân (a place to fish at night using a torch) and -pî (lake), meaning "torch-fishing lake" but colloquially translated as "light over the water"Commission de Toponymie du Québec referring to the traditional night-time fishing method of luring fish to light by using torches.
The original location of the village was on an island in Lake Waswanipi (). It was the site of a Hudson's Bay Company trading post until 1965 when the post was closed. Its residents dispersed until 1978 when the new village of Waswanipi was built about 47 km upstream the Waswanipi River from the former location.
Demographics Waswanipi is a trilingual community, the majority of its residences speaking the Southern East Cree dialect of the Cree language. Aside from the elderly people, who tend to be monolingual Cree speakers, the majority of the population speaks, in addition to Cree, either English or French, some speaking both.
Education The Cree School Board operates three schools: Willie J. Happyjack Memorial School (ᐧᐃᓖ ᒉᐄ ᐦᐋᐲᒑᒃ ᒋᔅᑯᑕᒫᒉᐅᑲᒥᒄ), Rainbow Elementary School (ᐲᓯᒧᔮᐲ ᒋᔅᑯᑕᒫᒉᐅᑲᒥᒄ) and Jolina Gull-Blacksmith Memorial School. Happyjack has 536 students."Willie J.Happyjack Memorial School." Cree School Board. Retrieved on September 23, 2017."Willie J. Happyjack Memorial School and Rainbow Elementary School ." Cree School Board. Retrieved on September 23, 2017.
See also Grand Council of the Crees
References
External links Official Site of Waswanipi Info on Waswanipi by Municipality of Baie-James