History of Ottawa

The first inhabitants of this region were the Algonquin Indians, who called the river Kichi Sibi or Kichissippi’ meaning “Great River” or “Grand River”. Étienne Brûlé was the first European to visit the area, in 1610; Samuel de Champlain followed three years later. The French named the area after the Outaouais tribe, who lived here for about ten years and served as middlemen in the fur trade.