Page 16 - Beausoleil First Nation
P. 16
In 1649, conflict with the Iroquois Nation caused the Huron
and Jesuits to flee to Isle St. Joseph (known as Gahoendoe by
the Huron). This island is now called Christian Island. The Jesuit
mission was set up in Isle St. Joseph in 1649. In 1650, all of the
Jesuits and most of the Huron left the mission due to disease,
lack of food, and ongoing conflict with the Iroquois.
The Anishinaabeg moved south from the area north of
WORDS TO KNOW
Lake Superior in 1683, eventually settling on Christian Island
Jesuits: members of the
Society of Jesus within the (which we now also call G’chi Mnissing) in the mid-1600s. The
Catholic Church Anishinaabeg lived a semi-nomadic life throughout these
nomadic: travelling from place hunting areas, moving between summer and winter territories.
to place
Meanwhile, the government moved non-Indigenous settlers
non-Indigenous: someone
into this area, and attempted to establish treaties with the
whose ancestors are not
First Nation Anishinaabeg. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, a number of
settlement: a place where treaties were signed.
people come to make
their homes Over time, other First Nations joined the Anishinaabeg
treaties: agreements who settled G’chi Mnissing. Many of those who joined
between nations were Pottawatomi from the upper Great Lakes area. These
newcomers were accepted by the Anishinaabeg of G’chi
Mnissing. In the 1830s, some of the Pottawatomi moved to what
is now Moose Deer Point on the coast of Georgian Bay, but
people with a Pottawatomi background may still be found in
G’chi Mnissing and other First Nations in the area.
In 1830, the government established a post at present-day
Coldwater with the intent that the Anishinaabeg would settle
in this area, leaving the other lands for settlement by non-
Indigenous immigrants to the area. This move, arranged by
the government, represented the first-ever establishment of a
“reserve” in Canada. It is commonly known as the Coldwater–
Narrows Experiment.
14 Beausoleil First Nation
ogemawahj_community_book2.indd 14 2019-02-27 10:33 AM
