Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation
| Six Nations 40 | |
|---|---|
| Indian reserve | |
| Six Nations Indian Reserve No. 40 | |
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 Six Nations 40
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| Coordinates: 43°03′04″N 80°07′21″W / 43.05111°N 80.12250°WCoordinates: 43°03′04″N 80°07′21″W / 43.05111°N 80.12250°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 Ontario
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| Formed | 1784 |
| Government | |
| • Chief | Ava Hill |
| • Federal riding | Brant |
| • Prov. riding | Brant |
| Area | |
| • Land | 183.20 km2 (70.73 sq mi) |
| Population (August 2012) | |
| • Total | 12,100 |
| • Density | 64.8/km2 (168/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal Code | N0A |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| Website | www.sixnations.ca |
Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River) is the largest First Nations reserve in Canada with a total of 25,660 members. Some 12,271 are reported living on this reserve. It is the only reserve in North America that has all six Iroquois nations living together. These nations are the Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca and Tuscarora. There are also some Delaware living in the territory.
The Six Nations reserve is bordered by the County of Brant, city of Brantford, ON, Norfolk County, Haldimand County, and has a subsection reservation, the New Credit Reserve located within it boundaries.The acreage at present covers some 46,000 acres (190 km2) near the city of Brantford, Ontario. This represents approximately 5% of the original 950,000 acres (3,800 km2) of land granted to the Six Nations by the 1784 Haldimand Treaty.
Many of the Iroquois people allied with the British during the American Revolutionary War, particularly from the Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga and Seneca nations. Some warriors of the Oneida and Tuscarora also allied with them, as warfare was highly decentralized. These nations had longstanding trade relations with the British and hoped they might stop European-American encroachment on their territories. These allies were from the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy. After the colonists' victory, the British government ceded all of its territory in the colonies, including that belonging to the Six Nations and without consulting them or making them party to treaty negotiations. It worked to resettle native Loyalists in Canada and provide some compensation for properties lost in the new United States. The Crown also hoped to use these new settlers, both Native Americans and European Americans, to develop more towns and agriculture in areas west of Quebec, the territory later known as Upper Canada. This is a controversial area. The Six Nations were feared warriors fighting in unconventional but successful tactics more common in modern military. There are documented instances, Stony Creek being one, where non-native Militia simply ran or cowered in fear of an encounter on the battlefield. The lands granted to six nations reserves were all near important Canadian military targets and conveniently placed along the border to prevent any American invasion. The growth of the six nations community was also hampered. Land, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, granted a certain measure of power to their owners. Influential leaders like Joseph Brant and Deseronto were prevented from granting land to business owners who could have brought industry and agriculture to their lands. Rules and laws were created to prevent the growth of political support for these men by banning all non natives from living and owning any business on reserves. Many complained that much of lands granted were clay and rock ridden, making the land untenable.
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