This week on Ask A Historian, Matthew Wilkinson welcomes guest John Dunlop, Manager, Heritage Planning and Indigenous Relations at the City of Mississauga, as they discuss the Antrex Archaeological Site.

Matthew and John explore the process for the archaeological investigation, the history of the land and the Peoples who called it home in 700-800 years ago, and the need for consultation and recognition of this significant Indigenous site.

They also look at the former Grand Highland Golf Club that is adjacent to the site, which is now owned by the City of Mississauga, and destined to become a park.

We invite you to read the Mississauga Council Resolution with regards to the site and which includes the following excerpt:

The Antrex archaeological Site is the remnants of a village that was occupied in the thirteenth or fourteenth century (700-800 years ago). The village was occupied by several hundred individuals who lived in a series of longhouses that were surrounded by a palisade and in turn by expansive agricultural fields. Archaeological investigations at the site identified nine longhouses, two middens and portions of the palisade.

Over 40,000 artifacts were recovered during the archaeological excavations. The people who lived at the village were the ancestors of the present-day Huron-Wendat, Wyandot and Haudenosaunee communities, and it is understood that Anishinaabe peoples often visited and resided in these villages, although evidence of this occupation was not documented during the archaeological excavations.

The City of Mississauga has also introduced the revised Land Acknowledgement which reads as follows:

“We acknowledge the lands which constitute the present-day City of Mississauga as being part of the Treaty and Traditional Territory of the Mississauga’s of the Credit First Nation, The Haudenosaunee Confederacy the Huron-Wendat and Wyandot Nations.

We recognize these peoples and their ancestors as peoples who inhabited these lands since time immemorial. The City of Mississauga is home to many global Indigenous Peoples.

As a municipality, the City of Mississauga is actively working towards reconciliation by confronting our past and our present, providing space for Indigenous peoples within their territory, to recognize and uphold their Treaty Rights and to support Indigenous Peoples. We formally recognize the Anishinaabe origins of our name and continue to make Mississauga a safe space for all Indigenous peoples.”

#ApartTogether we continue to research, record, and celebrate the history of Mississauga in its entirety.

You are invited to email us questions you have about Mississauga and we encourage you to send a short (less than 1 minute) MP4 video of your question, which we may feature in one of our “Ask a Historian” videos.

Any questions not featured in our videos will receive a written response from Matthew.

We would also love to feature questions from young Mississauga residents who are curious about their city and will feature a dedicated video to these inquisitive kids.

Send your questions to us at: [email protected]