History and Culture

History

 

The history of the Anishinaabe of Kettle and Stony Point begins prior to the first European contact circa the 16th and 17th centuries. However, the Anishinaabe were one of four groups who occupied south western Ontario; the Huron, Neutrals, and Iroquois also shared the use of land and resources with the Anishinaabe. During this time the flint trade was one of the most important trade goods in North America and the shore of Lake Huron surrounding Kettle and Stony Point was rife with flint or "chert" beds. Flint (Chert) was used for tools, weapons, and to make fire.

 

Archaeologists have identified the flint from Kettle and Stony Point in locations as far away as the eastern and western coasts of North America and into the Southern United States. During this time wampum agreements between the four nations kept the peace in this territory; wampum such as "the dish with one spoon" that declared the shared rights of all four nations to feed their people with the land and resources of their common homeland.

 

Wampum shells were a trade commodity acquired from the east coast and the beads created from the shells were used to make wampum belts which carried the same significance as the treaties made with the European settlers in the centuries to come.

 

When the French and British began exploring the eastern woodlands and harvesting pelts for the fur trade the delicate peace between the four nations was overturned; new trade goods were introduced as well as weapons that the First Nations people had never seen before. The French allied themselves with the Anishinaabe peoples and the British found ready comrades with the Iroquois. The Neutrals, (so-called by Samuel de Champlain for their peacekeeping role in maintaining relations between the Huron, Anishinaabe, and Iroquois) were eradicated by the Iroquois with the sale of guns for pelts. The Iroquois then turned against the Huron and nearly decimated their population by the mid 1600's. The Huron fled south western Ontario and sought the aid of the Anishinaabe in central Ontario and a war was fought between the remaining Huron, their Anishinaabe allies and the Iroquois.

 

The Anishinaabe were successful in pushing the Iroquois back to their traditional territories along the St. Lawrence river in the Ottawa Valley and New York. Sadly, the Huron did not survive this battle.

 

Culture

 

The culture of the Anishinaabe of Kettle and Stony Point is based upon Midewiwin teachings; the Anishinaabe follow a clan system and at the core of their spiritual beliefs are the lessons of the Seven Grandfathers. There are seven clans who have diverse roles; Crane, Loon, Turtle, Bear, Hoof, Martin, and Bird.

 

The Crane clan are the traditional chiefs, the Loon clan acts as a sub-chief clan and if there are any disputes between the two chief clans, the Turtle clan acts as mediators between them. The Bear clan are herbalists and guardians; the Hoof clan are peacemakers and the Martin clan are the warriors. The Bird clan are the spiritual leaders and there are sub-clans amongst each of the seven main 'dodemak' (clans or "totems").

 

The Seven Grandfather teachings are guiding principles of the Anishinaabe way of life. 

 

These Solidarity Day Galleryteachings are: Wisdom, Love, Truth, Courage, Respect, Humility, and Truth. The cultural practices of the Anishinaabe are based upon these beliefs and demonstrate a genuine respect for all walks of life, a love of family, community, and the natural environment, and a generosity that extends beyond the borders of their homeland.  Such hospitality is evident in the yearly events held in Kettle and Stony Point like its annual Powwow and other gatherings hosted by the First Nation.

 

Traditionally Kettle and Stony Point has been known as a gathering place, in the oral tradition of the community it is said that a fire was always kept on the point as a beacon to travellers looking to rest or to trade. In all instances, Kettle and Stony Point has been a safe haven for visitors and its kindness is reputable in the surrounding region.

 

Today the First Nation is developing a long term strategy to preserve the point from eroding so that visitors can appreciate the cultural and historical significance of this landmark that is also known for its 'kettles'; geologic and spiritual phenomena for the people of Kettle and Stony Point.

 

Language

 

The “Anishinaabemowin” spoken by the people of Kettle and Stony Point reflects the historical and cultural diversity of its First Nations people. The Anishinaabe belong to the Three Fires Confederacy comprised of Ojibways, Potawotamis, and Odawas. The dialectical difference in the Anishinaabemowin spoken by the fluent members of Kettle and Stony Point reflects their unique history; the language is a combination of both Pottawatomi and Ojibway.

 

Today there are fewer than ten fluent speakers presently in the community, a standard by which the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declares as ‘endangered’. Currently there is a long-term language revitalization strategy in effect to halt the decline in language fluency and usage that includes community language classes for adults and families, as well as the language classes taught in Kettle and Stony Point’s elementary school, and the creation of teaching materials that will be available online.

 

   

 

Arts

 

Traditional Anishinaabe art is beautiful for its form and function; everyday items are imbued with individuality and distinguish the unique identity of their maker. Clothing, utensils, baskets, pottery, weapons, and tools among many other practical objects carry the signature of the Anishinaabeg and reflect their environment, history, culture, and spirituality.  The art of the Anishinaabe is easily recognizable by its floral motifs, symmetry, and bright colours.

 

Plants, bark, berries, hides, porcupine quills, shells and many more natural materials are used to create traditional Anishinaabe art. The Anishinaabe are especially renowned for their finger weaving, ribbon appliqué (Pottawatomi), black ash baskets and also for the floral designs of their beadwork. Basket making is a family tradition in Kettle and Stony Point and community members have been diligent in ensuring the vitality of the craft.

 

Careful selection of the black ash used to make the baskets requires expert knowledge of foliage, tree identification, and conservation. Trees are selected based upon the straightness of their trunks to produce even “splints”. The tree is cut after the straight trunk has been measured five to Beading Baskets Photo Gallerysix inches in diameter and to approximately four to six feet in length. The bark is peeled away and the end of the log is pounded with the blunt end of an axe to separate the splints from the annual rings around the tree.  The splints are sorted and can be made into smaller strips.

 

After the strips are sorted they are soaked to make them more pliable. The strips will then be cut to various lengths and woven into baskets. The baskets range from simple to intricate in design and can carry spiritual significance such as the tiny strawberry basket which was given to children after their naming ceremony and would be used to contain important items throughout the child's life.

 

Kettle and Stony Point is also home to many contemporary artists who use various media like painting, sculpture, music, and theatre. Artists such as Gail Bressette, Moses Lunham, and Dennis Henry are well known for their unique paintings and sculptures. Performing artists like sisters Candace and Jessica Wilde have also achieved international success.

 

 

The Kettles

 

The Kettles or 'concretions' that distinguish Kettle and Stony Point are of cultural and spiritual significance to the Anishinaabe. According to storytellers, who are also the oral historians of the First Nation, the Kettles are Thunderbird eggs.

 

The Thunderbirds are powerful spirits that bring healing rains to the land and people; the point is said to be the nesting place for the Thunderbirds. For geologists the kettles are 'concretions', naturally occurring phenomena amongst sedimentary rocks that formed millions of years ago.

 

There are many different sizes of kettles that range from miniscule to gigantic. In either case, the kettles are precious because of their rarity as there are few places in the world where kettles occur; however, there is no other place in the world that is home to the spherical concretions found in Kettle and Stony Point.

 

Both the cultural and scientific explanations for the kettles are compatible because they speak volumes about environmental stewardship and the preservation of natural phenomena.