A. Heritage and Identity · Communities in Canada, 1780–1850

First Nations Communities in Upper and Lower Canada

A3.1 A1.1 A2.3About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can name some First Nations who lived in Upper and Lower Canada between 1780 and 1850.
I can find where some of these communities were on a map.
I can explain that some nations lived on their traditional territory and some had to move.
I can describe how Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee ways of life were alike and different.

Words to know

nation
A group of people with their own language, laws, leaders, land and way of life.

traditional territory
The land a nation has lived on, used and cared for over a very long time.

Anishinaabe
A family of First Nations that includes the Ojibwe (also called Chippewa), Mississauga, Odawa, Potawatomi and Algonquin peoples.

Haudenosaunee
The Six Nations Confederacy: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora nations. The name means "People of the Longhouse".

Wendat
A First Nation (also called Huron-Wendat). In this period their main community was Wendake, near Quebec City.

relocate
To move to a new place. Some First Nations were forced to relocate because settlers took their land.

Clan Mother
In Haudenosaunee nations, a respected woman leader. Clan Mothers choose the chiefs.

Many nations, not one

In 1800, Upper and Lower Canada were not "empty land". They were home to many First Nations. Each nation had its own language, its own leaders and laws, and its own territory.

Think about how Canada has many provinces, and each has its own name and places. First Nations are like that too, but they were here thousands of years before Canada existed. And they are still here today!

Some First Nations of this time and place

Here are some of the nations who lived in Upper and Lower Canada, or close by, between 1780 and 1850:

Anishinaabe nations: the Mississauga (along the north shore of Lake Ontario), the Ojibwe or Chippewa (around Lake Huron, Lake Superior and in the southwest), the Odawa (around Manitoulin Island), the Potawatomi and the Algonquin (along the Ottawa River).
Haudenosaunee nations, especially the Mohawk, at places like the Grand River, the Bay of Quinte, Akwesasne and Kahnawake.
The Wendat, at Wendake near Quebec City.
The Lenape (also called Delaware), at Moraviantown on the Thames River.
The Abenaki, at Odanak in Lower Canada.
Farther north, the Cree, around James Bay and Hudson Bay.

A wide, calm river flows between green forests in southern Ontario on a summer day. — Rivers and lakes like this one gave First Nations water, fish and travel routes for thousands of years, and they still do today. AI-generated image

A simple map (not to scale) showing some First Nations communities of this time. Use the key in the table below.

#	Community	Nation	Lived there for a very long time, or moved there?
1	Near today's Thunder Bay, on Lake Superior	Anishinaabe (Ojibwe)	Traditional territory
2	Manitoulin Island area (for example, Wiikwemkoong)	Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe)	Traditional territory
3	Credit River, near York (Toronto)	Mississauga (Anishinaabe)	Traditional territory. Later, in 1847, they had to move to New Credit, on land the Six Nations shared with them.
4	Grand River (Six Nations)	Haudenosaunee (Mohawk and others)	Moved there in 1784
5	Bay of Quinte (Tyendinaga)	Mohawk (Haudenosaunee)	Moved there in 1784
6	Near Montreal (Kahnawake, and Akwesasne farther up the river)	Mohawk (Haudenosaunee)	Lived there since before 1780
7	Wendake, near Quebec City	Wendat	Lived there since the late 1600s

Key for the map. These are only some of the many communities.

Why did some nations have to move?

Some First Nations lived on their traditional territory, the land their families had cared for over many generations.

Other nations had to relocate (move):

During the American Revolution (1775 to 1783), many Haudenosaunee fought as allies of Britain. After Britain lost, their homelands in what is now New York State were taken over by the United States. So in 1784, Mohawk leader Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) led many Haudenosaunee people to the Grand River, and John Deseronto led a Mohawk group to the Bay of Quinte.
But that land was already the territory of the Mississauga. The British made agreements with the Mississauga for this land.
Later, as more and more settlers arrived, many First Nations were pushed off land they had lived on, or given much smaller areas called reserves.

Moving was very hard. Families had to leave the places where their relatives were buried and where they knew every river, berry patch and hunting ground.

Using the right names

Many nations have their own name for themselves that is different from the name settlers used. For example, settlers often said "Iroquois", but the people call themselves Haudenosaunee. Settlers said "Huron", but the people call themselves Wendat. Using a nation's own name shows respect.

Two ways of life: alike and different

Let's look at two big groups of nations in Ontario around 1800. Remember: every community was a little different, and ways of life were already changing in this time.

	Anishinaabe (for example, Ojibwe and Mississauga)	Haudenosaunee (for example, Mohawk)
Moving with the seasons	Many families moved with the seasons: maple sugar camps in spring, fishing places in summer, wild rice in fall, family hunting grounds in winter.	Lived in villages and towns that stayed in one place for many years.
Food	Fish, deer, moose, ducks, wild rice, berries, maple sugar, plus some gardens.	Women grew large fields of corn, beans and squash (the Three Sisters). Men hunted and fished.
Homes	Wigwams made of poles covered with birchbark or mats, easy to build at each camp. By this time, some families also had log houses.	Before, longhouses where many related families lived together. By 1800, many families lived in log houses, like settlers.
Travel	Birchbark canoes (light and fast), snowshoes, toboggans.	Canoes made of elm bark or dugout logs, and trails through the forest; later, also wagons.
Leaders	Leaders were chosen for their wisdom and skill. Families belonged to clans (doodem).	The Haudenosaunee Confederacy has a Grand Council of chiefs. Clan Mothers choose the chiefs.
The same for both	Respect for the land, the water and Elders. Stories and teachings passed on by speaking. Sharing food with the community. Their own languages.	(same)

Comparing two ways of life around 1800. Each nation and community had its own ways.

