Pessamit, Quebec, formerly known as Betsiamites or Bersimis, is a First Nations reserve and Innu community nestled along the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River. This captivating community is located approximately 50 kilometres southwest of Baie-Comeau, at the mouth of the Betsiamites River. Directly north of Rimouski, Quebec, across the river, Pessamit is home to the Pessamit Innu Band and includes the communities of Betsiamites and Papinachois.
The name 'Betsiamites' has been suggested to mean "those arriving by river". However, most contemporary authors agree that the name originates from the Innu root "Pessamit", which translates to "place where there are leeches or lampreys or sea eels". The dialect spoken at Mistissini uses the older form "upesciyâmîhc" to refer to the town, and "upesciyâmîw-iyiniw" to refer to the people of Pessamit.
The local form of the name has evolved due to phonological changes in the local dialect. The dialect of Pessamit has seen several changes, including the dropping of short initial vowels, the loss of consonantal pre-aspirations, the coalescence of -sc- to -ss-, and the change of final -c's to final t's. This has resulted in the local pronunciation of Pessamit from the more historical upesciyâmîhc.
The names Betsiamites and Bersimis have been used interchangeably since the mid-19th century. The Innu and Oblate missionaries preferred Betsiamites, while Bersimis was favoured by Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield during his hydrographic surveys of the St. Lawrence and by the Hudson's Bay Company. The community has seen several name changes over the years, with the most recent change to Pessamit in 2008.
The site of Pessamit, Quebec, has been inhabited or visited by Indigenous people for centuries before the arrival of Europeans. In the early 17th century, Samuel de Champlain reported the presence of an Innu village on the North Shore of the Saint Lawrence, which he identified as Sauvages Bersiamiste on his 1632 map.
During the French Era, a trading post was established at the mouth of the Betsiamites River by Gilles Hocquart in 1733. Throughout this period, Jesuit missionaries evangelized and converted the Innu that visited the various trading posts along the coast.
In 1845, the registers of the Notre-Dame-de-Betshiamits Mission opened, and by 1849, the Innu began to clear the site of the present village to build a chapel. The Hudson's Bay Company established its post in 1855, and from 1860 onwards, an industrial community known as Bersimis developed on the west side of the Betsiamites River.
In 1981, the Band Council of Bersimis renamed itself and the reserve to Betsiamites. The Betsiamites Band Council was renamed again in 2005 to the Innu Council of Pessamit, and in 2008, the name of the reserve was officially changed to the Pessamit Indian Reserve.
The on-reserve population of Pessamit, Quebec, has seen a steady increase over the years. As of 2021, the population stands at 2,428, marking a 7.6% increase from 2016. The total number of dwellings is 841, with 822 occupied by usual residents.
The mother tongue of the majority of the population is neither English nor French, with 94% reporting 'Other' as their first language. English is the first language for 2% of the population, while French is the first language for 4%.
As of May 2010, the total registered population of band members was 3,687, with 2,850 living on the Betsiamites Reserve, 28 on other reserves, and 809 living off-reserve.
Pessamit, Quebec, is a community steeped in history and culture, offering a unique glimpse into the rich tapestry of First Nations heritage.
