The Petun, or Tionontati (“People Among the Hills/Mountains”)

I led an Historical Hike with fellow members of the Blue Mountain Bruce Trail Club. A day in Our local History – December 7, 1649 marks the 370th Anniversary of when the Iroquois conducted a deadly raid against the Petun Wolf clan village Etharita (St Jean), one of the nine Petun Villages located along the bottom ridge of the Blue Mountains, going from Craigleith to Duntroon. They killed men, women and children, as well as the Jesuit Missionary, Father Charles Garnier.. Another Jesuit missionary Noël Chabanel, who left two days before, escapes the massacre (3 days before I led this hike). The next day however, the Huron who accompanies him in canoe robs and kills him with his hatchet before throwing his body into the river. This is the history I spoke about on my hike as we stood on the top ridge over-looking the location of the Petun Village where the attack happened. Signing off “Hiking with the Viking” Map 23, Blue Mountains Bruce Trail Club