From beloved place to collective heritage: A portrait of Nitassinan by way of the Tshishipiminu project - Caroline Desbiens

Initiated in 2011, the partnership ‘Tshishipiminu: occupation of the Peribonka River and hydroelectric development’ comes to a first assessment of its realizations. According to the concept of "committed acclimatization", the members of Tshishipiminu have held different activities over the years to create opportunities for exchange. The partnership acts as a collective whose organization is flexible according to the nature of each project. Yet, members and their activities are committed to a central theme: talking about the territory, Nitassinan; and promote the expression and appropriation of this collective heritage by the Pekuakamiulnuatsh. At the end of its first phase, Tshishipiminu is busy producing a collection of photos from a contest and meetings entitled "See / Live the territory”. From images and testimonies, we aim to create a "family album" with a variety of experiences and visions of Nitassinan. This presentation discusses the relationship between the individual and the collective through this initiative, through the perspectives of researchers and / or community members. While the Pekuakamiulnuatsh can be involved in different ways, the Tshishipiminu partnership is meant as a structure whose impact should overcome the limits imposed by individual experiences and subsidy programs.