Native American

Monague Native American Crafts

"The Spirit of Service is in our Family"

Monague Native Crafts Ltd. started with humble beginnings. Originally selling out of a van that housed the family, then developing a small cottage craft base, and progressing to creating hand-drawn catalogues. Awarded with the "Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversay of the Confederation of Canada" by the Governor General of Canada, Monage Native Crafts is widely recognized for its significant contribution to community and country.

The Monague family is a member of the Beausoleil First Nation (Ojibwa) of Ontario. They combine traditional teaching with their more contemporary experiences to offer a unique presentation of their vision in the form of high quality, impressive, handmade gifts.

Brief History of the Beausoleil First Nation

Members of Beausoleil First Nation are descendants of a larger Band known as the Chippewas of Lake Huron and Lake Simcoe. In October of 1818 the Chippewas surrendered a large tract of land south of Georgian Bay, and in 1830 they were settled by Sir John Colborne onto land between Coldwater and Lake Couchiching, the "Coldwater Tract". They surrendered this settlement in November of 1836 and subsequently subdivided into three distinct Bands and settled onto separate reserves - Chief Aisance and Band going to Beausoleil Island in 1842, Chief Yellowhead and his band going to Rama in 1838, and Chief Joseph Snake and his Band going to Snake Island (now Georgina Island) in about 1838.

The soil on Beausoleil Island proved to be unsuitable for cultivation, so the Band moved to the Christian Islands which had been set aside as a reserve in the 1850s. On June 5, 1856 all of the islands in Georgian Bay (except the Christian Islands) were surrendered or sold to the Crown. The Christian Island reserve was confirmed by the Williams Treaties of 1923.

Source: www.chiefs-of-ontario.org