1

Ipperwash:General Historical Background

Joan Holmes & Associates, Inc.

Sketch from Field Book of Surveyor M. Burwell, 1826.

2Native Peoples(circa, 1740)

The ancestors of theKettle and StonyPoint people wereestablished in thevicinity of LakeHuron and Lake St.Clair prior to theBritish conquest in1760

Modified from “Canada Native Peoples 1740” in National Atlas of Canada, 5th Ed.,1988.

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After the conquest the Britishissued a Royal Proclamation in1763. This proclamationestablished an “Indian Country”where aboriginal land wasprotected from encroachment.The land had to be voluntarilyceded to the Crown before non-aboriginal settlers could occupyit. The area historically usedand occupied by the Kettle andStony Point ancestors lay withinthe protected Indian Country.

“Territorial Evolution of Canada”, Surveys and Mapping Branch, 1969

Proclamation Line

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Treaty #29, 1827

Following the Warof 1812 the Britishwanted to settleEuropeanimmigrants in UpperCanada. Theyapproached theChippewa askingthem to cede theirland.

The land cessiontreaty was negotiatedover a nine-yearperiod from 1818 to1827.

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Caribou

Beaver

Crane

Catfish

Beaver

Chiefs from the St. Clair River (Sarniaand Moore Township), Chenail Ecarté(Walpole Island) and River au Sable(Kettle Point and Stony Point)attended council meetings and enteredinto several provisional agreementsbefore signing the final treaty in 1827.

Chiefs’ Names and TotemsCOUNCIL PROVISIONAL AGREEMENT TREATY #27 1/2 TREATY #29

1818 1819 1825 1827Annemikanis [caribou] Annemikainse [caribou] Animickence [caribou] Animikince [caribou]Pockenaise [caribou] Puckinaise [caribou] Puckeneuse [caribou] Pukinince [caribou]Osawweb [turtle] Osawweb [turtle?] Osaw-a-wip [turtle?] Osawip [turtle?]Shawshawwanipenisee Shawwahnanipenesee [beaver?] Shawp-wine-penece [beaver?] Shawanipinissie [beaver?]Waywaynash [caribou] Waywaynashe [caribou] Way-way-nosh [caribou] Wawanosh [caribou]Makataykegigo Makataykegego [catfish] Macadagicko [catfish] Mukatuokijigo [catfish]Shaganash Shawganash [turtle?] Shawginosh [turtle?] Saganash [catfish?]Negig [otter] Negig [otter] Negig [otter]Meshikewaybig Michikehabeck [caribou] Mshikinaibik [caribou]Souskonay [bird] Souskonay? [bird?] Schoquona? [bird]Kitchianaquet [beaver?] Kitchinawquot [crane]Chawme Speaker Chawme [?]

Quoykegoin [beaver] Equoikegan [beaver] Quaikeegon [beaver]Annotowwin [fish?] Anotowin [fish?] Annotowin [fish?]Sousquawgewain [bird] Showsquagewan [bird]

Oge-bick-in [caribou] Cheebican [caribou]Petaw-wick [caribou] Peetawtick [caribou]Penence-o-quin [turtle?] Pinessiwagum [turtle?]Chaoge-man [beaver?] Shaiowkima [beaver?]Chikatayan [eagle?] Chekateyan [eagle?]Mokegewan [eagle?] Mokeetchewan [eagle?]Wapagace [caribou]

Shashawinibisie [crane?]

The following individuals signed the first agreement but none of the others: Penesewah, Mayhowwain, Taytaymaygasson [catfish/ sturgeon], Amick Kewetasskum, Puckenai, Kenewahbay, Kayask [beaver], Kayyaskkonse, Wahsayguan, and Naubowe.

The following individuals signed the second agreement but none of the others: Annemikewe [caribou], Taykawmaw [caribou], and Aksemepemisawtain [beaver?]

