The Norfolk County Aborigines

The following article is extracted from St. Williams: The History, an out-of-print publication by R. Robert Mutrie (1988). The book was republished by the author in PDF format in 2011.

One of St. Williams’ favourite sons was historian Clayton W. McCall (1891-1973), a grandson of the nineteenth century merchant Daniel McCall. He spent a lifetime researching and writing about the early days in Norfolk County. Many of his articles appeared in the Simcoe Reformer carrying his by line for half a century from 1920 to 1970. One area of particular interest was the district’s native heritage. McCall was an avid collector of native artifacts. The following is excerpted from an unpublished history written by McCall in 1960, “The Indian History of St. Williams and its vicinity.”

The Mound Builders

The first aborigines to occupy southwestern Ontario were probably the Mound-Building Indians who had reached their peak chiefly in Ohio, and had trickled from there into the peninsula [Ontario] about the time of Christ. They were a people of high culture. Though no mounds attributed to them have so far been discovered in Norfolk County, nevertheless many of their artifacts have been discovered there. These people disappeared just as mysteriously as they originated.

The Algonquins

Then came—probably from the north—the Woodland Algonquin, the particular tribe in the region being unknown. Their habits were nomadic, and they did not till the soil. Whether by force of arms or voluntarily, they completely withdrew from the area upon the coming of the Iroquois.

The Attiwandaron

The Attiwandaron (“people with speech a little different” as they were termed by their kin, the Hurons) formed the van of the Iroquoian migration that first entered Canada via the Detroit River circa 1200 A.D. (an apparently accurate estimate of the period by Parker the historian). They were the mother nation of the Iroquois and were so well satisfied with southwestern Ontario that they chose it as their permanent home. The Petuns and Hurons to the northward (from and including the Bruce Peninsula to Lake Simcoe), the Five Nations of the Iroquois in what is now New York State and the Iroquoian tribes temporarily living along the St. Lawrence in [French explorer Jacques] Cartier’s time were all offshoots.

The Attiwandaron occupied that part of the southwestern Ontario which lies south of an imaginary line drawn from Goderich on Lake Huron to Oakville on Lake Ontario.

The most important aboriginal site near St. Williams is that of the Attiwandaron village that covered probably the whole of the present Newkirk Cemetery [St. Williams] and the field east and southeast of the same. Its location was ideal—close to Long Point Bay, but far enough inland to be protected from enemies prowling about in canoes. Not only was it mostly on sandy soil, but it was well watered—the never failing spring creek at the east. Mud Creek at the south and the latter’s northern bend at the west. To the northward was endless fairly level ground on which corn, beans, squashes, and tobacco could be planted. The surface of the field is still marked with blackened spots from the fires in the long-houses. A quantity of potsherds and many artifacts have been ploughed up on and around the long-house sites.

Miss. Matilda Procunier informed me that she could remember a slough in a field on the western border of the Procunier (Dedrick) farm that was a seasonal attraction to flocks of birds and the regular haunt of small animals. The slough, of course, was drained long ago. The camp used by the hunters at the slough was on a sand-bank on the south edge of the road running westward from St. Williams in the triangular field where the railway tracks bisect. I have found potsherds and a broken Attiwandaran pottery pipe-bowl.

In the Ontario Archaeological Report for 1912 (long out of print) is an article by myself entitled “Aboriginal Net Fishing in Long Point Bay. These (Indian fishing sinkers) are nearly all from the beach at the mouth of Cope’s Gully and at Woodward’s Landing, the two principal fishing grounds in Long Point Bay. Owing to every available square foot of treless land at the former ground being required for hauling purposes and the drying racks for both the nets and the fish, the camp was, of necessity, at the top of the side-hill where the Dease Inn now stands. This is proved by my having found a few sinkers (amongst pot-sherds and other artifacts on the site. The camp at Woodward’s Landing was on a spit of land—long since washed away, but said to have been planted with an orchard in pioneer times. Proof that the camp was on the spit is that pot-sherds have been found by myself at the edge of the present day shore line.

The Iroquois

Following the destruction of the Attiwandaron, the whole of their former territory became a hunting ground of the Five Nations of the Iroquois—principally the Seneca—by right of conquest. No villages were established by the conquerors. Nothing has been found, to my knowledge, in St. Williams or the vicinity that could be associated with the Five Nations of the Iroquois. This scarcity can be accounted for by their not having been in the Stone Age at the time of their conquest of the Attiwandaron (1650), nor of course in their subsequent hunting expeditions.

The Mississauga

The first mention of the Mississauga in the Norfolk area was in Sir William Johnson’s diary, and is in connection with his expedition of 1761 (the first British one of a military nature up the north shore of Lake Erie). The natives probably lived on the nearest dry land to the mouth of the nearby Indian Creek (Turkey Point). No other members of the tribe are known to have dwelt nearer St. Williams than Indian Creek or the village on Lot 5, 5th Concession of Charlotteville, where the Smith family settled in 1793 and where “Uncle” Billy Smith had lived with the Mississauga from 1786.

Probably all the Mississauga relics extant in Norfolk could be loaded onto a wheelbarrow. By the time it reached the region the tribe was no longer in the Stone Age. No pottery was made by it. Few white pioneers in all of Canada ever collected or studied Indian artifacts, so it can be presumed that Mississauga baskets and beaded-leather work that came into the possession of Norfolk settlers were all regarded as being simply utilitarian and were discarded when worn out with usage.

The land included in the Six Nations Reserve was purchased from the Mississauga. Not only was the reserve bought from that tribe, but also the Norfolk County townships of Charlotteville, Houghton, Walsingham, and Woodhouse—just prior to the survey of the county for the settlement of the United Empire Loyalists.

The Clayton W. McCall Collection

During his lifetime, Clayton McCall accumulated an impressive collection of Norfolk County memorabilia in his Vancouver home. Following his death, the collection was disbursed. McCall took the following pictures of the native artifacts in his possession.