Dispersed but Not Destroyed: A History of the Seventeenth-Century Wendat People

by Kathryn Magee Labelle

Situated within the area stretching from Georgian Bay in the north to Lake Simcoe in the east, the Wendat Confederacy flourished for two hundred years. By the mid-seventeenth century, however, Wendat society was threatened by European disease and Iroquois attacks. Dispersed but Not Destroyed depicts the creation of a powerful Wendat diaspora in the wake of their dispersal and throughout the latter half of the century. Turning the story of the Wendat conquest on its head, this book demonstrates the resiliency of the Wendat people and writes a new chapter in North American history.

Genres: History, Indigenous, Native American, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2013

About the author

Dr. Kathryn Magee Labelle (Dr. Katie) is a Full Professor at the University of Saskatchewan. Her research projects centre primarily on the histories of the Wendat/Wyandot(te)/Huron nations, within their historic and current homelands across Turtle Island (North America). Of particular interest is the intergenerational effects of early colonial encounters on matricentric societies and their relationship to Indigenous governance, resistance and community-building strategies. Her publications include the award-winning book Dispersed, But Not Destroyed: A History of the Seventeenth Century Wendat People (UBC Press, 2013). She also co-edited with Thomas Peace From Huronia to Wendakes: Adversity, Migration, and Resilience, 1650-1900 (UO Press, 2016). Her most recent publication was done in collaboration with the Wendat/Wandat Women's Advisory Council, entitled: Daughters of Aataentsic: Life Stories. from Seven Generations (MQUP, 2021).

Current projects include: a co-written book with Chief Emeritus Janith English (Wyandot Nation of Kansas) Legacy of Love: Tides of Resilience, Regeneration, and Healing; an open access textbook Wendat/Wandat Women's Words; and a public history article entitled Étienne Brûlé: The Rematriation of a Canadian Icon

Dr. Katie's teaching practice reflects her research expertise, offering courses on Indigenous-Settler Relations, Ancient North America, Indigenous Diasporas, Indigenous Women and Biography, and Early North American Ethnohistories. Both teaching and research are based on community-guided, circular and (re)generative methodologies that forefront decolonization, historical biography and the experiences of women.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having heard in Canadian history about the "descimation of the Huron Nation" - this is an important read. History has definitely been written by the colonizers and approaches even the more positive stories of indigenous people with the goal of making them disappear. This is another side to this story.

[weiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

obviously should be read in conjunction with trigger’s children of aataentsic. undeniably eye-opening & confronts the destruction myth with careful nuance. if you care about indigenous history it’s worth a read, esp. as it concerns the wendat confederacy who have had very little attention given to them in historical scholarship & the literature (itself a colonial concept) thus far

[Janice]

Why is this...so...settler....and...won...so...many...awards........

[Luci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fun book to read, but informative.