Matimekush and Kawawachikamach symbolize the affirmation of indigenous communities through the creation of local and sustainable institutions.
Innus and Naskapis shared their space with each other in Matimekush Village. In order to enjoy commercial services, educational and sports programs, the First Nations people worked on a plan to put a new village closer to Schefferville. On March 21, 1972, inauguration day, Matimekush was born.
From left to right : Mayor Charles Bégin, his spouse, Minister Jean Chrétien, Innu Chief Mathieu André, his spouse, Naskapi Chief Joseph Guanish, his spouse. From an aerial view near the hospital, one could see 22 long houses constituting more or less 106 units. Lac-John kept its status as a village.
A dispensary was added to Matimekush. The local radio Kuei Attinukan hit the airway with its famous Bingo. Considering the growth of both communities sharing the same location, it soon became necessary to expand the village. An extremely long process that stretched across the 1980s crisis. Perseverance brought forth some accomplishment revealing new reorganization of services for the Innu population over 1 000, still to this day. The expansion of Matimekush also resulted in the amalgamation with the village of Lac-John. This gave birth to the new village of Matimekush-Lac-John.
Needing their own living space, the Naskapis signed the Northeastern Quebec Treaty in 1978; giving them control over political and administrative issues. And so Kawawachikamach was born in 1981, located about 9.3 miles (15 km) from Schefferville. The expansion of the services started with the Jimmy Sandy Memorial School, followed by a Local Services Community Center and other enterprises responding to a population of near 1 000, to this day.
The 1980s crisis brought on a reduction in the railway services, which hindered the First Nations people a lot, thus a partnership was forged between 3 communities (Matimekush-Lac-John, Kawawachikamach, and Uashat mak Mani-Utenam of Sept-Iles) to create the Tshiuetin Railway Transport in 2005, making this great event a first for them. A new train station was built, to assure the ability to evacuate in case of emergency.
