The Pipmuakan is the Heart of the Boreal Forest

Located on the Nitassinan of the Innu First Nation of Pessamit, the Pipmuakan has been occupied by the Pessamiulnuat since time immemorial. They feed themselves, take care of themselves and perpetuate their way of life there.

“The continued expansion of logging in the Pipmuakan region threatens the practice and transmission of Innu Aitun – the Innu way of life – and the survival of caribou.”

Why Does the Pipmuakan Need to be Protected?

The Pipmuakan region is the traditional gathering place of the Pessamiulnuat and is an essential place for the transmission of Innu heritage and identity. Located near the community of Pessamit, the Pipmuakan allows the Pessamiulnuat to maintain a link with their traditional territory and to transmit the practices and knowledge of elders to younger generations.

The Pipmuakan is home to many iconic species. Among them is minashkuau-atiku (the woodland caribou): an animal that is sacred to the Innu, yet threatened with extinction. The Pipmuakan caribou herd, estimated at about 200 individuals, is one of the southernmost populations in Québec. The survival of this population is essential for the recovery of the species in Québec.

Indigenous-Led Conservation in Action

In November 2020, the Innu Council of Pessamit formalized an Aboriginal protected area project in order to promote the sustainability of Innu culture, support the revitalization of the language, actively contribute to the recovery the woodland caribou, and generate benefits for the community.

Concerned with maintaining the link between the Pessamiulnuat and Nitassinan and ensuring the survival of the woodland caribou, the Pessamiulnuat are mobilizing for the protection of the Pipmuakan. With economic development on its territory in mind, the Innu Council of Pessamit has formalized an Aboriginal protected area project for the Pipmuakan