Heritage Bytes

Sauga 50-for-50: Lighting the Sacred Fire with Mark Sault

What makes a Sacred Fire?

A Sacred Fire is sacred because it is used as an Anishinabe traditional wellness approach. A Sacred Fire is an important part of Anishinabe spirituality, communication with the spirit realm, and our ancestors. It is a sacred practice meant to make individuals feel open, grounded, and connected with people on Earth, and those that have moved on.

As a member of the Mississauga of the Credit First Nation, Mark learned many of his teachings from respected Elders of North Western Ontario while working in Thunder Bay with the Seven Generations Education Institute from 1990 to 2014. He retired in 2014 and returned to his home territory of Mississauga of the Credit where he was born and raised. He has gathered and studied some of the local plants and trees that are used to make herbal teas that help with many of the health problems that plague our population. He shares his knowledge of plants, harvesting and the holistic uses of sacred medicines. Some of the are teachings are with the process of preparing wild rice from the plant to dish, lying white Indian corn, making bannock and some jams.

We acknowledge that the land on which we meet today is part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We recognize the importance of this land and pay our respects to the Anishinaabe and other First Nations, Métis and Inuit past, present and future.

 

To stay up to date with Mississauga's 50th Anniversary celebrations, follow Heritage Mississauga on social media @heritagemississauga and also follow #Sauga50for50 to stay up to date with new upcoming podcast episodes.

Music: Cojonudo by Esteban Maxera Cuarteto

Sauga 50-for-50: Exploring the Credit River with Carolyn King

This time on Sauga 50-for-50, explore an Indigenous perspective on the importance of the Credit River with Carolyn King.

Carolyn has been engaged by government, colleges and universities, businesses and community organizations to do cross-cultural training sessions and presentations to help people develop a better understanding of Indigenous and First Nations people in Canada. A recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, in recognition of her support for First Nation history and advancement of the Indigenous Peoples, she has been a driving force in the identification of the significance of current and historic sites within traditional territorial lands and the preservation of First Nations traditions. Carolyn King received the Order of Canada, one of our country’s highest honours in 2020. Presented by the governor general, the Order honours people whose service shapes our society; whose innovations ignite our imaginations; and whose compassion unites our communities. Carolyn's appointment was for her expertise in community development, her advocacy of Indigenous-led initiatives, and her efforts to improve Canadians’ understanding of First Nations.

We acknowledge that the land on which we meet today is part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We recognize the importance of this land and pay our respects to the Anishinaabe and other First Nations, Métis and Inuit past, present and future.

 

To stay up to date with Mississauga's 50th Anniversary celebrations, follow Heritage Mississauga on social media @heritagemississauga and also follow #Sauga50for50 to stay up to date with new upcoming podcast episodes.

Music: Cojonudo by Esteban Maxera Cuarteto

Sauga 50-for-50: The Man who put the 'Q' in Q Park...

This week on Sauga 50-for-50, Historian Matthew Wilkinson and Traditional Knowledge and Land Use Coordinator for the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Darin Wybenga, answer a question from about who Quenippenon Meadows Community Park, known simply as "Q Park" to residents, is named after. The story will take us back to one of the most tumultutious times in the history of Mississauga and for the Mississaugas of the Credit. It is a story of a great man, of hope and loss, and how the Mississaugas are still here on our landscape to this day.

 

To stay up to date with Mississauga's 50th Anniversary celebrations, follow Heritage Mississauga on social media @heritagemississauga and also follow #Sauga50for50 to stay up to date with new upcoming podcast episodes.

Music:

Cojonudo by Esteban Maxera Cuarteto

Sauga 50-for-50: Learn Your Treaties!

Join Historian Matthew Wilkinson as he explores Treaties 22 & 23 and the Racey Tract in Historic Mississauga. June marks National Indigenous History Month, and Heritage Mississauga would like to encourage Canadians to celebrate and learn more about the cultural identity and diversity of First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.

 

To stay up to date with Mississauga's 50th Anniversary celebrations, follow Heritage Mississauga on social media @heritagemississauga and also follow #Sauga50for50 to stay up to date with new upcoming podcast episodes.

Music: Cojonudo by Esteban Maxera Cuarteto

Sauga 50-for-50: 10,000 Years of Mississauga

This story tells the founding tale of Mississauga, rooted in the geological transformation of its landscape. Around 10,000 years ago, the region was covered by a massive glacier that eventually melted, forming the Credit River and reshaping the terrain. The melting glacier eroded rocks, and created fertile conditions for life to flourish. The river became home to various species of fish, including salmon, as well as diverse ancient wildlife like mastodons and giant beavers. While many these ancient creatures are now extinct, the Credit River remains teeming with life, hosting deer, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, and more. Mississauga, now a bustling city, still retains its natural beauty and serves as a reminder of the vibrant ecosystem that thrives along the Credit River.

 

To stay up to date with Mississauga's 50th Anniversary celebrations, follow Heritage Mississauga on social media @heritagemississauga and also follow #Sauga50for50 to stay up to date with new upcoming podcast episodes.

