June 22,1959 Press Release Plaque To Commemorate Chief William Yellowhead

On Sat. June 27. 1959 commencing at 3 pm. ceremonies in connection with the unveiling if an historical plaque will take place in Couchiching Beach Park  Orillia. This plaque is one of a series being erected through out the province by the Historical Branch of the Department of Travel and Publicity, acting on the advice of the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board of Ontario. Saturday's ceremony is being sponsored by the Orillia Chamber of Commerce whose president, Mr. John Spencer, will act as programme chairman . The Archaeological and Historic Sites Board will be represented by its chairman Mr. W.H. Cranston of Midland, and the plaque  will be unveiled by Mr. Joseph Yellowhead, a  descendant of the Chief who is being commemorated. Others who are expected to take part in the ceremony are: His Worship Major A.J. Truman, Mr. William McEacheran, chairman of the  Orillia Parks Board, Mr.LIoyed Letherby,M.P.P Mr. J. A. Coutts, president of the Huronia Historic Sites and Tourist Association , Mr.I. J. Douglas Chief of Rama Indian Reserve, and Mr. C. L. Bigcanoe, Chief of the Georgina  Island Reserve.  William Yellowhead, known also by his Indian  name " Musquakie" , was  born about 1769. The exact place and date of his birth havenever been definitely established, but in the records of the St. James Church at Orillia there is a notation entered at the time of burial  which states that he was about one hundred years old. Musquakie was the son of Chief William Yellowhead, Sr,, the principal Chief of the Deer Tribe of the Chippewa or Ojibwa Indians Before Europeans  penetrated the upper Great Lakes region the Ojibwa, Indians of Algonkian stock, roamed the north of Lake Huron and Superior . One of the earliest reported meetings between white men and Ojibwa took place in 1640. These Indians are described in the " Jesuit Relations" of that year as being "people of the Sault." It is entirely possible that the famous explorer, Jean Nicolet, had met them during his journey to the vicinity of Sault Ste. Marie in 1634 _ 35, but there is no contemporary record which prove this. The Ojibwa were always relatively friendly towards the French who frequently visited their region during the 17th and early 18th centuries. In the 1700's following the decline of  Iroquois power, the Ojibwa and their kinsmen , the Mississaugas, moved southward toward Lake Ontario. After the British conquest of Canada the Ojibwa continued on good terms with the administration.  They were regarded highly by Lieutenant- Governor John Graves Simcoe . In a letter to Lord Dorchester , he says oh them "... these people deserve the utmost attention; unlike the Five Nations , they do not look up to any persons but the King's officers or subjects , nor is their power to be slighted  since ,though they are not numerous themselves in this part of the country, they can draw to a head very formidable numbers" The good relations established in the early years  Of British rule in Canada stood the colony in good stead when it was attacked buy the United Sates in 1812. The Ojibwa, unlike some other more vacillating tribes in Upper Canada, immediately rallied to the Crown under the leadership of William Yellowhead, Sr.. They fought by the side of British and Canadian forces in many engagements during that war and put up a stiff resistance during the American attack on York in April 1813. It is believed that during that battle Chief Yellowhead ,Sr. was severely wounded and soon afterward his son, Musquakie , was appointed  principal chief of the Deer Tribes.In 1818 the Crown purchased 1,592,000 acres of land in the principal men of the Chippewa nation of Indian's" and one of the signers was  Chief William Yellowhead,Jr. Sir John Colborne was appointed Lieutenant- governor of Upper Canada in 1828 and one of his major projects was to gather together the no-madic tribes of Lake Huron and Simcoe areas onto  reserves. White settlement was proceeding apace and new land was required to handle the great influx of immigrants into the province. In accordance with this plan, a strip of land between Coldwater and Orillia was designated by the government as a reserve for several Ojibwa bands including that led by Chief Yellowhead . A road was built and land provided for the Indians along its route, Yellowhead  and his followers settled in the vicinity of Orillia, and a house  which stood until recent times was erected for his use. Unfortunately,as so  often happened in other areas of the province, white settlers infiltrated into the region  and friction occurred between them and the resident Indian population. Moreover,the influx of white population spoiled the Indian hunting grounds in the immediate vicinity. Although farming had been commenced on the reserve under the guidance of the Indian superintendent,T.G.Anderson, the Indians had not entirely given up their traditional adherence to the chase. Despite Yellowheads personal popularity, the Ojibwa were compelled to relinquish the land which they had held for such a brief period and were relocated to more remote reserves of which the most important were Rama and Beausoleil Island . Chief Yellowhead and his band moved from Orillia to Rama during late 1838 and early 1839. Musqukie  spent the remainder of his life there .A devout Christian, he was highly respected and admired by all who knew him. It was largely through  his efforts and those of his father that the loyalty of the Ojibwa to the British Crown was preserved. When he died in 1864 he was buried in St James shurch yard. Al though no monument remains to indicate the exact site of his grave ,it is thought to be in the vicinity of the main door of the church . A more permanent memorial does however remain with us today in the name of the Muskoka District of Ontario. It is generally believed that this region was named after him since the area comprised part of his recognized hunting grounds.