On July 3, 2021, Rodrigue Turgeon and his acolytes left the shores of Saint-Mathieu-d’Harricana, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, to reach James Bay in the Arctic Ocean. A way for him to “go back up the barbed wire of history” on Nanikana, the name of the river that he also gave to his first book, halfway between an adventure story and The trial started.
Témiscabiti residents have learned for more than a century that Harricana, the long watercourse that crosses the region and Northern Quebec, means “biscuit river” in the language of the Anicinapek (Algonquins). However, this is false. The First Peoples always called it Nanikana: “the main way.”
Officially, the Quebec Toponymy Commission designates Nanikana as a river, but Rodrigue Turgeon says he checked with the organization, which confirmed that Nanikana has everything to be considered a river. However, the government does not correct anything, deplores the author. “The authorities are aware of the errors they perpetuate and the reasons they provide for maintaining them are insufficient to compensate for all the pride that would be given to the population by correcting historical colonial errors. »
During the Viens commission on relations with indigenous people, Rodrigue Turgeon discovered that the history of his region was full of environmental and human sacrifices.
So he canoed 500 km to Weeneebeg (James Bay). “There is something captivating about thinking that we belong to the Arctic Ocean,” he says.
Yet he was terrified of the rapids he would encounter, after nearly drowning six years earlier. In 2015, after capsizing in a rapid, he made the mistake of placing himself downstream of the water-filled canoe that rushed towards him, while his leg was stuck in a rock. He survived, but the accident left its marks. “I was anxious every second of the expedition, until we got off Seven Thousand Island, Misiministikw. »
In addition to the impression of going from kindergarten to postdoctoral studies in rapids management, Mr. Turgeon and his friends learned to manage ocean tides, voracious mosquitoes, not to mention the physical effort required. “I wasn’t an athlete. Fortunately, pulling on an oar is not a superhuman effort. By repeating the movement, the muscles are formed. After the first day, I was sore all over. After the fifth, my body was asking for more! »
A slightly jovial response, while his younger brother and canoe partner called out to him “Row, tabarnak! ” a few times. “My little brother is bigger, stronger, more agile and very experienced in the outdoors, while I have spent the last decade in a chair reading and writing. »
In carrying and rope situations, the younger child put pressure on his older child.
If the expedition transformed their fraternal dynamic for the better, it also allowed them to witness the worst of human beings. “From Saint-Mathieu, we imagine a territory preserved from human activities, but this was not the case. »
Indeed, the book uncompromisingly evokes the repercussions of logging, the 1559 camps and 227 chalets (inhabited for a few weeks per year) and the consequences of abandoned mining sites. Especially in Joutel. “This is land that has been awaiting restoration for decades by one of the world’s leading mining companies, Agnico Eagle. It’s awful to see! »
After developing infinite love for Nanikana, Mr. Turgeon does not understand how anyone can let go of activities that affect him so much. His research with the government of Quebec, the towns of Amos and Val-d’Or demonstrates that Nanikana is very poorly protected. A situation that seriously worries him, as Hydro-Québec plans to build several power plants in the coming years. “My book is a wake-up call! It’s my job to alert people about environmental impacts. But I don’t just want to draw attention to the problems, but also to the beauty of the territory. »
He is convinced that the return to the designation of origin of the Nanikana River would have more than symbolic significance. “It would become easier to demonstrate to the authorities the importance of protecting a river rather than just a river. »
Rodrigue Turgeon also believes that the government does not wish to move on the toponymic question because of its ambitions. “Fifteen other rivers in Quebec are in fact rivers, and the majority of them have already been harnessed for hydroelectric purposes or they are coveted for their natural resources. »