Many Anishinaabe families moved in a yearly circle. Each season had its own place and its own food, and then the circle began again.

Worked example

Let's read the map

Look at the map and its key. Which communities on the map are near Lake Ontario? Did those nations always live there?

Find Lake Ontario: it is the blue lake closest to where the St. Lawrence River begins.
Look for numbers near it: 3 (Credit River) is at the west end. 5 (Bay of Quinte) is at the east end. 4 (Grand River) is between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, near both.
Check the key: the Mississauga at the Credit River were on their traditional territory.
The Mohawk at the Bay of Quinte and the Haudenosaunee at the Grand River moved there in 1784, after the American Revolution.

Numbers 3 and 5 are on Lake Ontario, and 4 is close by. The Mississauga were on their traditional territory. The Mohawk and other Haudenosaunee had moved there in 1784.

Worked example

Let's compare two ways of life

Use the table. Tell one way Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee life was the same and one way it was different.

Same: look at the bottom row. Both respected the land, the water and Elders, and passed on teachings by speaking.
Different: look at the food row. Many Anishinaabe families moved with the seasons to fish, hunt and gather wild rice. Haudenosaunee women grew big fields of corn, beans and squash near their villages.
Use a sentence frame: "Both ... but ..."

"Both nations respected the land and Elders, but many Anishinaabe families moved with the seasons, while Haudenosaunee families mostly farmed near villages that stayed in one place."

Just for fun

Fun fact: A birchbark canoe was light enough that people could carry it on their shoulders over a portage, from one lake or river to the next. Next time your backpack feels heavy, imagine carrying a canoe!

Hands-on activity

Whose land am I on?

With a grown-up:

Find out which First Nations' traditional territory your home or school is on. Your school may share a land acknowledgement, or your local First Nation or Métis organization may have a website about its history. (Online maps like Native Land Digital can be a starting place, but the nations themselves are the best source.)
Find that nation on a map. Is it near a lake or river?
Find out: Is there a First Nation community near you today? What is its name?
Draw your home and write the nation's name beside it.

Talk about it: "Why do you think it matters to know whose land you live on?"

Your turn

Name two First Nations who lived in Upper or Lower Canada between 1780 and 1850.

What does traditional territory mean?

What are the Three Sisters?

Who led many Haudenosaunee people to the Grand River in 1784?

Why did many Haudenosaunee move north in 1784?

What kind of canoe did many Anishinaabe make?

Who chooses the chiefs in Haudenosaunee nations?

More practice: warm-up

True or false: all First Nations had the same language.

What was the main Wendat community called in this period?

Name one food Anishinaabe families gathered in the fall.

What is a wigwam covered with?

Are First Nations still here today?

More practice: on your own

Why was a wigwam a good home for families who moved with the seasons?

The Grand River land was already the territory of another nation before the Haudenosaunee came. Which nation?

Why is it respectful to say Haudenosaunee instead of Iroquois?

Tell one way Haudenosaunee homes changed by 1800.

Why was it hard for a nation to be forced to move?

Challenge

A settler in 1800 wrote: "This land is wild and empty." Use what you learned to explain why this is not true.

Compare how Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee families got food. Use "both" and "but".

In 1847, the Six Nations shared some of their land with the Mississaugas of the Credit, who had lost their land to settlers. What does this tell you about how these nations treated each other?

Check your understanding

Quiz

What does the name Haudenosaunee mean?

Which nation lived along the north shore of Lake Ontario, near the Credit River?

Why did Joseph Brant lead people to the Grand River in 1784?

The Three Sisters are...

Which sentence is true?

Which was a good home for families who moved with the seasons?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Upper and Lower Canada were home to many distinct First Nations, some on their traditional territories and some who relocated (often because of war or settlement). Students learn to name nations, locate communities on a map, and compare ways of life.

How to help at home:

Find out whose traditional territory you live on and use that nation's name.
Look at a real map of Ontario with your child and find the Grand River, the Bay of Quinte, Manitoulin Island and Thunder Bay.
Many First Nations share their history on their own websites (for example, Six Nations of the Grand River, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte). These are excellent sources.

Common difficulties and things to watch for:

Treating all First Nations as one group: model specific names ("the Mississauga", "the Mohawk").
Past tense only: remind your child that these nations are still here, in their communities and in cities.
Stereotypes: homes and ways of life changed over time. By 1800 many Haudenosaunee and some Anishinaabe families lived in log houses and farmed; ways of life were not frozen in time.

Names: you may see Ojibwe, Ojibwa or Chippewa; Anishinaabe or Anishinabek; Wendat or Huron-Wendat. Nations' own preferred spellings vary.