 In 1853, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, John Rolph, had proposed to assign the Innu living near the Peribonka River, north of Lake Saint-Jean, a reserve of and the Innu residing in Métabetchouan Township, south of Lake Saint-Jean, were allotted .But because Pointe-Bleue had been their traditional site and because loggers would not respect the boundaries of the reserved lands, the Innu asked the Government of Canada to exchange these lands bordering the Peribonka and Métabetchouane Rivers for those in Ouiatchouan Township where Pointe-Bleue is.This request was granted in 1856, and the Innu were allotted an area of , from then on officially known as Ouiatchouan Reserve.