Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation
Band No. 164

Mohawk peace flag
People	Mohawk
Headquarters	Tyendinaga
Province	Ontario
Land
Main reserve	Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory
Other reserve(s)	Glebe Farm 40B Six Nations of the Grand River
Land area	73.63 km2
Population
On reserve	2169
Off reserve	7685
Total population	9875
Government
Chief	R. Donald Maracle
Council size	4
Website
mbq-tmt.org

The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (MBQ) are a Mohawk community located in Hastings County, Ontario. They manage the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. This is a Mohawk Indian reserve that covers about 7,362.5 hectares (18,193 acres). It is found on the Bay of Quinte in southeastern Ontario, Canada. The territory is east of Belleville and west of Deseronto. The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte also share two other reserves: Glebe Farm 40B and the Six Nations of the Grand River reserves.

The community's name comes from a different spelling of a famous Mohawk leader's name, Joseph Brant. His traditional Mohawk name was Thayendanegea. This means 'two pieces of firewood beside each other'. In the Mohawk language, the community is officially called Kenhtè:ke. This means "on the bay," because kénhte is the Mohawk word for "bay." This is also where the word "Quinte" comes from. The community's official number is 164.

Understanding the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte

The land of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (MBQ) is one of the largest First Nations territories in Ontario.

The Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory is very important. It is connected to the birthplace of the Great Peacemaker, Dekanahwideh. He was a key person who helped bring together several nations. These nations were the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. Together, they formed the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This information comes from Kayanesenh Paul Williams, a lawyer and author from Six Nations.

The traditional lands of the MBQ used to be much larger than they are today. The name "Tyendinaga" comes from the traditional Mohawk name of Joseph Brant, Thayendanegea. This name means "two pieces of firewood beside each other." In the Cayuga language, the name is Tayęda:ne:gęˀ or Detgayę:da:negęˀ, meaning "land of two logs." The bay itself is called kénhte in the Mohawk language. The community's official Mohawk name, Kenhtè:ke, means "on the bay." This name was later changed to "Quinte" in English.

The Mohawk nation reserve covers about 7,362.5 hectares (18,193 acres). It is in Hastings County on the Bay of Quinte in southeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located east of Belleville and just west of the town of Deseronto.

History of the Mohawk Community

After the American Revolution, the Mohawk people faced a big change. They had been allies of the British Crown. When the British lost the war, the Mohawk lost their traditional lands in what became New York state. As a thank you for their loyalty, the British Crown offered them new land in Upper Canada.

A group of Mohawk people, led by John Deseronto, chose the Bay of Quinte. They chose this area because it was believed to be the birthplace of Tekanawita. He was one of the people who started the Iroquois Confederacy many centuries ago. Most of the Mohawk people followed Joseph Brant to the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation in Ontario.

On May 22, 1784, about 20 Mohawk families arrived at Tyendinaga. This was between 100 and 125 people. Nine years later, the Tyendinaga land was officially set aside. This happened with Crown Treaty 3½. It was signed on April 1, 1793, by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe. This treaty is known as the 'Simcoe Deed'. This land, about 37,514 hectares (92,700 acres), was legally accepted by the British Crown. It was also accepted by the Upper Canada government.

Many Loyalists also moved to the Bay of Quinte area. The government gave them land in the Tyendinaga Tract. Between 1820 and 1843, the Mohawk lost two-thirds of the land from the Simcoe Deed. More land was lost later. Today, the Mohawk have only about 7,100 hectares (17,545 acres) in this area.

Another major new home for the Mohawk and other Iroquois in Canada was the Six Nations Reserve of the Grand River. Here, important Mohawk leader Joseph Brant worked to control the land. Also, Mohawk people joined other communities. These included Kahnawake, Kanesatake, Wahta, and Akwesasne. These last four were mainly Mohawk settlements. They were set up along the St. Lawrence River before the American Revolution.

In 1869, the Canadian government passed the Gradual Enfranchisement Act. This law created elected band councils on First Nations reserves. The first election for the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte elected council happened in October 1870. Seven chiefs were chosen to be part of the council.

Understanding Land Claims

This map shows the land claim area. It covers parts of Tyendinaga and most of Deseronto.

In 1995, the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (MBQ) made a claim on an area of land. This area is about 923 acres. It surrounds the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. It also includes most of the land where the town of Deseronto is built. In 2003, the Canadian government started talks about this land claim. It is called the Culbertson Tract land claim.

The claim is based on the idea that Loyalist settlers bought Mohawk land illegally. This happened between 1820 and 1843. It led to the loss of most of the land from the Simcoe Treaty. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 stated how land should be bought from the Mohawk. It said that the community had to vote before any common land could be sold to non-Mohawk people. Research shows that these rules might not have been followed at Tyendinaga.

The town of Deseronto has a collection of documents about the Culbertson Tract Land Claim. Chief Don Maracle asked for negotiations to continue in 2011. The talks had stopped for a while. In 2013, a meeting called "The Land that Supports our Feet" was held in Deseronto. Many people attended this event.

In June 2013, a judge named Justice Rennie made a ruling. He said that the government could take land for public use if needed. This is one way the government can deal with land issues under the law.

Safe Drinking Water for the Community

The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte have had a Drinking Water Advisory since 2008. This was because of bacteria and algae in the water. During a dry period, many of their wells, which they relied on for water, completely dried up.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, it became harder to get materials. This caused the cost of a water main project to go up. The project was to extend the water main by about 8 kilometers (5 miles). Its cost increased from about $8.1 million to $18.2 million. In December 2020, the government announced new funding of $16.7 million. This money would help extend the water mains. These mains would connect to the water treatment plants in Deseronto and the MBQ's own plants. This would bring water to five areas in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.

This funding is the final step in a big project. The goal is to give the MBQ community access to safe drinking water. The government and the First Nation have put $18.2 million into this project. It will help remove five long-term drinking water advisories in the community. Gordon Barr Limited started building the new water mains in December 2020. These new mains will connect 86 homes and several public buildings to safe water.

By 2021, about 2,200 people lived on the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte reserve. Another 3,000 Mohawks lived nearby. About 90 families were waiting for affordable housing.

Community Population Data

Notable People from Bay of Quinte Mohawk

• Beth Brant (1941–2015), a talented writer and poet.
• Rick Brant (born 1967), a track and field athlete and sports advocate.
• Hannah Claus (born 1969), a visual artist.
• Lee-Ann Martin, a curator and writer.
• Shelley Niro (born 1954, Turtle clan), a filmmaker, photographer, and installation artist.