Slow drive through the Forests of the Huron Wendat

Driving slowly through the forest of the Huron Wendat near Penetanguishene, Ontario

In March 1649, a large force of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) attacked Huron-Wendat (Wendat) villages near present-day Midland, Ontario.

The attacks on the missions of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons and the village of St. Louis on March 16, 1th-century, led to the destruction of the Wendat Confederacy.

Historical Context and Key Events

The Conflict: Part of the prolonged Beaver Wars as the Haudenosaunee sought control of the fur trade and hunting grounds.

The Attacks: On March 16, 1649, warriors overran the Wendat towns of St. Ignace and St. Louis.

The Captives: Jesuit missionaries Jean de Brébeuf and Gabriel Lalemant were captured and killed at St. Louis.

The Dispersal: Faced with ongoing devastation, famine, and disease, the surviving Wendat burned their own villages and dispersed from their ancestral homeland (Huronia) by 1650.