Emerging History
The History Project
A brief history of the area reveals that the early explorers showing up in the early 1600′s searching for a shorter route to the West didn’t know that they encountered very distinctive people along the waterways from Montreal leading to Lake Huron and beyond. Nor did they realize they were utilizing ancient trade routes long since established by the Anishinabek. The Beaver Clan People are identified as occupying the Lake Huron and French River System, in the Anishinabek Creation Story.
The Amikwa (Beaver People) are one of the Clans first recognized by Europeans in the 1600′s, by Champlain.
The Amikwa are Anishinabek, belonging to the Algonquin linguistic group whose numbers and territories were greater than other groups encountered at that time, in what later became Canada. They are still here today!
We have produced a historical information gaps report with assistance from the Province’s “New Relationship Fund”. Due to the volume high of information discovered, we extended this project with Band funding to produce a more comprehensive report.
Watch for new suggestions to appear under the “Help Us Find Our Own Story” button as reports are posted.
We are seeking additional funds to continue this project to publish our own story. We expect this will take from 1-2 years.
If you have any information that could assist us in our quest, please contact
References for the data presented on the Creation Story and Migration:
1. Connecting People to Place: Great Lakes Aboriginal History in Cultural Context
Prepared For the Ipperwash Commission of Inquiry, by Darlene Johnston, B.A., L.L.B., LL.M. Professor of Law, University of Toronto
2. History of the Ojibway People © 1984. William W. Warren. P. 30, 31, 124
