Six Nations (Caledonia) Negotiations

Douglas Creek Estates Update

The Archaeology and Appearance Side Table reached an agreement on December 4 to demolish a third structure on the Douglas Creek Estates property.  Utility companies will be contacted to remove connections and mark out underground lines.  Protestors co-operated with Haldimand County staff to address urgent storm/sewer drain problems at the Douglas Creek Estates site during the recent heavy rainfall.

Community Advisory Group

The Community Advisory Group (CAG) updates and informs nearby residents and municipal officials about the work of the Archaeology and Appearance Side Table.  The group receives community feedback and suggestions for provincial and federal negotiators to take back to the side table.  The CAG is composed of residents and homeowners who live in close proximity to the Douglas Creek Estates property, Haldimand County elected municipal leaders, and representatives of the Caledonia Baptist Church and Notre Dame School.  While the CAG advises and communicates with the province, the federal government and the community, the group also hopes to initiate dialogue with the Haudenosaunee/Six Nations about site related matters of mutual concern.  As a group, they have also expressed a desire to learn more about Haudenosaunee/Six Nations land claims, history, traditions and culture and to communicate same to the rest of the community.

Archaeology Study Update

The archaeology team has completed its field work for the season.  Ontario’s agreement to fund an archaeological re-assessment of the Douglas Creek Estates property was one of the commitments made by former provincial negotiator David Peterson to the Haudenosaunee/Six Nations.  An earlier archaeological assessment of the Douglas Creek Estates property was completed by another consultant on behalf of Henco Industries.

This fall, a crew of field directors and field assistants from Timmins Martelle Heritage Consultants along with archaeological monitors and field assistants from Six Nations re-surveyed a portion of the property.  The archaeological survey involved walking the plowed, ungraded portion of the property to look for artifacts on the surface.  Artifacts that were found were marked and mapped and a sample of these was collected. 

The crew also assessed top soil piles on the property to look for artifacts and conducted a detailed examination of the area that was graded fronting on to Argyle Street, including mapping the area and determining whether top soil was removed.

Test excavations were also conducted on two small campsites in the northwest corner of the Douglas Creek Estates property that were investigated during the previous archaeological work and date to approximately 3,000 to 4,000 years ago and 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. 

Artifacts unearthed at the site are currently being catalogued and stored in a laboratory established at Six Nations.

No evidence of human burials has been found to date.   More work is to be completed in the spring. 

For More Information

For more information about the Six Nations (Caledonia) Negotiation visit our web page at: www.ontario.ca/caledonia