Aboriginal contribution recognized

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Six Aboriginal locations across the country have been added to Canada's 800 existing national historic sites.

On June 21, Andy Mitchell, the secretary of state for Canada's parks, announced the new designations. The sites, selected by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, highlight the historic importance of the Métis, Gwich'in, West Coast, Huron and Ojibwa communities in shaping the country.

The June 21 announcement was made to coincide with National Aboriginal Day, said Parks Canada spokesperson Margot Doey-Vick.

At each of the new sites, a small pyramid-shaped monument will be erected. A commemorative plaque will explain the significance of the individual site. The wording of the plaque is decided upon by the board and the community, or by the family of the person being honored.

On a small island just off the west coast of British Columbia's Vancouver Island, the Mowachaht-Muchalaht First Nation has waited 75 years to be officially recognized as part of an existing designated historic site.

In 1923, Yuquot, or Friendly Cove, was designated by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board because it is where Captain Cooke first sailed into Canada in 1778. It later became Spain's only colony in the New World. The original inhabitants of the area, the Mowachaht-Muchalaht people who had used Yuquot as their central village for thousands of years, were not included in the designation.

Over time, the area was abandoned by the Indian people. It actually got to the point, said Margarita James, the Mowachaht director of cultural and heritage resources, where all the people had moved to nearby Gold River. The local school was closed, as the community's children were shipped out to residential schools, and the older residents moved away to look for work in the lumber industry.

"Most of the community just drifted away," said Jones.

A number of attempts to build a park and draw tourists to the area were attempted, but despite a 1968 archeological dig which identified the cove as being home to the Indigenous people more than 4,000 years ago, little was accomplished.

Still, many leaders couldn't just give up, said Jones.

"In our hearts, it was still our main village," she said.

In the early 1990s, more effort was put into protecting and showcasing the cove. Over the years, through a variety of funding resources, Yuquot became a popular tourist destination with a commercial cabin operation, gift shop and an upgraded wharf.

The community began operating tours a few years ago, but the people realized they also needed to be recognized historically.

They prepared a report on their occupation of the land and submitted it to the historic sites board last summer. Six months later, their submission was accepted.

Now, two times each week, a freight boat brings 200 visitors to the island, where they are treated to tours and information about Friendly Cove and all of it's historical importance.

Jones said the community is careful not to over-commercialize their resource.

"The site is raw and natural and we are trying to keep it that way," she said.

Another of the newly designated historic sites and monuments is one for James Isbister, an English Métis from Saskatchewan who was a founder of Prince Albert, Sask. Isbister refused to participate in the 1885 Métis uprising. He believed negotiations provided a better way to settle disputes. Following the Riel Rebellion, he continued to be an active community leader. Isbister died in 1915 at the age of 82.

In Ontario, Kahke-waquonaby (the Reverend Peter Jones), who led the River Credit Mississaugas' successful drive to found a farming community, was also recognized. Kahkewaquonaby, born to an Ojibwa mother and a European Father, was given the name Sacred Feathers. He developed an Ojibwa spelling system and founded several schools. Throughout his short life he fought for the rights of Aboriginal people and for secure title to reserve lands. He died in 1856. He was 29 year old.

In Quebec, the Huron-Wendat Nation of Wendake, whose descendants date back 15,000 years in Canada, have received national historic recognition. Now located 15 km northwest of Quebec City, the settlement of Old Wendake has been recognized because of its long-standing survival.

The soils of Abitibi Point on the east bank of Ontario's Lake Abitibi have produced Algonquin Indian artifacts dating back 6,000 years, and have also been deemed a national historic site.

Nagwichoonjik (the Mackenzie River) between Thunder River and Point Separation in the Northwest Territories has been designated for the landscape's historic connection to the people of the area, the Gwich'in.

The battles and heroes of the area are frequently lauded in the traditional oral history of the northern people.

The Historic Sites and Monuments Board meets two times annually to select from submissions for new sites. They make their decisions based on national importance. Many of the submissions that are not accepted may be better suited for provincial recognition.