As some of you may know the Huronia Museum lost much of its replicated Huron/Wendat village to a fire in the spring of 2007. After a number of years of negotiation the Museum accepted a settlement from the insurance company that will allow them to rebuild the village the way they want rather than the way it was at the time of the fire.
At a recent meeting of the Museum board the board gave the rebuilding of the village its top priority and appointed a committee to come up with plans to further this endeavour. The board has reviewed a recent plan presented by this committee that would focus on making the component parts of the rejuvenated village as authentic in appearance as possible within all practical standards required of a facility that is open to the public for both educational and tourist purposes. The end result of this proposal would not only enhance the experience of the tourist but add an archaeological educational component that would be available to both students and tour groups alike.
So what does authenticity mean when we attempt to develop an historically accurate and archaeologically supported representation of a multi component Huron/Wendat village that would have encompassed village life from precontact, prehistoric times (circa 1300) through to the Wendat dispersal from Huronia (circa 1650).
One of our first challenges is to determine what type of palisade might best represent this village over time. What does the historical record say - what does the archaeological record verify - what is the most common village palisade footprint found in Huronia. The choices seem to range from a singe palisade wall to up five rows of palisade somewhat more spaced apart. The remainder of the old village has a tight nit single palisade that is more reflective of a European stockade than native village palisade in my opinion but then this may well represent the palisades of the later Huron period after the French influence was had taken root.
Should you be able to help with the research please included historical references that relate to Wendake and archaeological evidence that is from this same geographic area. Your assistance can come in the form of post and or comments on this blog, email to me as you will find in my profile or by regular mail to the Huronia Chapters address. Should you be interested in becoming part of advisory group to the village rebuild committee of the Huronia Museum please let me know.
1 comment:
It would be interesting to see and compare the notes and drafts of the many recorded sites that are known of in the near area that may have a close geographic lay out as the museum! It would not be to hard, given the many sites at hand! The work has been done now all we need to do is present it to the people for their input so that it’s the best it can be on paper before the project starts~~~ there may not be an otter opportunity like this again!
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