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CHIEF TONENE – WHERE THE SPIRITS DANCE - A BRIEF LIFE HISTORY OF AN INDEGINOUS CHIEF BURIED BY LAKE KANASUTA ROAD IN 1916

Photo Credit William John Winter (1909 – Haileybury, Ontario)

A Chief, Advocate for Indigenous Rights, Trapper And Discoverer of a Billion Dollar Gold Mine David Wright, M Ed., University of Toronto - david.wright@utoronto.ca (2014)(Aug 2018 Version)

TONENE - THE INDEGINOUS CHIEF BURIED BY LAKE KANASUTA ROAD IN 1916 His name belongs in the history books, but you will have a hard time finding it there.

While attending the University of Toronto and researching for a paper on the Algonquin and Ojibwa First Nations in the area of Lake Kanasuta, Quebec I came across the name of an Indigenous Chief named Tonene. As I read about and pieced together the history of his life, I was intrigued. I thought his story was worth sharing, and given his final resting place thought at least the cottage owners on Lake Kanasuta, and perhaps even a larger audience might be interested to learn a bit about him.

Kanasuta Lake is made up of a group of 8 different lakes: Berthemet Lake, Desvaux Lake, Arnoux Lake, Larochelle Lake, Pinders Lake, Monarch Lake, Lost Lake and the largest Dasserat Lake, all accessible by boat. The three main lakes Berthemet, Desvaux and Dasserat Lakes are commonly called the " first ", " second " and " third " lakes, respectively. Together they are called Kanasuta Lake, which is fed by three major rivers: the Kanasuta, Clarice and Dasserat rivers. “The first lake” is called Berthemet, but was historically known by local natives as Ogima Lake, or “Chief Lake”. It is located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of North Western Quebec, approximately 650 km due North of Toronto, Ontario. For thousands of years these waterways were used by the Algonquin and Ojibwa.

Historically the region had deep spiritual significance for the Algonquin. It was also a meeting place and boundary of Ojibwa and Algonquin territory. Sometimes this led to conflict. Perhaps explaining why the indigenous word Kanasuta means “Where the Spirits Dance” (also translated as “where the devils dance” and “where minds come together”).

Chief Tonene was born near Temagami Ontario in 1840. He was the oldest of fifteen siblings and was head Chief of the Teme-Augama Anishnabai until 1888. At the age of seventeen he was hired by the Hudson Bay Company to help move trade between Temagami, Timiskaming and Abitibi. He learned French, the language of trade, and travelled throughout the region.

WOULD HAVE BEEN A MILLIONAIRE

In 1899, at the age of 59 he began to prospect. A rush swept the region with the discovery of valuable minerals in Cobalt Ontario. He was credited with discovering the ore body in 1906 that led to the famous Kerr-Addison gold-mine (Area mine originally named after him and known as the “Old Indian Mining Company”).

Although credited with discovering the ore body his claim was reportedly “jumped” (stolen) and despite his attempts in court, he was unsuccessful in being vindicated. This may not be surprising as “Natives” had little influence and could not even vote until 1969. He would have had little chance of success in the courts.

One might speculate that his earlier efforts to question land treaty rights had identified him as “radical” to the Ontario Premier Oliver Mowat’s office (who wanted to develop Northern Ontario’s forest and mineral resources, and was reportedly not aboriginal friendly). Although Mowat left office in 1896 there were subsequent governments from the same political party who may have known of Tonene’s efforts in Temagami and may have connected with the judicial system to follow his court case.

Kerr-Addison mine went on to produce 10,457,441ounnces of gold (At today’s value it would equal $13,594,673,300 – That is $13 Billion+). He received, as you might expect, no compensation.

He continued to fight for Indian rights, but lumbering had moved in and the Ontario and Quebec governments wanted the pine trees. His pleas remained unresolved, as they do to this day.

He settled near Beaverhouse and created the settlement of Beaverhouse First Nation (to be confirmed).

