National Indigenous Peoples Day to be celebrated in Tillsonburg

Turtlefest is back, June 16 and 17.

It starts Friday at 8 p.m. with a pizza party on the lawn at Annandale National Historic Site, and an outdoor Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie shown at dusk (just after 9 p.m.). Bring your own lawn chairs/blankets. The movie is free, pizza and pop can be purchased.

On Saturday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. come back to ANHS for more Turtlefest fun, including Lego on the Lawn; a live turtle and snake display by Scales Nature Park and 30-minute live presentation at 11 a.m.; an information booth and live animal display by Skunk Haven of Dragon’s Lair with Slider the Skunk; Turtle Tales Fun with turtle story tellers, including Never Give Up by Jan Everett​; Children’s author Jan Brett will walk you around the lawn and tell you about Mossy during the Annandale Kindergarten Story Walk. Buy a glass of delicious lemonade and support the Kindergarten Outdoor Classroom Area of Annandale Public School.

There will be turtle games (and prizes) and free turtle crafts. Get a temporary tattoo of mascot George T. Turtle and a Turtlefest helium balloon featuring George T.

Also get a ‘green posy’ for George Tillson’s grave. Turtlefest is based on a legend about our town’s founder, George Tillson, returning one day as a turtle. Honour George by picking up a green flower to put on his resting spot in the Pioneer Cemetery. Directions to his resting place provided.

Tillson Trails Walking Tours available at 10:30 and 1:30 with a guide who will tell you all about George and his family, their homes and businesses.

Don’t forget to visit the museum for Turtle Find & Count, locating the turtles IN Annandale House. A prize to one who finds them all​!

National Indigenous Peoples Day is being celebrated by the Tillsonburg and District Historical Society on Wednesday, June 21 at 4 p.m. at the Soccer Club pavilion on Attawandaron Way. All this land 600 years ago was an Iroquoian village site.

The theme will be recognition of Indigenous Veterans and their ancestors, with participation by Royal Canadian Legion Branch 153 and a presentation by Dr. Jason Pankratz. You are invited – bring your friends and family. A limited number of pins commemorating the Indigenous Veterans of Canada will be presented to those attending.

Jason will be telling you about indigenous people’s participation in WWI, WWII and Korea and a connection to the Royal Canadian Legion and Remembrance.

There was a war on Canadian soil where our indigenous peoples rallied around Shawnee war chief Tecumseh and his brother, Tenskwatawa (the Prophet), to form a confederacy. They decided to fight with the British against American aggression.

In his book A Sketch Account of Aboriginal Peoples in the Canadian Military, John Moses wrote, “By doing so they were to receive their own separate country with sovereign rights for Native Americans of all tribes. It was also to be a buffer state between Canada and the US.”

For the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, I researched the war and Laura Secord’s long walk in 1813 to warn Lieut. Fitzgibbons, of an American attack at Beaver Dams. The odds were terrible, but our indigenous allies saved us once again. Dominique Ducharme, a self-proclaimed leader of the Iroquois, had asked to set up their men in a ravine to afford an ambush. Fighting with him were 300 Caughnawaga warriors, as well as John Brant (son of Joseph Brant) and John Norton (son-in-law of Joseph Brant] with Six Nations and William Kerr who led 100 Mohawks.

Moses also wrote, “This battle of the Beaver Dams was one of the most notable aboriginal victories of the War of 1812 – for a cost of not more than twenty killed and wounded, the warriors had killed, wounded or captured six hundred Americans.”

If you would like to know more about this woman and this pivotal event of the War of 1812, you are welcome to attend, ‘Laura Secord – Canadian Heroine,’ a PowerPoint presentation by myself for the Tillsonburg Military Club at our Legion, June 27 at 7 p.m., for the 210th anniversary of her amazing walk. It is free.

If not for our indigenous allies in that war, today Canada would be part of the United States. Were our allies respected and given their due? No. Their advocates, Tecumseh and Brock were both killed, and their promises betrayed so the First Nations received nothing but a bleak future.

Three free celebrations in Tillsonburg. Get them on your calendars!