Music: Cojonudo by Esteban Maxera Cuarteto

Sauga 50-for-50: Mississauga's Lost Sheridan Village...

Join us for this week's podcast as we read from Heritage Mississauga's "The Lost Villages of Mississauga" publication on the village of Sheridan.

The historic village of Sheridan grew around the intersection of Winston Churchill Boulevard and the Queen Elizabeth Way (formerly Middle Road). Originally known as Hammondsville, Sheridan was named after British playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan in 1857. The village was home to a general store, post office, a Methodist (later United) Church, school, a Temperance Hall, a tannery, blacksmith, and a chair factory. Sheridan Nurseries was founded in and named after the village of Sheridan. Although the historic village has largely disappeared, its name lives on in a variety of forms, such as Sheridan College, Sheridan Homelands, Sheridan Mall Shopping Plaza and Sheridan Park Research Centre. In 1967 the name of Sheridan placed second in the vote for naming the Town (now City) of Mississauga, yet very few people today know of Sheridan's past and very little remains of its existence.

 

To stay up to date with Mississauga's 50th Anniversary celebrations, follow Heritage Mississauga on social media @heritagemississauga and also follow #Sauga50for50 to stay up to date with new upcoming podcast episodes.

Music: Cojonudo by Esteban Maxera Cuarteto

Sauga 50-for-50: Mastering the 1812 Muster with the 2nd Regt. of York Militia

On this week's episode of Sauga 50-for-50, we follow the 2nd Regiment of York Militia, also known as Thompson's Company, a group of living history enthusiasts who, through research and living history, recreate the lives of soldiers and civilians of historic Mississauga during the War of 1812. ​

Thompson’s Company functions, in part, as an educational component of Heritage Mississauga by participating in community events, functions and through reenactments. Members come from across Peel Region representing a range of ages and walks of life.

Drill sergeant, Bert Jagoda, is drilling the company on the manual of arms, formations and field exercises, and the platoon firing exercises for their upcoming season. The 2nd York members are keen to dust off the rust and get back to public events with educational, entertaining, and historically accurate reenactments.

 

To stay up to date with Mississauga's 50th Anniversary celebrations, follow Heritage Mississauga on social media @heritagemississauga and also follow #Sauga50for50 to stay up to date with new upcoming podcast episodes.

Music:

Cojonudo by Esteban Maxera Cuarteto

 

Sauga 50-for-50: Uncovering the Stories of Early Chinese Immigrants in Historic Mississauga

On this week's episode of Sauga 50-for-50, we welcome Heritage Mississauga intern student Daston Babakan to speak about his research on early Chinese immigrants to historic Mississauga during the period of Chinese Exclusion in Canada (1923-1947). He traces local trends and stories discovered through his research to understand the day-to-day lives of these residents by examining their family, spiritual and work lives. This research is ongoing and we look forward to discovering more about our Chinese community in the future. If you have any memories or information regarding this topic in Mississauga's history, please reach out to resource@heritagemississauga.org

 

To stay up to date with Mississauga's 50th Anniversary celebrations, follow Heritage Mississauga on social media @heritagemississauga and also follow #Sauga50for50 to stay up to date with new upcoming podcast episodes.

Music:

Cojonudo by Esteban Maxera Cuarteto

Sauga 50-for-50: Polish Heritage in Mississauga... Celebrating Contributions with Orlinski Museum

On this week's episode of Sauga 50-for-50, we invite Orlinski Museum curator Robert Stanczyk onto the program as we celebrate Polish Heritage Month. We discuss key moments in Polish history and how Polish Canadians have impacted the City of Mississauga. 

 

To stay up to date with Mississauga's 50th Anniversary celebrations, follow Heritage Mississauga on social media @heritagemississauga and also follow #Sauga50for50 to stay up to date with new upcoming podcast episodes.

Music:

Cojonudo by Esteban Maxera Cuarteto

Sauga 50-for-50: How the Stonehookers Saved Port Credit

It has been said that Toronto was built on Dundas Shale. A careful look at the foundations of buildings erected in Toronto (and in Port Credit) prior to 1910 often reveals stone foundations. In an age before the ready availability of concrete, a constant supply of building stone was essential. Beginning in the 1840s and lasting until just after the First World War, the Lake Ontario waterfront between the Credit River and Burlington Bay was busy with those engaged in mining the shallow waters for shale and loading the stone onto small sail-driven vessels known as stonehookers. 

This week on Sauga 50-for-50, we feature the story of how the Stonehookers turned Port Credit from what had seemed like a steadily declining village into a booming economy in the mid-1800s. This podcast is narrated by Ross Noel, Richard Collins, Justine Lyn, and Matthew Wilkinson, with recordings by the late Lorne Joyce and music by the late Leonard Walsh.

 

To stay up to date with Mississauga's 50th Anniversary celebrations, follow Heritage Mississauga on social media @heritagemississauga and also follow #Sauga50for50 to stay up to date with new upcoming podcast episodes.

Music:

Dundas Shale by Leonard Walsh (1956 - 2013)

Cojonudo by Esteban Maxera Cuarteto