This dissertation uses archaeological and historical data to examine the impact thatmigration had on community identity among the Wendat communities that moved into the western Great Lakes during the second half of the seventeenth century. Research on contemporary displaced peoples has shown that migration and resettlement processes put severe stress on communities, which can lead to community identity transformation. One particularly unique case is that of a diaspora community, dispersed over several regions and maintaining a distinct emotional link to their homeland. In this research, an archaeological model for recognizing diaspora communities and distinguishing them from other forced migrant groups is developed. This model is rooted in theories of migration, ethnicity and identity and uses Rockman’s model of colonization barriers as a basis for its creation. This model is applied to the migration of the Wendat people who collectively resettled from Southern Ontario into the western Great Lakes during the seventeenth century. Archaeological and historical data associated with five archaeological sites, two in Southern Ontario and three in the western Great Lakes, are analyzed. This data set allows for a diachronic analysis of the long-term impacts of migration, which is not often available to cultural anthropologists. Two main archaeological data sets are analyzed to understand resettlement practices and identity. First, symbolic materials are analyzed. Ceramics, pipes and carved faunal materials are all malleable objects on which individuals can create and modify semiotic systems to reflect their sense of identity. Changes in these materials diachronically and spatially are evaluated using a Brainerd Robinson coefficient of similarity. Secondly, lithic resources at settlement sites are analyzed to determine knowledge of local resources and access to high quality materials as an indicator of social networks and local knowledge. These two datasets are then combined with the ethnohistoric data to evaluate the applicability of Safran’s six characteristics of diasporic communities in the case of the western Wendat. I conclude that this community does indeed reflect a diasporic community. While data suggests that accommodation and integration into local networks in the resettlement area was practiced initially following dispersal, a reassertion of Wendat identity followed. This corresponds to a period of increased stability and reduced hostility from 1670-1701.
Read
