Ohsweken, Ontario
Ohsweken is a dispersed rural community located within the Six Nations of the Grand River, in Brant County, 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.
History
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 Tough Gilkison, established a council building in what is present-day Ohsweken, about south-west of Middleport. Gilkison later retired in 1891 under pressure from Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald for incompetence. Though the Onondaga chiefs argued that they should establish their own centre of government, the village of Ohsweken quickly developed in the surrounding area.Arts and culture
Six Nations Fall Fair
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.Bread and Cheese (Independence Day)
In appreciation of the Six Nations' support for Great Britain during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, Queen Victoria began an annual tradition of giving blankets to their community. The custom ended with Victoria's death in 1901.In 1924, however, the council of the Six Nations decided to revive the practice, this time with gifts of bread and cheese, as a commemoration of the close ties between Six Nations and the British Crown. Every year, thousands of people stand in line to enter the Gaylord Powless Arena where they receive large squares of bread and cheese. The celebrations also include carnival rides and games, a parade from Chiefswood Park to the arena, and a street dance held by CKRZ-FM.