The Weskarini had good trade relations with the Wyandot (which are mistaken for the Wendat Huron People) in their region before and during the early colonial period.
[1] At the time of first contact with French settlers, the Weskarini traded at the mouths of the St. Maurice, Dumoine, and Gatineau Rivers.
During a major Iroquois offensive in 1652, the main band of Weskarini fled north from the Ottawa River.
[7] Today, many Weskarini descendants (some of whom primarily consider themselves “mixed,” which is better known in Canada as one of their three official Indigenous peoples - that being “Métis.” Whereas there are other direct blood descendants who identify solely as Algonquin “Weskarini”) work to rebuild their knowledge of the Algonquin language and shared cultural identity.
Some contemporary Weskarini express concerns over the ongoing development of sacred Manitonga Soutana, the destruction of land and water in unceded territory, and the appropriation and trademarking of the Weskarini name by developers in the area.