Not far from the Manitowaning Establishment was Wikewemikong, a community of largely Roman Catholic Odawa. In 1844, they were joined by Jesuit missionaries, whose approaches and philosophies were very different from those of the Anglican clergy in Manitowaning.

Captain Anderson’s daughter, Sophie, recounts the early days of life in the Establishment at Manitowaning; a model community designed to assimilate the Native population through instruction in trades and Anglican Christianity.

The lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Sir Francis Bond Head, put an end to Anderson’s assimilation activities at Manitowaning and put his own plans into action. Bond Head wrote up what came to be known as the Treaty of 1836 – a document for which he neither sought the sanction of the British government nor followed proper protocols.

After the War of 1812, colonial authorities no longer saw the First Nations peoples as allies, but instead as people that needed help to integrate into British North American society – they needed to be assimilated.

The Anishinabek fought with their British allies in the War of 1812. Many Anishinabek from the Manitoulin area distinguished themselves during the conflict and were decorated for their efforts. However, their contributions were quickly forgotten after the war. When the American/Canadian border was drawn, Anishinabek sovereignty was disregarded and many Anishinabek found themselves in territories under American control.

The growing demand for furs prompted Native peoples and fur traders to hunt and trap beyond their traditional territories. Conflicts arose and were fueled by weapons and pressure from the colonial powers. Numerous treaties & wampum were created to mend and clarify relationships between First Nations and their European allies.

The French were the first Europeans to make contact with the First Nations people of the Manitoulin area. A cooperative relationship soon developed around the fur trade, which allowed for the sharing of economic benefits between the two peoples. Includes discussion of Champlain’s map of the island, early Jesuit missionaries and the fur trade.

Compared to its rocky neighbours to the North and East, Mantioulin Island’s geology is significantly younger and much more hospitable to plant life. Includes the 10 000 year old quarry at Sheguiandah, The Precambrian Shield, and Ordovician & Silurian rocks.

Many generations ago, the First Nations people migrated from the east to the great lakes woodlands. Here, they developed a lifestyle that allowed them to live in harmony with the land and each other.

The origins of Mindemoya Island and the Cup & Saucer are revealed through the story of Nanabush’s visit to Manitoulin Island.