Our Voices, Our Histories

The early 1800s were a time of great conflict for Great Britain, both at home and overseas. After going to war with France, Britain wanted America to stop trading with the French. Britain also wanted the United States to return sailors who had left British ships to join the American navy. 

The Americans resented both demands, and in 1812, the United States attacked the British colonies of Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Quebec). The Americans wanted to fight Britain on land because the British had a better navy that the Americans. The war ended in a draw in 1814. 

The war helped to create a feeling of nationalism in Canada, because the American invasion had been repelled, thanks in part to the leadership of men and women like General Isaac Brock, Charles de Salaberry, Laura Secord, and Tecumseh. This bust shows Brock as he might have looked before he led the British soldiers and Canadian militia to victory at Queenston Heights in the early part of the war, though he died in battle there. 

Do Brock, de Salaberry, Secord, and Tecumseh deserve to be called “heroes”?

General Sir Isaac Brock was the British military officer in charge of protecting Upper Canada, the land that would eventually become Ontario, from invading American forces in 1812. He led British soldiers and Canadian volunteers; he also respected and worked closely with Tecumseh, the leader of the Indigenous armies.

Object Information: 
Materials: Terracotta
Size: 39.4 cm (height), 24.5 cm (width), 18.8 cm (depth)
Area of Origin: Ontario, Canada
Gallery: Sigmund Samuel Gallery of Canada, Level 1
Gift of the Honourable Mr. Justice Dalton C. Wells

Growing out of the earliest interactions between the British Colonies in North America and Indigenous nations, The Covenant Chain is as a series of relationships binding the various tribes, nations, and cultures of eastern Turtle Island, which grew out of the earliest interactions between the British Colonies in North America and Indigenous Nations. 

For the British settlers, the Covenant Chain represented their wish to form long-lasting and secure bonds with the Indigenous nations, thereby promoting peace, the ability to conduct trade, and friendly terms between peoples. It was also a means through which the British sought to share power with their Indigenous allies and extend their influence throughout Turtle Island. 

For many of the Indigenous tribes, especially the Haudenosaunee, the Covenant Chain was an important development in the complex series of relationships that ran between the many peoples of Turtle Island. Indigenous nations had a long history of making treaties with one another, which included agreements to settle disputes over resources such as land and waterways. One key element of the agreements made between Indigenous nations was the understanding that these relationships were living agreements, requiring renewal and ongoing communication between groups. The Covenant Chain developed into a series of alliances that included many Indigenous nations, and was a powerful source of economic and military influence in the early Colonial Period.

The idea of an imaginary metal chain that bound the British Colonies to Indigenous nations began in what is now New York State during the early 17th Century. The earliest Covenant Chains were shown as being made from iron, but over time the Indigenous and British recognized the need to reaffirm, discuss, and renew their relationships. To better reflect the nature of their relationship, the Covenant Chain was changed one made from silver, a metal which can be more easily polished to a bright shine. Silver also was chosen for its high value, signifying the importance of the relationship for both parties. The act of renewing the relationships within the Covenant Chain came to be known as “polishing the silver,” and was often accompanied with the giving of gifts and assistance between the parties. In this way, the Covenant Chain incorporated the Indigenous idea that continual renewal is required for enduring agreements, and served both groups’ desire for peace and trade. 

Today the covenant chain is often invoked as a metaphor of the underlying relationship between Indigenous peoples and all western peoples in North America.

While the Covenant Chain was not a formal treaty document, the idea of the Covenant Chain remains a strong presence in the affairs between the state and Indigenous peoples in Canada.

What other use was silver put to within the Indigenous-Western relationship? 

While the Covenant Chain ceased to exist as an active alliance well before the War of 1812, the use of silver as a way to show the value of the Indigenous and European relationship continued. The British Crown minted Indian Peace Medals such as this one to commemorate the end of the War of 1812, which were given to the leading figures within an Indigenous nation. 

Silver was also put to a variety of other uses within the Indigenous and European relationship, including the making of armbands, necklaces, and tools that were given as status symbols to Indigenous leaders.

Object Information: 
Materials:  Struck silver
Area of Origin: London, England
Size: 6.7 cm (length), 6 cm (height)
Gallery:   Daphne Cockwell Gallery of Canada, First Peoples
Edmund Morris collection 

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