Before the arrival of the Hudson Bay Company, the Algonquins would meet every summer at La Pointe-aux-Indiens at the tip of Lake Abitibi to renew friendship and kinship ties. The author states however that since 1720, Algonquin Mamiwinni have had their lives impacted by the fur trade, missionaries, railroads and, worst of all, residential schools. As a consequence, language, culture and a way of life were disappearing until the 1970-1980s when communities decided to take back control of their children’s education. New schools were created where the children learned the Algonquin language and cultural practices; several other language revitalization projects soon followed.
