Chiasin (The Big Rock): Mementos of Identity

Summary

The story of Chesaning begins long before the first historic documents; the village’s name originating from a massive stone pushed from Ontario by glaciers. This memento, known as the Big Rock, or "Chiasin" in the Anishinabe language was and continues to be an unmistakable feature on the landscape. According to pioneer histories, Chiasin was a place of prehistoric corn feasts and ceremonies. However, when visited in 1837, one such source reports a haunting lack of people. Where had the people of Chesaning gone?

Today the Big Rock lies adjacent to a schoolyard- accessible to the public, though without any accompanying narrative of explanation. Many children go through Chesaning’s schools without discovering the Native American history around them. Why are some aspects of Chiasin’s history remembered and others forgotten? Is the geological anomaly in the schoolyard the true Big Rock? The author will review archaeological and historical information from between the years 1600 and 1860 regarding the Chesaning area to shed light on these mysteries and to educate the public. Educational programming, interpretive signs, and the establishment of a Chesaning Historic Preservation Commission in coordination with the Chesaning Historical Society, Chesaning Township, and the Village of Chesaning are proposed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 18862