| Ohsweken Oshwé:ken[1] |
|
|---|---|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Government | |
| • Governing Body | Six Nations Band Council |
| • MP | Phil McColeman (Conservative) |
| • MPP | Dave Levac (Liberal) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 75 km2 (29 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 200 m (656 ft) |
| Population (Dec-2008) | |
| • Total | < 11,634 |
| Population of entire reserve. No census data is collected for the town. | |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC−5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) |
| Postal code | N0A |
| Area code(s) | Area code 519 |
| Website | http://www.sixnations.ca |
Ohsweken, (generally pronounced /oʊʃˈwiːkɛn/), is a village on the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Indian reserve near Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Approximately 300 of the 2,700 homes on the reserve are in Ohsweken, and it is the site of the reserve governmental and administrative offices.
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From approximately 1840 to 1865, the Six Nations Confederacy council met in a log building near Middleport, Ontario. In 1856, against protests from the Onondaga chiefs, a strong-willed superintendent from the Indian Department, Jasper T. Gilkison, established a council building in what is present day Ohsweken, about 6 km south-west of Middleport. Gilkison later retired in 1891 under pressure from the prime minister for incompetence.[2] Though the Onondaga chiefs argued that they should establish their own center of government, the village of Ohsweken quickly developed in the surrounding area.[3]
This park is at the corner of Fourth Line Road and Chiefswood Road. It features The Six Nations-Mississauga War Memorial which commemorates the 200 First Nations soldiers who were killed during World War II. The soldiers fought in Dieppe, France, Hong Kong, and were a part of the Normandy Invasion.[4]
The Gaylord Powless Arena seats 648 with room for 200 standing. Originally constructed in 1972, it was renovated in 2005 and is regularly used for lacrosse, hockey and figure skating. On Bread and Cheese Day, the arena serves for distribution of large chunks of bread and cheese.[5]
The Iroquois Village Plaza is a rented commercial property located in central Ohsweken on Cheifswood Road. It contains an bank, restaurants, the CKRZ-FM radio station.
Six Nations Annual Fall Fair takes place often the first week of September and is one of the oldest Agricultural Fairs in Ontario. Celebrations include the Miss Six Nations pageant, a powwow, horse races, and a derby.
The Bread and Cheese celebration takes place on Victoria Day to commemorate Queen Victoria's gifts of bread and cheese to the people of the Six Nations. Every year, hundreds of people stand in line to enter the Gaylord Powless Arena for large squares of bread and cheese, now provided by Six Nations Band Council. The celebrations also include carnival rides and games, a parade from Chiefswood Park to the arena, and a street dance held by CKRZ-FM.
The events take place at Chiefswood Park, celebrating National Aboriginal day and the summer solstice on June 21. June 21 is also the day of the Tom Longboat run. There are also festivities at Gage Park in Hamilton.
This annual Pow-wow, since 1979, hosts over 400 dancers and drummers from across North America and is held on the last weekend of July at Cheifswood Park. It features traditional Native dancing, food and crafts.[6]
The Elder Network is a network of people who serve the Elders of the Six Nations, and host various special meals such as a Wild Game Dinner in November, a Strawberry Social in June and a Fish Fry in August. Most of the staff for these meals are volunteers.
The town is serviced by two community newspapers, Turtle Island News and the Tekawennake. Both newspapers feature mostly local news but also include stories related to broader First Nations and Canadian issues. CKRZ-FM, a community radio station, broadcasts a variety of programming including local news, music, language lessons and radio bingo.
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