Their historic territory, Nitaskinan ('Our Land'), is in the upper Saint-Maurice River valley of Quebec (about 300 kilometres (190 mi) north of Montreal).

In these early documents, the French colonists recorded the Atikamekw as "Atikamegouékhi", an effort to transliterate their name for themselves.

They supplemented their diet with agricultural products made and processed by women, such as corn and maple syrup.

[4] After the French entered the trading network, they introduced new, European manufactured goods, such as metal tools.

They were described as a peaceful people, sharing the region with the Innu (Montagnais) in the east, the Cree in the north, and Algonquin to the south.

The Mohawk of the Iroquois Confederacy, whose five nations were based south of the Great Lakes, competed with them for the lucrative beaver trade and over hunting grounds.

While there exists no certainty as to the origin of this group, they may have been a regrouping of the few Atikamekw survivors and who were possibly associated with other indigenous nomadic tribes.

[4] Today, the Atikamekw, like their historical allies the Innu, have suffered from mercury poisoning due to contamination of their water supply by the operations of the central electric power companies before much environmental regulation.

[citation needed] The Atikamekw have their own traditional culture, language and rituals, though they had strong influences from the neighboring peoples.

[2] Traditionally, the Atikamekw lived in dome-shaped homes, which they created with branches and covered with bark called "piskokan".

[5] The making of hunting equipment (bows, snowshoes, sled dog) as well as clothing and blankets, was in former times a task necessary for survival.

[2] The Atikamekw have been recognized for their skill in crafting birch bark items such as baskets and canoes, decorating the pieces with beautiful designs.

The people of Obedjiwan make birch bark handicrafts less frequently than do other communities, since their environment in the boreal forest is dominated by conifer trees.