Jean-Baptiste Lainé
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
Jean-Baptiste Lainé Site or Mantle Site?
Fire 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
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.
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.
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.