Niagara: An Aboriginal Center of Trade

The Niagara Falls situated on the Niagara River flowing through both the United States and Canada, is an iconic feature famed for its picturesque beauty. But beyond its natural appeal is another side of its history. That of being a thriving center of Aboriginal Trade. «That the Indians traded among themselves is unquestioned. When Cartier, in 1534, ascended the St. Lawrence River, the Indians of Hochelaga were smoking tobacco which had been grown in the sunny south lands. The Muskegons, around James Bay, traded their furs with their southern neighbors for birch bark, out of which to make their canoes. Axes and arrow heads of obsidian—a stone found on the lower Mississippi—were in use among the tribes to the north of Quebec. The Indian „trade“ was not all done haphazard. The most of it was done at gatherings held at regularly agreed upon times and places. And in the selection of localities, Niagara must have been a favored meeting place.»