Jean-Baptiste Lainé
Land Acknowledgement
The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville acknowledges this land is the treaty territory of the Williams Treaty First Nations.
It is also the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and other Anishinaabeg peoples. We also recognize the contributions of all Indigenous peoples to this place and commit to a continued dialogue and greater respect for the land we have come to share. Recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples must also be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation in our community.
The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville will be installing permanent interpretive signage at this location. As part of the pilot project, we invite you to engage with the initial signs by following the path to the Ontario Heritage Plaques to learn more about this site.
Tell us what you think by emailing wsmuseum@townofws.ca.
Who are the Wendat?
Traditionally, the Wendat were a great Iroquoian civilization of farmers, masters of trade and diplomacy and fisherman-hunter-gatherers.
Until the mid-17th century, the Wendat formed a powerful Confederacy established on a vast territory extending from the great lakes region to the St. Lawrence Valley. They controlled substantial trading networks and engaged in extended diplomatic relations with Europeans and other Nations.
"Huronia", located between the Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe area in Ontario, represents part of the Wendat traditional territory. By the early 17th century, it was home to most of the Wendat villages.
More than 800 archaeological sites have been discovered to date in Ontario, testifying to the significant occupation of the territory by the Wendat Nation. This invaluable legacy for the Nation is also the vastest archaeological heritage related to a First Nation in Canada.
Summary kindly provided by the Wendat First Nation, Onyionhwentsïio' Office.
The Jean-Baptiste Lainé Site is an eminent part of this heritage.
This archaeological site corroborates Wendat knowledge and culture in terms of its origins and deepest cultural identity found in both the St. Lawrence Valley and in the Great Lakes region.
Summary kindly provided by the Wendat First Nation, Onyionhwentsiio' Office.
Wendat Nation Crest. Credit: Wendat Nation
What is the Jean-Baptiste Lainé Site?
The Jean-Baptiste Lainé Site was home to a late 16th to early 17th century ancestral Wendat community.
Over 150,000 artifacts were recovered. It is estimated that the settlement had a population of 1,500-2,000 people.
- Antler comb (CMH AIGt-334: f724)
- Zoomorphic owl effigy (CMH AIGt-334: 12353)
- Anthropomorphic effigy (CMH AIGt-334: 12351)
- Human effigy castellation (Cat. #CS100)
- "Huron incised" vessel (CMH AIGt-334: 12326)
- Effigy pipe (CMH AIGt-334: 12350)
- Zoomorphic woodpecker (CMH AIGt-334: 12352)
- Dog tooth pendant (CMH AIGt-334: f13005)
- Effigy castellation (Cat. #CS98)
- Modified deer phalange (CMH AIGt-334:f6239)
Credit: ASI Heritage and the Canadian Museum of History.
What was uncovered by archaeologists?
Archaeologists uncovered palisade walls and up to 95 longhouses.
A typical Wendat longhouse usually ranged between 65 ft. (20 m) to 100 ft. (30 m) in length. Longhouses were constructed out of cedar and hardwood (maple or beech) and covered with elm or cedar bark.
Ekionkiestha' National Longhouse in Wendake. Credit: Audet Photo.
Iron from 16th century Spain
An artifact of special interest, reformed from either part of an axe or of a planer blade was uncovered and traced to 16th century Basque country.
This metal tool is currently one of the earliest pieces of European iron ever found in the Great Lakes Region.
Basque iron object discovered during excavations of the Jean-Baptiste Laine Site. Credit: ASI Heritage and the Canadian Museum of History, Cat #M5.
Resources
The Wendat were mostly farmers who grew plants such as corn, squash, beans, and sunflowers.
60% of their daily diet was corn. The community required 1,500 pounds of corn daily - equal to over 2,000 acres of cornfields.
Location of the Jean-Baptiste Laine Site in the context of present-day Stouffville.
Jean-Baptiste Lainé Site or Mantle Site?
First referred to as the Mantle Site, the name was officially changed in 2011 and reclaimed in honour of decorated Second World Ward Wendat Veteran, Jean-Baptiste Lainé (1918-2005).
Joffre, Fernand, Robert and Jean-Baptiste Lainé in uniform, November 1943. Credit: Wendat Nation
Northern Iroquoian Societies
The name Wendat is interpreted as "islanders" or "the people of the peninsula."
The Wendat communities lived in villages which were surrounded by fields of the three sisters (corn, squash and beans). A Wendat Village during the 16th and 17th centuries would be in use for approximately 20 to 30 years. When resources were depleted, the Wendat moved on to build new villages elsewhere (including additional sites in Whitchurch-Stouffville).
Wendake Yehen' is the name commonly used to describe the "Huronia" region. Wendake is the current name of the home of the Wendat Nation community located near Québec City. Today, the Wendat are a people of about 5,000 individuals, 1,800 of whom live in Wendake.
Where are the Wendat nowadays?
During the 1630s through the 1640s new diseases brought by Europeans took a heavy toll on Wendat communities.
By the late 1640s, the Wendat had suffered many more losses to Haudenosaunee attacks, causing the Confederacy to splinter into several groups.
By 1650-51, the Wendat rejoined their kin in part of their St. Lawrence Valley ancestral territory that encompasses current-day Quebec City, north of which is where their reserve is situated.
The Wyandot, Wendat brothers, derived primarily from the Tionontate (Petun) and some Wendat, now live in the Windsor-Detroit area with the bulk of their population now residing in Oklahoma and Kansas.
Recent history uncovered
Archaeologists recovered artifacts from recent history, including a 19th century mill and a farm.
Such a recent archaeological site indicates that this land was a prime spot for agriculture and its natural resources. The mill included a dam and mill pond located at Byer's pond. The property had also become a farm and included a house, barn, drive shed, and laneway.
Pre-1929 photograph of Boyer's/Byer's Pond. Credit: Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum, Accession No. 988.014.232.
Acknowledgements
Wendat Nation, Onyionhwentsïio' Office, Wendake Tourism, Mantle Family, ASI Heritage, and the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville.
To learn more, explore the virtual exhibition, Archaeology Alive! The Jean-Baptiste Lainé Site in Whitchurch-Stouffville. Please scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit townofws.ca/JBL.