Huron-Wendats of the Trade

The Huron-Wendats of the Trade or, more precisely, the Huron-Wendat First Nation and members of the Iroquoian language family. Wendat is the name and Huron is the nickname given by the French.

Historically, Donnacona, Grand Chief of Stadacona welcomed explorer Jacques Cartier during his second voyage to Canada.

When Cartier returned to France, he took Donnacona and his two sons, Domagaya and Taignoagny with him so they could become interpreters.

Donnacona died in France, Cartier never came back with the two "interpreters" and Agona, Donnacona's rival eventually avenged him.

Because of Jacques Cartier and because of his policies and eventual consequences, the years 1541-1542 are when the wars between the Iroquois and the French all began.

Huron-Wendat First Nation

The Huron-Wendats were known as great traders well before the French and the English first contacts and colonization. An Huron-Wendat community now led by one Grand Chef and eight Chefs Familiaux.

A Grand Chef who, among other responsibilities, is Chair of the Committee on territorial affirmation and who is responsible for external affairs, relations and communications with the First Nations, the Inuit and the Governments as well as the Cercle des Sages.

Huron-Wendat First Nation and people who, through their knowledge, their wisdom and their experience, earned the trust, the respect and the affection of their community.

Huron-Wendat Art - McCord Museum

Wendake is home to a school, l'École Wahta, to a health facility, le Centre de santé Marie-Paule-Sioui-Vincent and to the Service de police de Wendake. Wendake is also home to the Hôtel Musée Premières Nations, a hotel, a museum and an event center.

Historically, the Huron-Wendats led a semi-sedentary life. They grew corn in abundance as well as tobacco and used their surplus to trade with other North American Indigenous peoples.

Nowadays, their local SDC - Société de développement commercial offers technical expertise to their 60 or so local businesses that each provide jobs to indigenous and non indigenous peoples.

Huronia Art Work - Lewis Parker

Wendake is the only remaining Huron-Wendat community famous for promoting its cultural legacy and for its many tourist attractions. A Wendake urban reserve that offers a large variety of services to its members and a community considered as one if not the most urbanized First Nation.

Grand Chef Max Gros-Louis

Former Grand Chief Magella (Max) Gros-Louis, who championed Indigenous rights for more than 30 years as leader of the Huron-Wendat First Nation recently died has died at the age of 89.

Born in 1931, Gros-Louis led the First Nation for a total of 33 years, from 1964 to 1984, from 1987 to 1996 and then from 2004 to 2008. During that time he worked to enlarge the nation's territory, brought the community to international prominence and raised awareness of mistreatment of Indigenous people.

Max Gros Louis - Photo from The Gazette - (6 August 1931 – 14 November 2020)

Max Gros-Louis was one of the founding members of the National Indian Brotherhood, which became the Assembly of First Nations, and was a recipient of numerous awards including the Order of Canada and the Order of Quebec." Source: CBC Montreal

Montreal Kits
Huron-Wendats of the Trade

Huron-Wendat Singular - Huron-Wendats Plural

The Abenakis, Anishinaabeg, Atikamekw, Crees, Huron-Wendats, Innus, Maliseets, Mi'kmaq, Mowhawks, Naskapis First Nations and, the Inuit in Inuit Nunangat, the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada and Alaska.