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The Surrendered Tract

18 Chippewachiefs ceded over2.1 million acresby the HuronTract Treaty of1827. Theyreceived aperpetual annuityof £1,100 (about$4,400 or $10 perperson per year)

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The Chiefs selected four tracts of land to be reserved for their exclusive use:

Upper Reserve on the St. Clair River (Sarnia) 10,280 acresLower Reserve on the St. Clair River (Moore Township) 2,575 acresMouth of the River aux Sable on Lake Huron (Stony Point) 2,650 acresKettle Point on Lake Huron (Kettle Point) 2,446 acres

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Early AdministrationThe British Indian Department administered the communitieswhose chiefs signed the Huron Tract Treaty as one large band.This gave them a shared interest in the four reserves, the £1100annuity, and any revenue from reserves or resources.

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Early Administration (Cont.)

At the time of treaty, there were believed to be 440Chippewas under 18 chiefs.

While they weretreated as a singleband, they lived atdifferent locationsand recognizedindividual chiefsand headmen.

319

259

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27

35

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Walpole Island (Chenail Ecarte)

Kettle Point

Sauble (Wapagase's Band)

Sauble (Quaykigouin’s Band)

Sarnia

Population

CHIPPEWAS IN 1845

370Total

10

Pennefather Report, p. 55

Chippewas at Sarnia, Walpole

and Kettle & Stony Point

(930)

Potawatomis, Ottawas, and

Others at Sarnia, Walpole

and Kettle & Stony Point

(450)

REGIONALPOPULATION

(Circa 1856)

The “American Indians” Debate

The British Indian Department invited Indian allies living on the Americanside to move into Upper Canada between the 1790s and 1840s. Some Potawatomis and Ottawas who immigrated in that period settled amongst the Huron Tract communities.

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The “American Indians” Debate (Cont.)

The Huron Tract people decided to allow the immigrants to settleon their reserves. The Indian Department did not formally sanction the decision and was uncertain as to what rights they should have to share in reserve land and annuities.

Through the years community attitudes towards those who had come from the American side fluctuated -- some welcomed them while others believed they should not be accepted into the band.

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The Seeds of Discontent

After the Walpole Island peopleseparated from the larger bandin the 1860s, the Department ofIndian Affairs called theremaining Huron Tract groupsthe “Sarnia Band” with reservesat Sarnia, Kettle Point andStony Point.

Extract from Kettle Point and Sauble petition, September 28, 1885.

The people at Kettle and Stony Point agitated to be separated from Sarnia atleast from the 1880s. Through numerous petitions, they complained that theiropinions on local matters were being overruled in Council by the much largerSarnia group.

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• In 1900 the Sarniaportion voted to havethe Kettle Point andStony Point Reservessurveyed andsubdivided. Thepeople at Kettle andStony Point hadresisted a surveybecause they feared itwould open the door tosales of their land andresources.

The Seeds of Discontent (Cont.)

• The Sarnia portion also voted to place all of the Potawatomi on a 50-acresection of the Stony Point Reserve. This angered the community andstrengthened their resolve to split from Sarnia. Many of the Potawatomifamilies left and moved to Wisconsin.

Results of General Council of “Sarnia Chippewa Indians”, April 10, 1900.

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In 1919 the Department of Indian Affairs finallyconsented to divide the Sarnia Band. They created

two Indian Act Bands.

The Sarnia Band kept theSarnia Reserve and a per

capita share of the annuityand trust fund

The Kettle and Stony PointBand kept the Kettle Pointand Stony Point Reserves

and a per capita share of theannuity and trust fund

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1927 Crawford / White PurchaseFROM THE KETTLE POINT RESERVE

• In 1927 part of thebeachfront of theKettle Point Reservewas surrendered forsale. Men from bothKettle and StonyPoint voted on thesurrender and 83acres were sold at$85 per acre. Thisrepresented about3% of the land baseat Kettle Point.

• This surrender became the subject of a law suit and land claim against Canada in the1990s. It has not yet been resolved.

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1928 SCOTT PURCHASEFROM THE STONY POINT RESERVE

• In 1928 the entire beach-front of the Stony PointReserve was surrenderedfor sale. Men from bothKettle and Stony Pointvoted on the surrenderand 377 acres were soldat $35 per acre. Thisrepresented about 14% ofthe land base at StonyPoint.

