Saulteaux

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The Saulteaux are a First Nation in Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, Canada.

Ethnic Classification

They are a branch of the Ojibwa nation. They are sometimes also called Plains Ojibwe and Anihšināpē (Anishinaabe). Their native language Nakawēmowin (ᓇᑲᐌᒧᐎᓐ) is Algonquian, although like most First Nations, English is the first language of most members. Saulteaux is a French language term meaning "people of the rapids," referring to their former location about Sault Ste. Marie. Because of their location, they farmed little and were mainly hunters and fishers.

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Location

The Saulteaux were originally settled around Lake Superior and Lake Winnipeg, principally in the Sault Ste. Marie and northern Michigan areas. White Canadians and Americans gradually pushed the tribe westwards to Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Today most of them live in the Interlake, southern part of Manitoba, and in Saskatchewan; because they lived on land ill-suited for European crops, they were able to keep much of their land.

The Saulteaux call themselves Nakawē (ᓇᑲᐌ) - a general term for the Saulteaux. To the neighbouring Plains Cree, they are known as the Nahkawiyiniw (ᓇᐦᑲᐏᔨᓂᐤ), a word of related etymology.

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