Although populations fluctuated over the centuries, the pre-contact period is characterized by a subsistence economy based on hunting and trapping of small and large game, fishing and seasonal gathering.

[6] In 2012 archaeological teams were digging near the Smokey Hill rapids, about 20 km from Waskaganish, a traditional weir fishing site where families have gathered annually in late summer for generations.

Prior to construction of the hydroelectric project and the partial diversion of the Rupert River which exposed the shoreline, the natural current forced fish into the weir.

On 29 September 1668, Nonsuch, under the command of Zachariah Gillam and guided by Médard des Groseilliers, anchored at the mouth of the Rupert River.

In October 1669 they returned to England with a load of beaver pelts they had acquired from the Cree people in exchange for goods such as knives, kettles, beads, needles and blankets.

Life for the Cree people of Waskaganish and Eeyou Istchee was greatly impacted by The James Bay Project.

The land surrounding James Bay had been the traditional territory of Cree and Inuit for thousands of years.

Ultimately the Cree people of Eeyou Istchee and the Grand Council were unable to prevent the construction of the dam.

However, through negotiations, they established the historic James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) which contained provisions about land use, economic development, self-governance of indigenous peoples, and funding for cultural, social, and health services for beneficiaries.

Although there were initial difficulties in getting the treaty obligations ratified, funding related to the JBNQA allowed for significant improvements in living conditions for Cree communities, such as creation of water and sewer systems.

His experiences as a child there, watching Westerns with other local children in the church basement, inspired him to make Reel Injun.