NEUTRAL INDIANS IN CANADA

THE NEUTRAL WERE AN IMPORTANT CONFEDERATION OF AN IROQOUIAN TRIBE LIVING IN THE NORTH OF LAKE ERIE IN ONTARIO. THEY HAVE FOUR VILLAGES SOME BY LAKE ST. CLAIR. THE FRENCH CALLED THEM NEUTRALS BECAUSE THEY WERE NEUTRAL IN WARS. CHAMPLAIN REPORTED IN 1610 THE NEUTRALS HAD 4000 WARRIORS THEY ADDED THE OTTAWA AGAINST SMALL PRAIRIE PEOPLE. THEY RAISED TOBACCO AND TRADED SKINS, FURS, AND PORCUPINE QUILLS, AND QUILLWORK.

THEY DECIDED TO CLEAR THE LAND BY CUTTING DOWN TREES AND BURNED THEM SO THEY COULD HAVE FIELDS. THEY PLANTED THEIR GRAINS IN EACH HILL AND SO THEY HAVE PLENTY OF FOOD. IN 1626 THERE WAS A REVERAND FATHER JOSE THAT TAUGHT THEM CHRISTIANITY. THE SIXTH TRIBE WHOSE CHIEF WAS TSOHAHISSAN. HE WAS CHIEF OF 28 VILLAGES. THIS CHIEF HAD BEEN AT WAR 17 TIMES USING A WAR CLUB AND BOW AND ARROW.

THEIR LAND WAS ABUNDANT WITH SMALL MAMMALS AND BIRDS AS WELL AS FISH. THEY ALSO PLANTED THE THREE SISTERS. THEIR LODGES WERE COVERED BY ARBORS AND WERE 8" BY 10' WIDE. IN WINTER THEY LAY ON MATS BY THE FIRE. THE NUETRALS FEARED THEIR IROQUOIS. THE HURONS ATTACKED THEM. BY 1640 THE HURONS OFFERED THEIR CHIEFS SOME HATCHELS TO REDUCE ANYMORE FIGHTS. THE NEUTRALS REFUSED THEM. THEY OCCUPY 28 VILLAGES IN 1636. IN 4 MORE YEARS THEY HAD 12,000 FOLKS.

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