Village Squire, 1980-08, Page 8N
A
INDIAN VILLAGE
(Sketch by Bill McCrae)
An Indian Museum and
a look at an early Ontario industry
BY SUSANNE JONES
A variety of elements comprise the cultural heritage of
Southwestern Ontario, many of which are the subjects of
museums that depict a particular contribution to the area. Two
such places are the Ska-Nah-Doht Indian Village at Longwoods
Conservation Area, and the Ingersoll Cheese Factory Museum.
Ska-Nah-Doht, which means "A Village Stands Again" in the
Oneida language, is located on Highway 2, 32 kilometres west of
London, just past the town of Delaware. The Village is a
re-creation of the type of community constructed by pre -historic
Iroquoians of the Glen Meyer period of 1,000 A.D., and is close
to the sites of two actual villages now under excavation. The
PG. 8 VILLAGE SQUIRE/ AUGUST 1980
buildings are all enclosed by a palisade of tall, sharp -ended poles
forming a complicated maze for protection against enemies as
well as a windbreak. Only the inhabitants were allowed to know
the path of the maze; even relatives were led through blindfolded
when they came to visit.
Near the entrance is a large rock used as a reminder for all to
sharpen their weapons, which were used for hunting as well as
battle. Close by is a small earthen hut called a sweat lodge,
which was used as either a preventative or a treatment for
disease, as purification for couple about to be married, as a test
for a boy approaching manhood, or as a place where two people
could go to settle a grievance without resorting to physical
combat.
A GARBAGE PIT
Every village had a communal garbage pit, or midden, which
lasted as long as the people remained at that site, usually about
twenty years. The pit was about twenty feet deep and alternated
layers of garbage, mostly broken pottery and a few bones, and
layers of sand used for sanitary reasons. This part of the village
also contains stretching and drying racks for preserving meat
and fish, and for curing animal skins. Box traps were used for
small game, and fish were caught with nets and traps resembling
the lobster traps used on the east coast.
The Iroquoians made all their own pottery containers from the
clay of stream banks mixed with quartz or feldspar to strengthen
it. Pots were sun dried for several days and then fired only if they
were to contain water. The firing process was a delicate one,
depending upon uniformity of the pot's thickness and evenly
distributed heat; if done incorrectly the pot would explode.
Longhouses made of rounded logs lashed together with strips
of bark or rawhide provided communal shelter, with ten or 12
families living in each one. The entrance is low to the ground to
provide a protection from draughts and a defense against
enemies who may have scaled the palisades.
On the top shelf going around the walls were kept the bones
of the dead, carefully preserved and then burned when the
village was disbanded. On the bottom were beds lined and
surrounded with pine boughs and furs for comfort and privacy,
and hearths were placed at intervals for cooking and warmth.
Dried herbs and vegetables hung from the ceiling, as well as
wooden hoops used for games and containing wampum.
TOOK WIFE'S NAME
The Iroquoians took their lineage from the matriarchal line, so
that when a man married he moved to his wife's village and he
and their children took the wife's name. Marriages were
performed by the village medicine man, who maintained a
separate hut where he kept his potions and remedies. Part of his
reputation was gained through expertise in illusions but he was
also well versed in the art of herbal medicines, and was held in
greater awe than the chief. The position of medicine man was not
a hereditary one; a boy who exhibited the necessary talents was
chosen for an apprenticeship which lasted up to 20 years. When
his teacher died, the younger man assumed the full
responsibilities of the position. Villagers paid for services by the
barter method.
In the center of every community was a large fire that was
always kept burning and a flag pole with the special symbol of
the village, usually the skull of an animal or a past chief. There
was also a Council Lodge where all major decisions were made.
Everyone but children could attend meetings, the only
stipulation being that marijuana or hashish be smoked before
entering. Mind-expanding drugs were thought to be beneficial to
sound government decisions.
Outside the palisades were the maple sap works and a garden
where squash, beans, corn, and tobacco were grown. About two
miles from the village were the deer -run and the burial racks.
The deer -run was made very long and much wider at one end
so that the animals would not realize immediately that they had