Parks Canada Agency: The ancient village of Mehtawtik (Meductic) was the principal settlement of the Wəlastəkokewiyik from before the 17th century. It was located on the west bank of the Wəlastəkw (Saint John River) at the mouth of Hay Creek, west of the Eel River in what is now New Brunswick.
Mehtawtik was valued by the Wəlastəkokewiyik for excellent hunting and fishing in the vicinity as well as its fertile soil. In the spring, the Wəlastəkokewiyik would regularly visit the area to plant corn, returning later in the year to harvest the crops. For families who gathered here, the harvest was an occasion for social, cultural, and spiritual activities.
During the colonial wars in the 17th century, the Wəlastəkokewiyik allied with the French and built a fortified earthworks at Mehtawtik for defense and protection. In the 1780s, the region fell under British control and Loyalists moved in, forcing the Wəlastəkokewiyik to leave and seek refuge elsewhere. Many were compelled to settle on a reserve in Lower Woodstock in 1851, even though they still considered Mehtawtik to be their home.
Quick facts
- The village was surrounded on three sides by lowlands, which filled with water every spring, and defined on the last remaining side by the Wəlastəkw. The location of the former village site has been under the waters of the Mactaquac Hydroelectric Dam since 1968 when the area of the Wəlastəkw (Saint John River) valley was flooded.
- The HSMBC commemorative plaque has been installed at a location overlooking the site of the ancient village of Mehtawtik. The Woodstock First Nation Chief and Council chose the location of the plaque and collaborated with Parks Canada on the preparation of the plaque text.
- When this national historic site was designated in 1924, it was known as Fort Meductic. The name was later changed to Meductic Village-Fort Meductic and more recently to Mehtawtik (Meductic) Village. This followed a request from the Woodstock First Nation for the designation name to be changed and for the use of Wəlastəkokewiyik spelling, according to the Teeter orthography.
- Replacing the plaque presented an opportunity to revisit the location, review the plaque text for style and accuracy, and add a third language to the plaque, the Wəlastəkokewiyik language using the Teeter orthography.