megram - Index

megram - 55GTA - Index

Outdoor pottery work
by Steve Smith of
Talking Earth Pottery.
Chiefswood National
Historical Site, birthplace
of poet Pauline Johnson.
An Iroquois stone carving
by Clifton Henry at Two
Turtle Studio on Highway 54.
September 2008 • 92 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
native music, country pop, and lessons in native languages
and history. On the street, of course, you won’t see a lot of
traditional dance and feathered headdresses on an average
afternoon — unless you visit from September 4 to 7 when
the Six Nations Agricultural Society hosts the annual Fall
Fair and Powwow (519 445-0783), the longest running
four-day event of its kind in Canada. Since 1867, this festival
has showcased Native dance, dress and food, and, to please
the modern day crowd, recently added a demolition derby
on Sunday afternoon. The reserve also presents the Six
Nations Indian Handicrafter Bazaar (519 758-5444) on
November 1 at the Six Nations Community Hall.
Six Nations is roughly bordered by Highway 20,
Highway 6 and the Grand River. It’s an easy afternoon drive
from Toronto: Take the QEW to Highway 403 and exit at
Highway 6 South. Drive through Caledonia and follow the
signs to Ohsweken,also known as Six Nations.The total area
of the reserve is 46,500 acres, four per cent of the remaining
land from the initial 950,000 acres granted in the
Haldimand Proclamation of 1784.
(Many people don’t know that during the American
Revolution most of the Iroquois — made up of the Six
Nations of Mohawk, Oneida, Onandaga, Seneca, Cayuga and
Tuscarora — fought with the British, led by Captain Joseph
Brant, to protect the Grand River area from the Americans.
Their choice cost them lands in New York. In exchange, Six
Nations was granted six miles of land on both sides of the
Grand River from its source to Lake Erie.)
Clearly,the size of Ohsweken has shrunk since then and
exactly when and how this happened is currently under
question. But from a visitor’s perspective, there’s little or no
evidence of conflict.The reserve environment is surprisingly
relaxing.
Native people have participated in a lot of Canadian
military conflicts and haven’t always been adequately recognized
for their sacrifices. Veterans’ Park (519 445-4297) at
the intersection of Fourth Line and Chiefswood Road at the
centre of town, serves to commemorate the efforts of
Native people in conflicts ranging from the American
Revolution to the Korean War. But, before you venture into
Ohsweken’s downtown — where you’ll find a concentration
of businesses and council services — stop at Six
Nations Tourism (1 866 393-3001; www.sntourism.com),
Highway 54 and Pauline Johnson Road,and pick up information
about the area as well as a detailed map highlighting
every restaurant, variety store, school and historic site within
the reserve boundaries and beyond.
Then, cross the street and visit the Chiefswood
National Historic Site (519 752-5005;
www.chiefswood.com),1037 Highway 54.The house,called
Chiefswood, is the only Native mansion of historic significance
to survive from pre-Confederation days. It is also the
birthplace and childhood home of E.Pauline Johnson (1861-