Page 46 - Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation

Homes
WORDS TO KNOW
teepee: a home made from
buffalo skin and wooden poles
wigwam: a home made
from natural material such as
tree bark
44 Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation
ogemawahj_community_book4.indd 44
Another image created by television and movies is that all First
Nations people lived in teepees made from buffalo skin and
wooden poles. This is not so. First Nations who lived on the
plains, such as the Plains Cree, used the teepee; they followed
the buffalo and had horses to help them, so the teepee was
easy to move from place to place. The Anishinaabeg, though,
lived in the bush. It would have been difficult to drag a teepee
around trees, especially without the help of a horse.
In the past, during the winter months, the Anishinaabeg lived in
wigwams, which were constructed from the bark of trees. When
the family moved to their summer hunting and fishing grounds,
they left the wigwam behind where it was recycled back to the
earth. Their summer home was constructed from animal hides.
When they moved back to their winter hunting grounds, they
built a new wigwam.
Today, our homes are like those found elsewhere in southern
Ontario. Most of our homes have modern appliances such as
microwaves, washers, dryers, and freezers. We also have tablets,
cellphones, and laptop computers.
There are housing developments that we have built on our
territory to allow members to return to our First Nation and
provide for members already living on-territory. On average, our
First Nation builds two houses a year. Up to 2018, we have built
49 custom homes.
Transportation
There is a well-maintained highway into our community which
allows travel for all types of vehicles, including cars and heavy
transport trucks.
There is no form of public transportation, such as buses, in
the community. People who want to travel outside of the
community need to take their own vehicle, call a taxi, or ask
friends or family members for a ride.
2019-02-27 10:40 AM