Who are the “Iroquois du Nord” (IDN), and what is their history? Few people—whether in the general public or even in academia—could answer this question. As an archaeologist specializing in northeastern Canada myself, I admit I knew very little about them before reading this book. It focuses on groups from this confederacy that left their homeland in present-day New York State in the mid-1660s and early 1670s to establish settlements on the north shore of Lake Ontario, on the ancestral lands of the Wendat (“Hurons”), Tionontaté/Wyandot (“Petuns”), and Attawandaron (“Neutrals”), which had been depopulated following conflicts with the Haudenausonee. These economically oriented settlements tied to the fur trade were abandoned by the 1680s, when Haudenosaunee power was challenged by attacks by the French and their Indigenous allies, leading to the withdrawal of the IDN after a presence lasting barely three decades.
Ronald F. Williamson’s opening chapter synthesizes current knowledge on Northern Iroquoian history and provides an excellent, detailed introduction. Kurt A. Jordan’s chapter contextualizes the conflicts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups around Lake Ontario in the sixteenth century, helping explain both the exile and return of these populations. Both chapters present fascinating yet little-known historical data.
Five subsequent chapters attempt to geographically locate some IDN villages using varied methods. Kenté is examined by Robert von Bitter, Chris Menary, and Nick Gromoff through the spatial distribution of mid-seventeenth-century surface finds near present-day Quinte. Next, Menary and von Bitter analyze the likely locations of Ganaraské, Quintio, and Ganneious, along with associated portages, by combining historic maps and modern topography. However, these proposed identifications still require archaeological confirmation.
The case is different with the Seneca village of Ganatsekwyagon, which can be linked to the Bead Hill archaeological site, possibly associated with a Sulpician mission and later reoccupied by the Mississaugas, who may also have reused its cemetery. Limited excavations leave many questions unanswered about the nature of this reoccupation. In addition, the author of this chapter, Dana R. Poulton, notes the near absence of pottery and polished stone tools, suggesting their rapid replacement by metal equivalents in the 1670s and 1680s. She also mentions the unique finding of a well-preserved leather pouch, though it is unfortunately not illustrated in the book. David Robertson’s chapter on Teiaiagon, in present-day Toronto, draws on both historical and archaeological evidence, including grave offerings that point to a Seneca occupation and support the site’s identification. These chapters highlight how much more could be learned were these sites to be excavated more extensively and with the use of today’s methods and techniques. Neal Ferris addresses the elusive village of Outinaouatoua, never conclusively located. Instead of pursuing a strictly Eurocentric search, he proposes an Indigenous-centered perspective, suggesting that local Attawandaron populations were not simply destroyed by the Seneca but may have been integrated—transforming rather than disappearing. This interpretation emphasizes Indigenous agency and continuity within a “heritage landscape.”
Four chapters then examine material culture. Because much of the material comes from surface collections or limited excavations, representational biases and contextual gaps remain. Nevertheless, these studies provide a valuable snapshot of material culture during this short period. The first chapter—by William A. Fox, April Hawkins, and David Harris—analyzes glass, shell, bone, and stone beads, comparing Northern Iroquoian assemblages with contemporaneous Haudenosaunee sites in New York state. Differences between eastern and western sites interestingly suggest a westward displacement after the French attacks. Martin S. Cooper’s study of metal artifacts describes copper and iron objects from Teiaiagon and Ganatsekwyagon. Here, the suggestion that some iron axe heads may be British is surprising given the predominantly French context. Another chapter, by Williamson and von Bitter, examines antler combs, noting standardized craftsmanship and symbolic figurative designs, possibly reflecting European influence, given that figurative motifs are rare on precontact bone and antler objects. In a final study, William E. Engelbrecht and Williamson review the ceramic vessels and pipes, and they discuss the gradual replacement of pottery by metal kettles, perhaps due to their higher durability and portability, and later, the replacement of Indigenous ceramic pipes by European ones. The coexistence of Wendat and Haudenosaunee ceramic styles demonstrates continuity of technological knowledge and cultural identity during these turbulent times.
Historical documents and oral traditions indicate that Mississaugas later reoccupied some IDN sites. Gary A. Warrick and Williamson smartly discuss this development, and they also propose that high proportions of burned and calcined bones signal Mississauga occupation linked to bone boiling. However, this indicator is not exclusive and appears widely across periods and cultures in the Northeast. Other causes—ritual practices, refuse disposal, or soil acidity affecting preservation—could also explain the pattern. Next is Victor Konrad’s reflective chapter using border theory to frame Northern Iroquoians within fluid territorial and identity boundaries. This fluidity of boundaries and identities—here manifested by the succession of distinct groups on the same territory—is echoed in the Montreal region where, in the past, the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe also succeeded one another and partly mixed, so that they all claim this ancestral territory as their own, with all the complexity that this entails. There is therefore material in this book for reflection to better conceptualize and better understand similar situations elsewhere on the continent. Finally, the last chapter by Rick Hill, from the Six Nations of the Grand River, raises ethical questions about displaying burial objects such as antler combs. He also calls for reflection on the complementarity of Indigenous and Western knowledges, and I would have liked to see more Indigenous and perspectives in this sort in this book.
The volume stems from a 2019 Ontario Archaeological Society session, as briefly mentioned in the book. However, it would have been useful to provide a bit more detail on the origins and objectives of this work. It also would have been interesting for the volume to consider connections, even if only in outline, with the later reoccupations of the territory by the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Kanien’keha’kà (Mohawks) of Tyendinaga, in order to situate the IDN more deeply within the longue durée.
The volume is richly illustrated with historical maps and photographs of artifacts. All of them are useful, but some historical maps are too small or lack contrast, and it is sometimes difficult to see the toponyms to which the authors sometimes devote a great deal of attention. For their part, the color photographs of artifacts were digitally processed in order to be standardized, which is very good; they are pleasant to look at and, like Rick Hill, one can admire the beauty and the mastery of execution of the photographed objects. But in some cases, the photos are too dark, and it is hard to see the details discussed in the text, particularly with regard to the engraved motifs on the antler combs. Moreover, some references cited in the chapters do not appear in the general bibliography at the end of the volume. More importantly, it is very regrettable that the authors’ affiliations are not provided anywhere in the book; it is very frustrating for readers, who then have to find this information elsewhere on their own.
These few reservations aside, the volume is comprehensive and is based on extremely well-documented and diversified research. Despite their varied approaches and themes, all the chapters are of a comparably high quality, and they engage in a truly integrated and harmonious dialogue, even more so than in many other collective works of the same kind. In the end, the result is a synthesis of great interest and usefulness, which will inevitably become the reference on the subject.
