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The Indian Village, The Indian Department, and Missionaries: A Brief History of Early Orillia Settlement

The Department of Indian Affairs (now known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada) Annual Reports and memos are an important yet somewhat controversial part of our history. They are often the only first-hand account of our community’s documented history. However, they are a biased insight into our ancestors’ day-to-day lives, often laden with racism and a sense of ethnic and cultural superiority on behalf of the authors (who were Indian Affairs bureaucrats).

Our ancestors’ “progress” towards “civilization”, uptake of religion, and use of alcohol (or lack thereof) was routinely commented upon in the reports. Indian Affairs staff remarked on agricultural work: how many bushels of wheat the community grew, what farm equipment was present, and how many oxen and other livestock were kept. Ultimately, the Indian Affairs reports and memos were essentially report cards on assimilation, provided for Canada and the Crown by their dutiful bureaucrats.

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We and surely our ancestors knew that we didn’t really need any instruction on farming (we’d been farming for millenia); that we had spiritual and cultural practices already; and that there were already vast, complex civilizations all across Turtle Island. But as we know now, Canada and Indian Affairs simply didn’t agree with our ways of life. As a result, assimilation and genocide was attempted. The fact that we’re still here, that our language exists, and that our culture, stories, and ceremonies survive is a testament to the fact that assimilation and genocide were only attempts...and not a success.

Nonetheless, if we can read Indian Affairs reports critically and with an understanding that they were a measurement of Canada and the Crown’s efforts of assimilation, we can learn a lot about our history. (Note - the language is unchanged - there’s some outdated terms and the communication style will seem quite strange to those unfamiliar with it).

This correspondence was recently found and it shares some interesting information about the history of Rama.

MEMORANDUM:

The Chippewas of Lakes Huron and Simcoe, in three bands under Chiefs Yellowhead, Aissance, and Snake (Bigwin) were in 1830, settled by the Lieutenant Governor Sir John Colborne, on a tract of land between Coldwater and the Narrows under the supervision of Capt. T.G. Anderson. Gerald Alley was appointed by the Government a a teacher and farming instructor for the Indians in 1830 and commenced farming on 50 acres of land at the Narrows in 1831.

The Indians moved from Yellowhead’s Island to the Narrows in the fall of 1830 and during the next ten years houses and a school were built for them there. This formed what was known as the Indian Village. In December, Mr. Law who was the Methodist teacher on the Island moved to the Narrows and taught school in a bark wigwam.

There seems to have been continued friction between the Methodist Missionary and Mr. Law on the one hand, and Superintendent T.G. Law and Mr. Alley on the other. The Methodists at this time seem to have drawn their mission workers from the Society at Rochester and they did not always work in harmony with the local British Officials. There was the same trouble at Coldwater.

In the spring of 1831 the Rev. Mr. Allison applied for a lease or grant of land on which to build a two story log house 34 by 28 feet for the family of the Methodist Missionary and there was some dispute over the selection of a site for it.

In the fall of 1831 the Methodist Missionary seems to have been the Rev. Gilbert Miller. He urged the completion of the school building and said he was daily expecting the arrival of two teachers.

The Indian houses were not finished before the white immigrants began to settle in the village and on the 22nd of July 1832, when Cholera broke out among them, Gerald Alley reported that there were 94 of these people encamped upon the common fronting the village and 30 other whites in the vicinity. The whites suffered more than the Indians.

In this epidemic, Dr. Wm. B. Algeo, who was appointed in 1831 at fifty pounds a year to attend the Chippewas, had the voluntary assistance of Dr.

Paul Darling, a licentiate of the Royal College Surgeons of Edinburgh who had just come to Canada with his father and mother and two brothers to take up land in this district. The father had died in Montreal on their way.

On resignation of Dr. Algeo on the 4th of July, 1833, Dr. Darling succeeded him as medical attendant to the Indians and in September 1836 he went to Manitoulin Island in a similar capacity and was succeeded by Dr. Chas. J. Robinson as medical attendant for the Chippewas.

In 1834 the Indians built a wharf and a store at the Narrows. In this year also Gerald Alley, the farming instructor, resigned and was succeded by John Fletcher. Mr. Alley applied for a license of occupation for 3 acres of land in front of the Indian Village at the Narrows on which to build an Inn and had plans prepared for the same. I don’t know, however, whether this was ever built for the plan shows a bar room and on the 15th of January 1835 there was a petition against the sale of liquor at the Narrows.

The Indian Village was surveyed by Mr. Hawkins in 1834 and the reserve at the Narrows was surveyed by Jacob Gill in May 1835.

A mill site of 20 acres on the North River, part of Lot No.2 in the 1st Concession of the Northern division of Orillia, was purchased for the Indians from Mr. Wm. Hume at a cost of 200 Halifax currency and the deed is dated the 5th of April 1836.

In 1836 the Chippewas surrendered their land between Coldwater and the Narrows and a new reserve of 1621 acres was purchased, with their funds for the use of Yellowhead and his band of 184 Indians at Rama. Chief Aissance and his band numbering 232 went to Beausoleil Island and Chief Snake (Bigwin) and his following of 109 Indians settled at Snake Island.

Yellowhead and his band moved to Rama in 1838 where houses were built for them.

In 1839 the White settlers petitioned to have the Indian Village at the Narrows surveyed and sold into town lots. Samuel Richardson made the survey and the “Plan of Townplot” on Lots 7 & 8 in 5th Concession of Southern Orillia is dated January 1840.

On the 17th of December 1836 Mr. Andrew Moffat, a teacher in the Mission School, applied to purchase Lot 7, Concession 5 Orillia but I have found no reference to Miss Manwaring in the Archives. The accompanying letters may be of interest.

G. M. Matheson Registrar

16th May 1932

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