Portrait of Québec City: A blending of traditions

Meeting with the Host nation Huron-Wendat

“We are pleased to be associated with the Société du 400^e anniversaire de Québec and to contribute in our way to the success and scope of this historic rendezvous. Our Nation, proud of its history and heritage, is delighted with this opportunity to share its rich culture. And, with our new tourist infrastructures in place, we are thrilled to celebrate this encounter that has been taking place for close to 400 years.”

Marcel Godbout, President of the Office du tourisme de Wendake, in a news release from the Office du tourisme de Wendake.

Before the Europeans arrived, the Huron-Wendat Nation lived mainly on agriculture: corn, beans, squash, tobacco and sunflowers formed the bulk of their crops. Trade was also an important activity for the Nation. It held a monopoly on corn and tobacco, trading them for furs and other everyday items with the other nations. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Wendat Confederacy was a powerful force, since it was the head of a network of alliances that made it one of the most prosperous nations in North America.

The establishment of the Wendat people near Québec City

Originally from Georgian Bay in Ontario, the Huron-Wendat settled near Québec City in 1650 after a tragic period marked by epidemics and wars with the Iroquois. They would relocate several times, always staying near Québec City, before permanently settling in 1697 in the village of Lorette, which is known today as Wendake. The Huron-Wendat Nation’s practice of trading with other nations ensured its status as preferred intermediary between the French and the other First Nations for a great number of years.

The Huron-Wendat language

Part of the Iroquois linguistic family, the Huron-Wendat language was the language of trade and diplomacy in North America for many years; nonetheless, a number of factors contributed to its disappearance. In 1984, historian Marguerite Vincent Tehariolina wrote: “For the past 100 years, there has been no one, for all practical purposes, who fluently speaks Huron, or at least not in the Huron village of Lorette.” However, a research project (In French Only) is currently underway to revitalize the Huron-Wendat language.

Wendake today

Located in the Haute-Saint-Charles–Laurentian section of Québec City, Wendake has about 1,300 inhabitants, while approximately 1,700 members of the Nation reside outside of the area. The tourism industry contributes significantly to the community’s economy. Today, the Wendat people are a prosperous community, proud of their roots and culture.

Photo credit: Steve Deschênes
Max Gros-Louis, Grand Chief of the host Nation, participating in the launch of festivities to celebrate the 400th anniversaryof Québec City