Heritage Mississauga Heritage Guide

Aboriginal history
Mississaugas
Of The New Credit—First Nation
People have lived along the shores of
Lake Ontario, in what is now the City
of Mississauga, for over 10,000 years.
Between 1650 and 1720 there was a
transition between Iroquoian-speaking
peoples of the Late Woodland Period and
the Mississaugas, an Ojibwa tribe, who
came to establish themselves throughout
large portions of Southern Ontario,
including along the Credit River in what
is now the City of Mississauga.
The Mississaugas are part of the
Ojibwa Nation, in the Algonquian
culture-language family. They established
themselves on the north shore of Lake
Ontario between 1700 and 1720. During
the American Revolution, the British
Crown began acquiring, by treaty, large
tracts of land for incoming Loyalist
settlers. The first land purchase involving
the British Crown and the Mississaugas
was in 1781. By 1800, all that remained
of the Mississaugas’ territory was the
“Mississauga Tract”, which covered an area
from Etobicoke Creek to Burlington Bay.
In 1805, the British began negotiations for
this land.
On August 2 nd , 1805, the Mississaugas
and the British Crown signed Treaty
13-A, commonly referred to as the First
Purchase. The Crown acquired a strip
of land, from the Etobicoke Creek to
Burlington Bay to a depth of six miles
inland (marked today by modern Eglinton
Avenue). Part of this became Toronto
Township (now the City of Mississauga).
The Mississaugas retained one mile
on either side of the Credit River, the
land on either side of the Twelve and
Sixteen Mile Creeks, and the interior of
the “Mississauga Tract” north of Eglinton
Avenue. On October 28 th , 1818, the Crown
and the Mississaugas signed Treaty 19,
through which the Crown acquired the
rest of the “Mississauga Tract”, excluding
the three portions of land on the Credit
River, and the Twelve and Sixteen Mile
Creeks.
However, incoming settlers desired
access to the rivers and creeks for mills
and fresh water. This pressure in part led
to the signing of Treaties 22 and 23 on
February 28 th , 1820, which surrendered
most of the remaining reserve lands. After
the treaties the Mississaugas retained
200 acres along the Credit River. In 1825
the Mississaugas living along the Credit
River gained support in their dealings
with the government with the arrival of
Reverend Peter Jones (Kahkewaquonaby,
1802-1856). In 1826 the Crown and the
Mississaugas agreed to build a village
along the Credit River. Under the
leadership of Peter Jones, John Jones,
18 Heritage Guide of Mississauga