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amisk
[< Cree]
DCHP-3.1 (Aug 2026)
Spelling variants:amik, a-misk, au misk
1n. — Fauna, Fur Trade, Indigenous
an aquatic rodent commonly called beaver, Castor canadensis.
Type: 1. Origin — The word derives from the Cree language and initially shows a number of phonetic renderings (e.g. see au misk in the 1743 quotation). The Anishinaabe people use the variant amik (see Canadian Geographic reference).
The earliest attestations of the term appear in travel literature from the mid-18th to 19th centuries, documenting Indigenous terms and their English counterparts (see the 1743, 1809 and 1820 quotations).
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Indigenous peoples of Canada were integral to the fur trade. The impact the high demand for amisk pelts had on trade is the reason why the animal is an official symbol of Canada (see Gov't of Canada reference). However, in the 19th century, Indigenous fur traders struggled to compete with fur trade monopolies, while fur hats—the main product—dropped out of fashion in Europe (see Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada reference).
Chart 1 shows that amisk is also a Type 5-Frequency Canadianism.
The earliest attestations of the term appear in travel literature from the mid-18th to 19th centuries, documenting Indigenous terms and their English counterparts (see the 1743, 1809 and 1820 quotations).
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Indigenous peoples of Canada were integral to the fur trade. The impact the high demand for amisk pelts had on trade is the reason why the animal is an official symbol of Canada (see Gov't of Canada reference). However, in the 19th century, Indigenous fur traders struggled to compete with fur trade monopolies, while fur hats—the main product—dropped out of fashion in Europe (see Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada reference).
Chart 1 shows that amisk is also a Type 5-Frequency Canadianism.
See: beaver(def. 1)
Quotations
1743
A beaver Au misk.
1899
["This is our slave, mon père,— Wabisca Amisk," [...] "White Beaver,"—a name, well-earned by the Yankee servant's untiring industry.]
1949
Where there were formerly two Beaver Rivers in Alberta, one of them is now officially the Amisk, which is the Cree name for Beaver.
1951
"Amisks who bog themselves down on willow," Dudley Shaw explained, "are permeated with a bitterish flavor."
1987
They include the tasteful - an elegant white horse on the Trans- Canada Highway near Winnipeg commemorates a romantic Indian legend - and the gaudy - Amisk, a giant beaver, welcomes people to Dauphin.
2000
Amisk, which is a Cree word for beaver, was launched in the early 90s after Cree leaders in Northern Ontario asked Toronto architect and structural engineer Gerald Robinson to help them design affordable housing that can be transported to remote sites and erected by unskilled labour - and yet stand up to the snow loads, wind and extreme cold of Northern Ontario.
2006
It is 1982 and a good part of the community has come out onto the high riverbank to look at a rare arrival. News has spread around town that an "Amisk" is coming. This is the Cree word for beaver. This is a different type of beaver. It is the famous De Havilland Beaver aircraft flying in to ferry hunters to the far North hunting grounds.
2012
The special day is dedicated to "Amisk," the beaver, and the sharing of the traditions and culture that surrounds one of the most important animals to my people.
2018
Amiskwaskahagen it was. And for all I know, Amiskwaskahagen it remains. Amisk, I understand, means beaver. And wachi is western Cree for hills. The hagen suffix simply signals the fort.
2023
In Cree, the beaver is Amisk. Amisk's gift is his powerful front teeth, a tool that equips him to build his lodge and influence his environment, shaping his aquatic community with his dams. If he were to neglect to use his gift, his teeth would grow long until they hindered him. Amisk is wise to use his gift to thrive, and so must each of us.
References
- Canadian Geographic • The dam, the myth, the legend: 50 years of the beaver
- Indigenous Peoples of Atlas Canada • Fur Trade
- Gov't of Canada • Official symbols of Canada
Images