• This surrender became the subject of a land claim against Canada in 1996.It is currently being reviewed.

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AREA PURCHASED FOR IPPERWASHPROVINCIAL PARK IN 1932

• The Province of Ontario purchased a portion of the surrendered Stony Pointbeach front and established Ipperwash Provincial Park in 1932.

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• In 1937 the Chief and Council notified parkauthorities of a burial ground in the park. TheCouncil and Indian Affairs asked that the burial sitebe protected. There is no evidence that this wasdone.

Burial GroundIpperwash

Provincial Park

Extract from Band Council Resolution, August 12, 1937, INAC Toronto Wells Files

• In the 1950s human remains were found in the park. It is likely that this was a late 19th

century or early 20th century burial of an Aboriginal child.

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ACQUISITION OF CAMP IPPERWASH1942 - 1945

• During World War IIthe Department ofNational Defencewanted Stony PointReserve for a militarytraining camp. Theybegan investigating thesite in February 1942.

• In April the IndianAgent tried to get avoluntary surrender.The Kettle and StonyPoint Band refused.

• DND acquired the reserve under the War Measures Act. Theappropriation was authorized by Order in Council. The militarycamp was named Camp Ipperwash.

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THE APPROPRIATION OF CAMP IPPERWASH

Helen Roos, p. 142

• By July 1942, 16 StonyPoint families had beenmoved to Kettle Point.

• Stony Point residentswere compensated forimprovements and hadtheir moving expensescovered. DND paid $15per acre for the land.

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THE APPROPRIATION OF CAMP IPPERWASH (Cont.)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1839 1845 1939 1944

Year

Offi

cial

Ket

tle a

nd S

tony

Poi

nt

Popu

latio

n

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Ket

tle a

nd S

tony

Poi

nt a

crea

ge

(app

rox.

acre

s)

Population Acreage

Most of the families had lived on 40-acre parcels at Stony Point. Their houses were set up on small allotments of a few acres at Kettle Point.

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Stony PointCemetery

After the War returning soldiers wereshocked to see their community destroyedand were alarmed that the Stony Pointcemetery at Camp Ipperwash had beendamaged.

Indian Affairs and National Health andWelfare pressured DND. A fence waserected around the cemetery.

Families originally from Stony Pointfinally got permission to resume using theold cemetery in 1990.

Department of National Defence, "Camp Ipperwash Site Plan, Site Record Drawing”, October 1, 1964.

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ATTEMPTS AT THE RETURN OF CAMP IPPERWASH

• Shortly after the war DND indicatedthat they were willing to return theStony Point Reserve and lease backany areas they still required. Theoffer was withdrawn.

• Stony Point families believed thatthe reserve would be returned tothem but DND resolved to keep thecamp.

• In 1972 the Minister of IndianAffairs stated that the people had alegitimate grievance and werebecoming impatient. He feared thatfailure to return the camp wouldresult in civil disobedience.

Jean Chrétien to James Richardson, Minister of National Defence, December 8, 1972.

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EFFORTS TO ACHIEVESETTLEMENT OF GRIEVANCES

• Legal action has been initiated regarding the 1942 taking of theStony Point Reserve.

• The Chippewas of Kettle and Stoney Point have filed landclaims regarding the 1927 and 1928 surrenders.

• Division within the community has complicated attempts toreach a resolution. Some descendants of the Stony Point groupassert that they are, and always have been, a separate anddistinct group.

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OCCUPATION OF CAMP IPPERWASHAND IPPERWASH PROVINCIAL PARK

Some Stony Point descendants occupied CampIpperwash in 1993 and moved into IpperwashPark in September 1995. Protester DudleyGeorge was shot in a confrontation with theO.P.P. on the night of September 6, 1995.

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Ipperwash:General Historical Background

Joan Holmes & Associates, Inc.

Sketch from Field Book of Surveyor M. Burwell, 1826.