Penetanguishene in Simcoe County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

The Wendat

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2024

1. The Wendat Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

[English] In the early 1600s, the shores of Penetanguishene were the land of the Huron-Wendat Confederacy. The Huron-Wendat were a nation of farmers, hunters and traders who lived in large communal groups of up to two thousand people in several long houses. They were a matrilineal society who traced their descent and inheritance through the female line. The women were responsible for the majority of the farming which sustained the people as they grew three-quarters of their food. By 1615, the Huron-Wendat had forged a formal trade alliance with the French and befriended Champlain. The Huron-Wendat society would undergo profound change as a result of this relationship. Today the Huron Wendat live in Wendake near Québec City.

[Français] Au début des années 1600, les rives de Penetanguishene appartenaient au territoire de la Confédération huron-wendat. Le peuple huron-wendat était une nation d'agriculteurs, de chasseurs et de commerçants qui formaient de grandes communautés pouvant rassembler jusqu'à deux mille personnes dans plusieurs maisons longues. La société était matrilinéaire,

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c'est-à-dire qui retrace la succession et la filiation par la descendance féminine. Les femmes étaient en grande partie responsables de l'agriculture qui subvenait aux besoins du peuple, car les trois-quarts de la nourriture provenaient de l'agriculture. Dès 1615, les Hurons-Wendat avaient conclu une alliance commerciale formelle avec les Français et forgé des liens d'amitié avec Champlain. La société huronne-wendat subira de profonds changements du fait de cette relation. Aujourd'hui, les Hurons-Wendat habitent à Wendake, près de la ville de Québec.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1615.

Location. 44° 46.19′ N, 79° 56.353′ W. Marker is in Penetanguishene, Ontario, in Simcoe County. It can be reached from Owen Street just north of Water Street. The marker and sculpture are located along the Trans-Canada Trail in Penetanguishene Rotary Champlain Wendat Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8 Owen Street, Penetanguishene ON L9M 1M8, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Ontario Cottage Country

and specifically in Georgian Bay Country.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Joseph Le Caron (a few steps from this marker); Brûlé (a few steps from this marker); Métis (within shouting distance of this marker); Champlain in Ontario, 1615

The Wendat Sculpture image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2024

2. The Wendat Sculpture

(within shouting distance of this marker); Father Laboureau (within shouting distance of this marker); Athol Murray (within shouting distance of this marker); “Bound Together” (Huron Wendat Canoe) / Étroitement liés (canot huron-wendat) (within shouting distance of this marker); John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806) (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Penetanguishene.

Also see . . . Huron-Wendat Nation (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: The Huron-Wendat Nation (or Huron-Wendat First Nation) is an Iroquoian-speaking nation that was established in the 17th century. In the French language, used by most members of the First Nation, they are known as the Nation Huronne-Wendat. The French gave the nickname Huron to the Wendat, from the French word hure meaning “boar's head” because of the hairstyle of Huron men, who had their hair standing in bristles on their heads. Wendat (Quendat) was their confederacy name, meaning “people of the island” or “dwellers on a peninsula.”
The nation inhabited the area between Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay, historically known as Wendake (Huronia),
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2024

3. The Wendat Marker & Sculpture
conquered and devastated in the 17th century Beaver Wars, which prompted the surviving Hurons to move east to Quebec, under French protection. It now has two communities and reserves, Wendake 7 and Wendake 7A, at Wendake, Quebec, a municipality now enclosed within Quebec City in Canada.

(Submitted on November 9, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 9, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 8, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 479 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 9, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.