Editing Innu (section)

== Historical bands ==
The southern bands of the Montagnais-Naksapi were encountered by Europeans early in the seventeenth century while the northern ones, except for some on James Bay, were not well known until the nineteenth century.

The following are bands of the Montagnais-Naksapi in the 17th century:

* Bersimis, around the [[Betsiamites River|Bersimis River]]
* Chicoutimi, north of [[Chicoutimi]]
* Chisedec, around [[Sept-Îles, Quebec|Seven Islands]] and around the [[Moïse River|Moise River]]
* Escoumains, around the [[Escoumains River]]
* Godbout, around the [[Godbout River]]
* Mistassini, around [[Lake Mistassini]]
* Nichikun, around [[Nichikun Lake]]
* Ouchestigouetch, at the heads of [[Manikuagan River|Manikuagan]] and [[Caniapiscau River|Kaniapiskau Rivers]].
* Oumamiwek (or Ste. Marguerite), west of the [[Sainte-Marguerite River (Sept-Îles)|Ste. Marguerite River]]
* Papinachois, at the head of the [[Betsiamites River|Bersimis River]] and east of it
* Tadousac, west of the lower [[Saguenay River]]
By 1850, the Chisedec, Oumamiwek, and Papinachois had disappeared or been renamed, and many new bands in the north of Nitassinan were discovered:

* Barren Ground, on the middle course of the [[George River (Quebec)|George River]]
* Big River, around the [[Great Whale River|Great Whale]] and [[Fort George River]]s
* Davis Inlet, south of the Barren Ground band
* Eastmain, north of the [[Eastmain River]].
* Kaniapiskau, at the head of the [[Caniapiscau River|Kaniapiskau River]]
* Michikamau, around [[Michikamau Lake]]
* Mingan, on the [[Mingan River]]
* Musquaro (or Romaine), on the [[Olomanoshibo River]]
* Natashkwan, on the [[Natashkwan River]]
* Northwest River, north of [[Hamilton Inlet]] and on the [[North West River|Northwest River]]
* Petisikapau, in the country around [[Petisikapau Lake]]
* Rupert House, around [[Rupert Bay]] and the [[Rupert River]]
* St. Augustin, on the [[Saint-Augustin River|St. Augustin River]]
* Shelter Bay, around modern-day [[Shelter Bay, Quebec|Shelter Bay]]
* Ungava, southwest of the [[Ungava Bay]]
* Waswanipi, on the [[Waswanipi River]]
* White Whale River, between [[Lake Minto]] and [[Little Whale River]] and eastward to the [[Caniapiscau River|Kaniapiskau River]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Montagnais-Naskapi Indians of Canada |url=https://www.canadiangenealogy.net/indians/montagais_naskapi_indians.htm |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=www.canadiangenealogy.net}}</ref>