The Changing Face of Canada

Through the Eyes of the Mississaga Women

The people of the Mississauga Nation of Canadians were originally from the Ojibway, an Algonquin word meaning 'puckered', because of the style of their moccasins.  Their economy was based on hunting and trapping, gardening and harvesting wild rice and berries; and birch bark was used for canoes, storage containers and to shingle their homes.

A long time enemy of the Iroquois, whom they eventually drove from the Georgian Bay area, some of the Ojibway communities began to move South, to lands vacated by their former enemies.  One group that had originated from the Mississagi River area at the head of Lake Huron, were later named by the French, the "Mississaga Indians", a name that stuck with them as they began to drift towards the South East section of Upper Canada. As they traveled, they eventually came to a river, and followed it's course to Lake Ontario. Their favorite camping grounds were at the mouth of the river, which became known as the "Indian Village".

In the 1720's the French set up a trading post at the mouth of the river, near this Village and trading often went on for days.  Like most Canadian people at the time, women were also involved in the commerce, and took on a leading role in trade relations, keeping the men in line and the dealing fair. They sometimes dressed in traditonal clothing; long dresses with removable sleeves; but also wore western attire acquired in trade, and silver jewelry.  Their hair was braided and make-up was used for a variety of ceremonies.  In 1792, Mrs. Simcoe mentions the Mississagas that she met in Kingston, Ontario:   "There are Mississauga Indians here.  They are an unwarlike, idle, drunken, dirty tribe.  I observe how extremes meet.  These uncivilized people saunter up and down the town all day with the apparent nonchalance, want of occupation and indifference that seems to possess the London beaux in Bond Street." What happened to make her feel this way, is unclear, but most accounts of the people were favourable.  Those who had settled in "Indian Village", now Mississauga, Ontario; were an honourable people. Though many who traded with the French there, did not always have anything to barter, they were trusted enough to be granted credit and later the trading post became known as Credit River and it's inhabitants the "Mississagas of the River Credit Indians." Another English woman who had traveled with her husband to the Credit Trading Post published a book in which she says of the Mississauga Indians: "This might seem a hazardous arrangement, yet I have been assured by those men long engaged in the trade that for an Indian to break his debt is a thing unheard of.  If, by any personal accident he should be prevented from bringing the stipulated number of beaver skins, his relatives and close friends consider their honor implicated and make up he quantity for him."  That certainly contradicts Mrs. Simcoe's opinion.

It later turned out to be the British who were the cheats, in a scandal that became known as the "Toronto Purchase".  It began in July of 1787, when Lord Dorchester instructed John Collins to assist Sir John Johnson in the purchase of lands from the Mississauga Nation. They met with the Principal Chiefs on September 23, 1787; at the Toronto Carrying Place (head of the Bay of Quinte). The subsequent treaty which followed this meeting, supposedly surrendered all Mississaga lands north of Lake Ontario to the British. The following summer a surveyor found discrepancies in the survey tract and the Mississauga Chiefs' understanding of the tract, which led to  a 1792 investigation by Lieutenant Governor Simcoe who discovered a blank deed had been misrepresented as being the "Toronto Purchase"; and the totems of the three Mississaga Chiefs, were affixed to the blank document with wax seals.  An obvious forgery. However, nothing was done about the situation until 1798; when Peter Russell, head of the Indian Department of Upper Canada wrote to then Acting Governor, Robert Prescott; asking if the Indians should be told of the situation regarding the "Toronto Purchase".  Eventually, they decided that not telling the Indians could result in dangerous consequences, so instead decided to simply renew the purchase. A new deed which confirmed the 1787 "Toronto Purchase" was executed on August 1, 1805.  Tracks covered, at least for now. The Toronto Islands were not included in either treaties, and according to Mrs. Simcoe, th