From the History of McKellar (1935-1945)
*Please note that this is an historical article and is presented here for educational purposes only. It does not reflect the beliefs of present day members of McKellar, nor the McKellar Historical Committee.
Indians in Parry Sound District
The North American Indian has probably been in occupation of this particular part of the Province of Ontario, for as long as a period as any part of the Country. The long waterfront of the Georgian Bay, with its many islands, formed a convenient travel route for the only vehicle known to the Indians—the birch bark canoe. The whole district bordering on the Bay and the Islands which dot its waters are scarred with the traces of travel and occupation by the aboriginal tribes. One of the early routs to Lake Huron from the French settlements of Montreal, was by way of the Ottawa River and from there to Lake Nippissing and down the French River to Georgian Bay, which was the return route followed by survivors of the Jesuit Missionaries massacred by the Iroquois at Midland.
The country from Lake Simcoe north, was occupied largely by the Ojibway Tribe, an offshoot of the powerful Algonquians, and whose descendants today, occupy practically all Indian Reserves on the shores of Lake Huron. With these tribes the Canadian Government concluded treaties in the year 1850 by which treaties the various Indian bands surrendered their claims to ownership of a vast amount of territory. In return for this surrender they were granted a specific annual per capita payment which is still being paid yearly to their descendants. In addition to these payments each band was allotted a reserve on which to live and which would remain their property for ever. The only manner in which these lands may be alienated is for the Band owning the reserve to grant surrender to the Crown for their benefit. Funds obtained in this way as are also monies obtained by the sale of natural resources of the Reserve, are credited to a trust fund which is administered by the Indian Affairs Department for the benefit of the Band.
The old colorful days when the Indians lived almost solely on fish and game are gone forever, and our aborigines are passing rapidly—a little too rapidly—through a transition period. It is a far cry from the stone age in which they were living a couple centuries ago to what is the easier but more exacting life of our modern white civilization. It would appear that the slow process of adjustment to the change has now passed its peak since our Indian population which for so many years was declining has now taken an upswing and for the last two decades has shown a steady increase.
Here in McKellar we do not have to go back two centuries to encounter the original primitive Indian. Many of us, whose fathers and mothers were amongst the earliest settlers in this part of the country, have heard them speak of their earliest contacts with Indians who came to trade fish-game and products of the forest with the newly arrived settlers. They found Indians living practically the same life as before the advent of the white man, practically the only difference being the acquisition [of] metal tools and utensils and firearms.
The Indian of romance, the Indian with which Fenimore Cooper made us acquainted has gone forever, but his spirit and his memory still lives with us in the names he bestowed on river-lakes and island and which make such colorful highlights in any study of Canadian Geography. Lacking a written language, much of his personal history is lost to us, but much of it still survives in the sagas which have been handed down through memory from one generation to another.
The ultimate destination of the Indian is that he will be absorbed into our general population. That perhaps is unavoidable and in the process much may be lost both to the Indian and ourselves. But these is no doubt that he may also add to the Conglomerate Canadian character many traits which may both benefit and beautify. We can at least for a long time retain that colorful romance which he has added to Canadian life without which the history of any people can be flat and insipid.
The country from Lake Simcoe north, was occupied largely by the Ojibway Tribe, an offshoot of the powerful Algonquians, and whose descendants today, occupy practically all Indian Reserves on the shores of Lake Huron. With these tribes the Canadian Government concluded treaties in the year 1850 by which treaties the various Indian bands surrendered their claims to ownership of a vast amount of territory. In return for this surrender they were granted a specific annual per capita payment which is still being paid yearly to their descendants. In addition to these payments each band was allotted a reserve on which to live and which would remain their property for ever. The only manner in which these lands may be alienated is for the Band owning the reserve to grant surrender to the Crown for their benefit. Funds obtained in this way as are also monies obtained by the sale of natural resources of the Reserve, are credited to a trust fund which is administered by the Indian Affairs Department for the benefit of the Band.
The old colorful days when the Indians lived almost solely on fish and game are gone forever, and our aborigines are passing rapidly—a little too rapidly—through a transition period. It is a far cry from the stone age in which they were living a couple centuries ago to what is the easier but more exacting life of our modern white civilization. It would appear that the slow process of adjustment to the change has now passed its peak since our Indian population which for so many years was declining has now taken an upswing and for the last two decades has shown a steady increase.
Here in McKellar we do not have to go back two centuries to encounter the original primitive Indian. Many of us, whose fathers and mothers were amongst the earliest settlers in this part of the country, have heard them speak of their earliest contacts with Indians who came to trade fish-game and products of the forest with the newly arrived settlers. They found Indians living practically the same life as before the advent of the white man, practically the only difference being the acquisition [of] metal tools and utensils and firearms.
The Indian of romance, the Indian with which Fenimore Cooper made us acquainted has gone forever, but his spirit and his memory still lives with us in the names he bestowed on river-lakes and island and which make such colorful highlights in any study of Canadian Geography. Lacking a written language, much of his personal history is lost to us, but much of it still survives in the sagas which have been handed down through memory from one generation to another.
The ultimate destination of the Indian is that he will be absorbed into our general population. That perhaps is unavoidable and in the process much may be lost both to the Indian and ourselves. But these is no doubt that he may also add to the Conglomerate Canadian character many traits which may both benefit and beautify. We can at least for a long time retain that colorful romance which he has added to Canadian life without which the history of any people can be flat and insipid.