Les abenakis de la rivière Saint-François au 18e siècle et la question du fort d’Odanak/ St. Francois River Abenakis in the 18th century and the Fort Odanak Issue

Summary

Since 1979, the Grand Council of the WabanAki First Nation, mandated by the two band councils at Odanak and Wolinak, has had a mission to ensure a future for the Abenaki nation by offering various operations related to documentation of the past and enhancement of the culture. Thus it seemed natural to integrate archeology in this process. In collaboration with the Abénakis Museum, the band council of Odanak and Canadian Heritage, we developed an archaeological research project to participate in the mission of cultural preservation. This project led to the discovery of an Abenaki village of 18th century and has contributed to a better understanding of their lifestyle during the period of «transition» as well as the «Colonial» period. The data confirmed an occupation in the territory of the Abenakis of Odanak in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the persistence of a traditional lifestyle likely characterized by longhouses and material culture marked by the transformation of European materials. The material culture of the Abenaki is also of significant connections among the Abenakis of the Jesuit mission of Old Point and the village of Norridgewock (Tracy Farm), Maine, which formally supports the migration of populations from south to north. This presentation focuses on the results of investigations carried out since 2010.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014   •
• More than Ramparts and Redoubts: Forts and Families of New France

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-21,02