The History and Archaeology of the Iroquois du Nord: Introduction to the Book and the Mystery

Sponsored by University of Ottawa Press

Recorded on 07/10/2023
Posted in The Authority File

Episode 332

The History and Archaeology of the Iroquois du Nord book cover

The History and Archaeology of the Iroquois du Nord delves into the mystery surrounding the Iroquois du Nord, a series of Haudenosaunee settlements on the north shore of Lake Ontario in the 17th century. Ronald Williamson, co-editor of the title and Founder and Senior Associate of Archaeological Services Inc., joins The Authority File to discuss the lack of published material on the archeology of these sites and how he hopes this title will act as a starting point for future study and discovery. In this four-part series, he also provides general historical context for this time period, characteristics of the Haudenosaunee during these settlements, and Indigenous art and other site materials—pottery, glass beads, decorated antler combs—explored in the book.

In this first episode, Ron provides an overview of his work as an archaeological and cultural heritage consultant and his ties to the academic world as adjunct faculty. In addition, he chats about the history of the Iroquois du Nord, how the book came together, and its publication as part of the Mercury Series, a publishing partnership between the University of Ottawa Press and the Canadian Museum of History.

Ron Williamson headshot

About the guest:

Ronald F. Williamson
Founder and Senior Associate
Archaeological Services Inc.

Ronald F. Williamson is founder and now Senior Associate of Archaeological Services Inc. He has spent most of his career studying the history and archaeology of Ontario Iroquoians, much of it collaboratively with Indigenous partners. He is also Vice Chair of the board of Shared Path Consultation Initiative, a charitable organization dedicated to moving beyond collaboration and consultation to Indigenous decision-making in land use planning. He has published extensively on both Indigenous and early colonial Great Lakes history. He is appointed as adjunct status at the University of Western Ontario and he is Chair of the board of the Museum of Ontario Archaeology in London. His primary interests are in the ancestral Wendat occupation of Ontario, the Early Woodland Period in the Northeast and more broadly in the origins and development of the northern Iroquoian cultural pattern.

Editor’s Note: “Iroquois du Nord” refers to a series of Haudenosaunee settlements in the 1660s-70s on the north shore of Lake Ontario. As Ron explains in this episode, “Iroquois” was a European term assigned to Haudenosaunee peoples, which are comprised of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. To learn more, Richard Hill, a Tuscarora and a contributor to the book, discusses Haudenosaunee territory and archives in an interview with The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Enjoy the conversation? Listen to the rest of the series:

Check out our previous series with the University of Ottawa Press:
– Anthropocene Geopolitics
– Looking at Canadian Community Development
– What We Can Learn from a COVID-19 Spring

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