Our culture

Sometimes considered nomadic or semi-nomadic, the feature of mobility of the Atikamekw people depends on the seasons and the availability of resources for protection, preservation and regeneration. Even if they do not have writting tradition, the Atikamekw have always had codes of practice, these codes are passed from father to son and from generation to generation. In the vocabulary of today it is sustainable development and integrated resource management.

The lifestyle territory requires attitudes and behaviors that respect the physical and social environment of the individual;

«...it is necessary that our personal life is an art. Life is an art of dealing with ourselves and what surrounds us therefore living it requires a certain way of balance. » (Jean-Pierre Ottawa, one of the elders of Manawan visiting the museum. May 2004)

Once again, the lifestyle of the Atikamekw largely depended on hunting and forest activities according to the seasons.