Hiawatha First nation
Encyclopedia
The Hiawatha First Nation Indian Reserve is located on the north shore of Rice Lake
east of the Otonabee River
in Ontario, Canada.
It is found in Otonabee Township
approximately 30 kilometers south of Peterborough
. The reserve consists of approximately 1952 acres (7.9 km²) of land of which 1523 are under certificates of possession.
Indigenous peoples
occupied this area for thousands of years before European contact. Nearly 2000 years ago, people of the Point Peninsula Complex
built a series of earthen mounds for ceremonial, religious and burial purposes. Archaeological excavations have shown the people had sophisticated knowledge to build the massive earthworks
. Nine mounds or burial places have been located at the south end of the park. Serpent Mounds Park
includes an effigy
mound, four to six feet high and nearly two hundred feet long, with a related egg-shaped mound by its mouth.
-speaking Mississaugas
people surrendered a large portion of their territory, known as New Castle District, to the British Government. The Indians could neither read nor write English at this time.
In 1823 the first Mission
House in Peterborough County was built at Rice Lake. The mission house (church) was Methodist
, with a resident minister, Nathan Baggs. The first Methodist missionary in Western Ontario, he baptized Chief Paudash and most of his Mississaugas band.
In 1828 the government designated an area along the north shore of Rice Lake as a reserve under the name "Mississaugas of Rice Lake Reserve". It had a land base of approximately 1120 acres (4.5 km²), with a population of 130 adults and 90 children. The grant was dated April 19, 1834 (this was a title deed). The original survey was in 1855, conducted for construction of a railway.
For many years, the members used the land for farming. If they did not farm the land, they leased it to others. At one time this area was known for the abundance of wild rice
that grew in Rice Lake.
The village boasted a store and post-office, a schoolhouse and teacher's residence.
In 1833 the federal government began construction of the Trent-Severn Waterway
(1833–1920), a system that led to an increase in water levels. This destroyed the wild rice beds. By the time the waterway was finally completed, its original commercial purpose had been superseded by an increase in the size of ships and the extension of railways across central Ontario. Today it is used mainly for recreational boating.
Samuel Gore built the 11 miles (17.7 km) enterprise, but the plank roadbed was vulnerable to frost. After the second winter, it was abandoned while workers built a 30 miles (48.3 km) railway in two years, over uncharted terrain. Bridging three miles (5 km) of water was a formidable task. Lake conditions were underestimated, necessitating replacement of a causeway with a bridge. Work commenced in 1853 and was largely completed that year. By November 1854, the bridge was completed and trains operated from Cobourg to the Indian village of Hiawatha. Fisher's stage provided a connection to Peterborough.
.
By the end of the century, the band population had decreased to 79.
Sometime between 1925 and 1929, the church changed from Methodist to Hiawatha United.
In 1933, the land surrounding the Serpent Mounds burial site
was purchased for protection and conservation.
The name of the Mississaugas of Rice Lake Reserve was changed to Hiawatha Reserve. In 1966-67 Hiawatha became self-governing; the chief and Council could make some decisions on their own. In the mid 1980s, the Hiawatha First Nation Indian Reserve became Hiawatha First Nation.
In 1995, the government returned management of Serpent Mounds Park to Hiawatha First Nation.
Rice Lake (Ontario)
Rice Lake is a lake located in south-eastern Ontario, in Northumberland County, south of Peterborough and the Kawartha lakes and north of Cobourg. The lake is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway, which flows into the lake by the Otonabee and out via the Trent. The lake is 32 km long and...
east of the Otonabee River
Otonabee River
The Otonabee River is a river that runs from Katchewanooka Lake near Lakefield, into the east side of Peterborough, Ontario , through Little Lake and down 30 km into the northwestern side of Rice Lake...
in Ontario, Canada.
It is found in Otonabee Township
Otonabee-South Monaghan, Ontario
Otonabee-South Monaghan is a township in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, in Peterborough County. It is located along the Trent-Severn Waterway.-Communities:...
approximately 30 kilometers south of Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
. The reserve consists of approximately 1952 acres (7.9 km²) of land of which 1523 are under certificates of possession.
History
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
occupied this area for thousands of years before European contact. Nearly 2000 years ago, people of the Point Peninsula Complex
Point Peninsula Complex
The Point Peninsula Complex was an indigenous culture located in Ontario and New York from 300 BCE to 700 CE . The people are thought to have been influenced by the Hopewell traditions of the Ohio River valley...
built a series of earthen mounds for ceremonial, religious and burial purposes. Archaeological excavations have shown the people had sophisticated knowledge to build the massive earthworks
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
. Nine mounds or burial places have been located at the south end of the park. Serpent Mounds Park
Serpent Mounds Park
Serpent Mounds Park is a private campground, day-use park, and a National Historic Site of Canada located in Keene, Ontario. Serpent Mounds is currently owned and operated by the Hiawatha First Nation, a historic Mississaugas people.- History :...
includes an effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
mound, four to six feet high and nearly two hundred feet long, with a related egg-shaped mound by its mouth.
