Alderville First Nation Black Oak Savanna
Pamitaashkodeyong
The south shores of Rice Lake have been home to a group of Michi Saagiig Anishinabeg of the Ojibway Nation since the mid-1830’s. Prior to that time, the people lived on their traditional lands around the Bay of Quinte (Grape Island). After the American Revolution, an influx of British settlers moving north forced the Michi Saagiig of Grape Island to surrender their land and migrate.
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When this Michi Saagiig group arrived in the Rice Lake area, they saw the land had been burned. Haudenosaunee people had been living on this land and used fire to clear areas for agriculture. The Michi Saagiig Anishinabeg continued this use of fire. Swaths of land were burned so large that flames could be seen reflected in the water of Rice Lake. The area became known as "Pamitaashkodeyong" which means "where it burns and where it travels" or "lake of the burning plains."
As a result of continued cultural burning, Tallgrass Prairie & Black Oak Savanna habitats have persisted on Alderville First Nation lands. The Michi Saagiig Anishinabeg of Alderville burned the land to maintain "mishkode" which translates to "meadow" or "prairie". They knew that when the land was burned, food and medicines would grow and thrive. The Alderville Black Oak Savanna property has been burned for hundreds of years allowing fire-dependant plant species to thrive.
In 1999, there was discussion of a new housing development that would go on what is now the Alderville Black Oak Savanna. Alderville Elder & Biologist Rick Beaver happened to notice the extremely rare plant communities on the property and identified the site as being remnant Tallgrass Prairie. Knowing the biological importance of these ecosystems, he brought this information to Chief & Council and proposed the land be preserved. Chief & Council passed a Band Council Resolution to protect the land in perpetuity. Rick went on to found the Alderville Black Oak Savanna and lay the groundwork for what is now a successful, Indigenous-led ecological restoration organization. Today, the team continues ecological burning on site; a marriage of traditional burning techniques passed on to us by the Alderville community and Western science-based Prescription Burning regimes. ​​​​​