PROFILE: ACQTC CANADIAN OFFICE

During the exodus of refugees from our homelands known as the Trail of Heartaches large groups and small groups opted to travel to other enclaves of Algonquian and Iroquoian havens. One small group who did not go with the larger groups who traveled to NY, PA, IN, OH, WI, KS and TX instead went across the Canadian border.

Our Canadian refugees were welcomed by the Iroquois League of Six Nations and a Canadian refugium for hundreds of Algonquian refugees was set up at several locations, in the late 1700s. One group went to a hamlet known as Smooth-town near Brantford, Ontario which included Munsee Renapi people. From there another group consisting of about a hundred or so refugees were recorded as being from the Mattabesec-Wappinger Confederacy… “from the numerous tribes of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Long Island” and together they moved to various locations along the St. Lawrence in Quebec Province.

Today, in Quebec Province Canada, according to official records, there are 1,774 Odanak Band members, 237 Wolf Lake Band members, 576 Grand Rapid Lake members, 345 Grand Lake Victoria members, 624 Eagle Village-Kipawa members and with five other bands it brings a grand total of 8,471 Algonquian band members living at small reserves. There are also 13,350 Cree, 4,606 Mic'maq, 14,492 Innus-Montagnais, 5,328 Atikamekw and 2,881 Huron-Wyandots for a total indigenous population in Quebec of 68,000. In addition to this there are between 15,000 to 45,000 Metis members in Quebec province alone. The definition of Metis is “mixed heritage” which combines French Canadian and Native American. The word’s origins allude to French trappers who took Indian wives.

In Canada in general and Quebec in particular this large indigenous population have their own Grand Council of Chiefs which is part of the Canadian Parliament with a portion of the Canadian Constitution describing their rights.

Iron Thunderhorse spent half his childhood living with his step-family in Quebec Province. In the fall and winter months he lived in Quebec while the spring and summer months he spent in Connecticut with his extended matrilineal and patrilineal family.

“Garou”, 11-yr old male wolf

“Fifille”, 11-yr old female wolf

Today, ACQTC has an Office in St. Gabriel-de Brandon, Quebec. It is being operated by Suzanne Wannitta Rouleau (Maikan) and Paul Hazel (Arrum) who are the daughter and son-in-law of Iron and Ruth Thunderhorse. The Canadian office represents the Quebec refugees from Wolf Lake and the Metis population that can trace their lineages to the Wappinger-Mattabesec Renapi Confederacy. They are of the Wolf Clan Lodge family lineage and have two 11 year old wolves as their guardians. They have set up a tipi (winterized with a smoke spout) and have a community bagino (sweat lodge) and have been provided with instructions on how to construct traditional bark-covered long house and wigwam. The photos pictured here show the house and office next to the lake, and members of other bands joining in celebration, prayers and feasting.

Sources:

Myths & realities sur les peuples autochtones by Pierre Lepage, 2005.
The Celestial Bear Comes Down To Earth: The Bear Sacrifice Ceremony of the Mensee…In Canada by Frank G. Speck, 1945, Reading, PA.
Personal communications.

Note: In Quebec the Algonquians and Metis speak French-Canadian as their second or first language, and English as third.

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