Photo on right: 1910 share certificate - Tournenie “Old Indian” Mining Company) DEAD BY THE ROAD

He died in 1916 and was buried in a traditional native burial ground that was located by what would later become a gravel pit (at the entrance to, as the sign says - “Lac Kanasuta”). The gravel was extracted to construct a road between Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec and Kirkland Lake, Ontario as well as for an access road to Lake Dasserat. His remains, and those of others, were unearthed and scattered by bulldozers during this process, then left at the side of the road to be collected. It is not clear if they were ever picked up. The sad irony, the road that was being built, was in part, being put in place to move gold from Kerr-Addison mine, the mine he helped discover.

TODAY – ALMOST FORGOTTEN

As you turn off from Hwy 117 and head towards the first lake of Kanasuta, if you look closely…very closely…you might notice a small red sign located about 30 meters up the road, on your right hand side, and about 15 meters back in the brush, overgrown. It is rusted with paint peeling, but if you squint you can see the tribute the government gave the man who was a Chief and whose efforts led to hundreds of millions of dollars going into the economy. The simple sign, long forgotten, stuck in the ground makes no mention of the historic significance, only a warning not to take gravel, nothing more. No one on the government side seemed to care. Perhaps one day someone would. Did not a man who did so much, deserve more? To add insult to injury, this traditional burial ground was turned into an open pit garbage dump once the gravel was removed. The dump was closed in the early nineteen eighties and is now quiet.

In the past, the kind people of the Beaverhouse First Nation would clear the site, but as time passed, the site became overgrown. In the summer of 2014, some cottagers in the area (with the permission of the Tonene family) paid their respect and invited their children to put in a day of clearing the site and to learn about this man.

Tonene Burial Site (before)	       Tonene Burial Site (after)                    Tools used for the clearing bush Summer 2014			       Summer 2014			     Summer 2014

LAKE NAMED AFTER HIM

Not far from the burial site (23km West into Ontario) there was a lake East of the Town of Larder Lake along highway 66 called Tournene Lake. Research indicates that this lake was supposed to be named after Chief Tonene in 1928.

It would appear the misnaming of the lake was a case of a clerical spelling mistake, or due to the fact that no official birth certificate was likely issued, and depending on whom you asked you would get a different spelling due to oral background (English, French or Indigenous). His official name entered the Euro-Canadian accounts in 1857, when he was hired by the Hudson’s Bay Company under the name Tonene. Research also found references to him with his name spelt Tonine, Tournenie and Tooneme. According to a living relative, Tonene is the correct spelling.

As a result of this research finding, in 2014 the Ontario Geographic Names Secretariat was contacted and an application was submitted to have this lake renamed to Chief Tonene Lake. This application was supported by a living relative of Tonene, the Chief and Council of the Beaverhouse First Nation as well as the Mayor and Council of McGarry Township where the lake is located.

On Jan 8 2016, the Ontario Geographic Names Board (OGNB) met at its 151st meeting and carefully reviewed the application against Board principals. The application was approved and on April 6, 2016 the decision received Ministerial approval. The new official name finally corrected to Chief Tonene Lake. His name will live on in all future maps and documents.

In a further effort to raise awareness of Chief Tonene and the long history of Indigenous people in the region, an application to have a historical plaque at the highway rest-stop across from Chief Tonene Lake was prepared. With letters of support from the Chiefs of Temagami, Timiskaming, Beaverhouse and Matachewan First Nations (and later involvement from Chiefs of Wahgoshig First Nation and Teme-Augama Anishnabai)  an application was submitted to the Ontario Heritage Trust. The proposed plaque would document his life, Indigenous life in the area, highlight his mineral discovery and the impact it has had on the region.

On December 18, 2017, the application received approved by the Trust. The Ministry of Transportation (Ontario) who manages the proposed site for the plaque approved that their property host the plaque.

