Village Squire, 1980-08, Page 9been captured. It was important that no deer escaped because
the Iroquoians believed that animals could talk to one another,
and give warnings about the traps.
BURIAL RACKS
The burial racks were also placed at a distance from the
village. Because there were no shovels or other sharp -edged
instruments for digging graves, bodies were wrapped in skins
and bark and placed on high racks. Their bones were preserved
and burned later at a feast of the dead, before the villagers
moved on to a site with fresh game. Since they believed in
reincarnation, clothing, wampum, and a dish of corn were placed
with the body to assist the journey to another life. The dead were
test-tube, causing the butterfat to rise to the top where it could
be measured.
The next step was to place the milk in large cheese vats,
stirring constantly so that the cream did not surface. A worker
used large paddles to stir the liquid, and later steam rotators
accomplished the same task. The milk was heated to 86 degrees
Fahrenheit, and rennet was added for the curdling process. As
curds formed they were cut and stirred until cooked, and then
placed on a drainboard to dry and cut into blocks. Salt was added
and then the curds were placed into cheese hoops to be pressed
into shape. When dried, the cheese was greased or waxed for
protection, and left to cure from one to sixteen months,
Special events at the Iroquois village in August
held in great reverence, and if fire broke out the burial racks
were given first priority to be saved.
Much of the surrounding vegetation remains as it must have
been whei. the Iroquoians lived here, using plants for food,
clothing and to cure disease. Beechbark was used to treat
frostbite, and the inner bark of aspens provided a cure for fevers.
Even a lotion for mosquito bites was available, using sunflower
oil as one of the ingredients. Although the majority of their time
was spent in hunting and gathering food, there was still some
leisure time available for games, making wampum and tattooing.
Ska-Nah-Doht offers the chance to obtain a further glimpse of
early Indian life through a variety of weekend events. Indian
cooking is scheduled for August 2-4, Indian clothing for August
16-17, and a special "End of Summer" presentation will be held
on August 30-31. There are interesting slide shows and displays
at the nearby resource centre, where knowledgeable guides will
be pleased to answer all questions. Those with an enthusiasm for
archaeology may wish to take advantage of the opportunity to
participate in a day's excavation at the sites of the two actual
Indian villages near Ska-Nah-Doht. Between nine and five
registrants will assist in the dig, study methods and
topographical maps, and learn to make artifacts of flint and clay.
Trained archaeologists will be on hand to advise and instruct.
The fees are twenty dollars per person, or thirty dollars per
couple, and information is available at 432-7166. Longwoods
Conservation Area also offers quiet nature trails and picnic
spots, providing an excellent chance to enjoy the outdoors and
learn more about the early inhabitants of our country.
THE CHEESE MUSEUM
Another important part of our heritage in Southwestern
Ontario is dairy farming, and the Ingersoll Cheese Factory
Museum preserves the methods and equipment used by our
ancestors in the manufacture of products such as cheese and
butter. Located in Centennial Park on Highway 19, right in
Ingersoll, the Museum is a replica of the type of operation
familiar to early Canadians. Although the town no longer
produces cheese, it is an appropriate place for the building since
Ingersoll was the site of the first cheese factory in Canada, built
in 1840. The first Canadian Dairyman's Association was also
started there in 1867, due to the excellence of the products from
that area.
The Museum contains all the machinery used to make butter
and cheese, frequently including both hand -operated and the
later steam -powered varieties. Milk cans were lifted up from
outside to be weighed, and the farmers were paid accordingly.
The butterfat content was determined by a Babcock Tester which
rotated equal amounts of milk and sulphuric acid inside a
depending on the desired strength of the product.
The museum also contains a display case featuring factory
account books, cheese samplers, and the medal for first prize
won by Miss Annie Paddon, an Ingersoll factory employee who,
in 1876, entered a sample of her cheese at the Int..rnational
Exhibition in Philadelphia. Another item of interest is an
illustration of an arch made from 3600 cheese boxes which was
erected across the main street of Ingersoll in 1874 when the
Governor General visited the town. That tradition of pride in
one's heritage and accomplishments is continued today through
the preservation of the past at such places as the Ingersoll
Museum and the Village of Ska-Nah-Doht.
m,.10.1 -
VILLAGE SQUIRE/AUGUST 1980 PG. 7