1818–1828
In 1818, the AlgonquianAlgonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
-speaking Mississaugas
Mississaugas
The Mississaugas are a subtribe of the Anishinaabe-speaking First Nations people located in southern Ontario, Canada. They are closely related to the Ojibwa...
people surrendered a large portion of their territory, known as New Castle District, to the British Government. The Indians could neither read nor write English at this time.
In 1823 the first Mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
House in Peterborough County was built at Rice Lake. The mission house (church) was Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, with a resident minister, Nathan Baggs. The first Methodist missionary in Western Ontario, he baptized Chief Paudash and most of his Mississaugas band.
In 1828 the government designated an area along the north shore of Rice Lake as a reserve under the name "Mississaugas of Rice Lake Reserve". It had a land base of approximately 1120 acres (4.5 km²), with a population of 130 adults and 90 children. The grant was dated April 19, 1834 (this was a title deed). The original survey was in 1855, conducted for construction of a railway.
For many years, the members used the land for farming. If they did not farm the land, they leased it to others. At one time this area was known for the abundance of wild rice
Wild rice
Wild rice is four species of grasses forming the genus Zizania, and the grain which can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both North America and China...
that grew in Rice Lake.
1829–1839
Forty acres of land at Rice Lake were cleared. The building of 22 houses was completed in September. They are in direct line and equal distance from each other near the banks of the lake. A square for public buildings was left in the middle.The village boasted a store and post-office, a schoolhouse and teacher's residence.
In 1833 the federal government began construction of the Trent-Severn Waterway
Trent-Severn Waterway
The Trent–Severn Waterway is a Canadian canal system formerly used for industrial and transportation purposes and now for recreational and tourism purposes, connecting Lake Ontario at Trenton to the Georgian Bay portion of Lake Huron at Port Severn...
(1833–1920), a system that led to an increase in water levels. This destroyed the wild rice beds. By the time the waterway was finally completed, its original commercial purpose had been superseded by an increase in the size of ships and the extension of railways across central Ontario. Today it is used mainly for recreational boating.
1840–1850
In 1847 John William Love, who came from Smith's Creek (now Port Hope), was a schoolmaster of the Indians at Rice Lake. In a letter written in early 1847, he described the happy time and feast for a memorable New Year's Day. Love encouraged the Indians to bring "their women forward" as white men did and to raise their wives to the level which they should occupy in society. Love wrote that because of this, the Rice Lake Indians were equivalent to the head of every tribe on any reservation of the province.1851–1861
The railroad was first reported in 1855 and would run between Peterborough and Harwood, crossing the lake at the Reserve. The government granted one of the two earliest railway charters in March 1834, for construction of a double or single-iron or wooden "Rail Road" north of Rice Lake.Samuel Gore built the 11 miles (17.7 km) enterprise, but the plank roadbed was vulnerable to frost. After the second winter, it was abandoned while workers built a 30 miles (48.3 km) railway in two years, over uncharted terrain. Bridging three miles (5 km) of water was a formidable task. Lake conditions were underestimated, necessitating replacement of a causeway with a bridge. Work commenced in 1853 and was largely completed that year. By November 1854, the bridge was completed and trains operated from Cobourg to the Indian village of Hiawatha. Fisher's stage provided a connection to Peterborough.
1895–1899
A short distance west of the mouth of the Indian River, the shoreline of Rice Lake extends into a broad peninsula formed by the east side of Gregor Bay. At the tip of this peninsula is Roche's Point and Serpent Mounds ParkSerpent Mounds Park
Serpent Mounds Park is a private campground, day-use park, and a National Historic Site of Canada located in Keene, Ontario. Serpent Mounds is currently owned and operated by the Hiawatha First Nation, a historic Mississaugas people.- History :...
.
By the end of the century, the band population had decreased to 79.
1900-1950
A school was built just east of where the administration building is now. The present school located on the corner of Hiawatha line and Paudash Street was built in 1906.Sometime between 1925 and 1929, the church changed from Methodist to Hiawatha United.
In 1933, the land surrounding the Serpent Mounds burial site
Serpent Mounds Park
Serpent Mounds Park is a private campground, day-use park, and a National Historic Site of Canada located in Keene, Ontario. Serpent Mounds is currently owned and operated by the Hiawatha First Nation, a historic Mississaugas people.- History :...
was purchased for protection and conservation.
1950–present
In 1955, the land surrounding the Serpent Mounds burial site was taken and converted to a Provincial Park.The name of the Mississaugas of Rice Lake Reserve was changed to Hiawatha Reserve. In 1966-67 Hiawatha became self-governing; the chief and Council could make some decisions on their own. In the mid 1980s, the Hiawatha First Nation Indian Reserve became Hiawatha First Nation.
In 1995, the government returned management of Serpent Mounds Park to Hiawatha First Nation.