Island

Belle Island, as it is now known, situated near the mouth of the Cataraqui River, was for generations a location of Indigenous encampments, Councils, and burials. In 1988, the remains of several humans from the period 500-900 CE (likely Huron-Wendat) were identified and removed, and in 2000 they were reburied on site. Since 2006, the island is governed by the City of Kingston in joint ownership and stewardship with the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs (Akwesasne). But in practical terms, it is local people, Indigenous and settler, who care for the island. It is a peaceful, beautiful, and bountiful place.