With the application approved, there is still work to do before the plaque will be erected. The Ontario Heritage Trust will seek a historian to fact check and speak with all stakeholders to ensure the wording on the plaque is accurate.

There will be two plaques. One will be in the most appropriate Indigenous language; the other will have English and French.

The plaques will likely be in place by summer 2020.

At this time, it is not clear if the unveiling ceremony will take place at the site beside Chief Tonene Lake or at another venue. One suggestion is the plaques first be transported to Bear Island in Lake Temagami, which is the home of the Temagami First Nation (TFN) and birthplace of Tonene.

Renowned Indigenous artist Hugh McKenzie, a member of the Temagami First Nation has offered to paint a portrait of Chief Tonene for the unveiling. The portrait would later be displayed permanently in the Band Council office on Bear Island. Hugh is also working on a project to invite High School Art students to Temagami for an Indigenous Art class where he will teach them his style of art, as well as inform them of Tonene. All students would be invited to the unveiling when it occurs.

MOVIE

If interested, here is a link to a sobering National Film Board documentary on some recent history of the Algonquin Indians (Ojibwa and Algonquin overlapped in the region). They used to travel up and down Lake Dasserat for generations on their way to Lake Abitibi (and beyond, as they later helped trappers with the Hudson Bay Company). The film starts on the Timiskaming Reserve in Notre Dame de Nord (Near New Liskeard), a reserve that many in the region have probably driven through numerous times.

My son who was 9 and I spent some time with the Timiskaming First Nation. We also visited and learned from the Chief of the Matachewan First Nation. It was a rich experience and we met some great people.

One of the film makers, Richard Desjardins, is originally from Rouyn-Noranda. I understand he is a fairly well know Quebec musician and actually has an album out called “Kanasuta”.

FILM - https://www.nfb.ca/film/invisible_nation 93:20 minutes long ________________________________________ References Conversations with Emmaline MacPherson, Author of Article: Bruce W. Hodgins and James Morrison, Title of Article:  TONENÉ, IGNACE,Publication Name:  Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 14 Publisher:  University of Toronto/Université Laval AO, F 470. NA, MG 19, D4; D21; MG 29, C40 (mfm.); RG 10, 3109, file 315190; 7757, file 27043-9; RG 31, C1, 1881, Timagami, [Ont.]. Private arch., V. R. (Duff) Dufresne (Larder Lake, Ont.), Docs., including the prospectus for the Tonené Old Indian Mining Company. Attorney General for Ontario v. Bear Island Foundation et al. (1984), Ontario Reports (Toronto), 2nd ser., 49: 353–490. Frank Carrell, “Our fishing and hunting trip in northern Ontario, part III,” Rod and Gun and Motor Sports in Canada (Woodstock, Ont.), 9 (1907–8): 39–52. B. W. Hodgins, “The Temagami Indians and Canadian federalism, 1867–1943,” Laurentian Univ Rev. (Sudbury, Ont.), 11 (1978–79), no.2: 71–100. B. W. Hodgins and Jamie Benidickson, The Temagami experience: recreation, resources, and aboriginal rights in the northern Ontario wilderness (Toronto, 1989). S. A. Pain, The way north: men, mines and minerals; being some account of the curious history of the ancient route between North Bay and Hudson Bay in Ontario. . . (Toronto, 1964). Gary Potts, “Teme-augama Anishnabai: last-ditch defence of a priceless homeland,” in Drumbeat: anger and renewal in Indian country, ed. Boyce Richardson (Toronto, 1989), 201–28. F. G. Speck, Family hunting territories and social lift of the various Algonkian bands of the Ottawa valley (Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir, no.70, Ottawa, 1915); Myths and folk-lore of the Temiskaming, Algonkian and Timagami Ojibway (Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir, no.71, 1915). Supreme Court of Ontario, [Proc. of Attorney General for Ontario v. Bear Island Foundation et al.] (unpublished transcript, 68v., 1982–84; copy in Bear Island Library, Bear Island, Ont.).