Pictographs and Petroglyphs in Ontario

Creation of the Sites

Petroglyphs were carved into rock surfaces using tools like bone, stone and antlers, or through a technique with “hammerstones.” Pictographs, on the other hand, are painted onto rock using different mixtures of pigment, such as clay and sand (see also Pictographs and Petroglyphs). In this region, pictograph creators commonly used red ochre. The ochre was ground into a powder and then mixed with different animal fats. The mixture was then applied to the rock. This created a chemical reaction that securely bonded the images to the site. Jonathan Pitt has shared that there were only two locations to find this ochre:

Porte de l’Enfer (Hell’s Gate) near Pimisi Lake between Lake Talon and Mattawa. The other, an island (Which European’s referred to as Devil’s Warehouse Island) on Lake Superior or Gitchigumi (popularized in Gordon Lightfoot’s song “the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”) meaning great water which was an ancient Ojibway red ochre mine.

These sites were used for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans and were traded throughout the Great Lakes region among the Anishinaabe.

Historical Context and Cultural Significance

The petroglyphs and pictographs scattered across Ontario are believed to date back thousands of years. Some estimates place them as far back as 5000 BCE. These rock art forms were created by the ancestors of today’s Indigenous peoples, such as the Anishinaabe. Far from being mere decorations, these images served various purposes, including spiritual, educational and territorial. They depict animals, humans, celestial bodies and abstract designs, each with its own story and significance. They are frequently linked to the cosmology and wider cultural narratives present within Anishinaabe and other Indigenous nations’ worldviews. They could also be used for navigation, establishing hunting territories or created directly from ceremonies. The Anishinaabe would regularly return to these sites to gain insights or knowledge from Elders or participate in other ceremonies around these sites. Today, these images continue to be a source of cultural pride and spiritual connection for Indigenous peoples (see also Religion and Spirituality of Indigenous Peoples).

Notable Sites

Petroglyphs Provincial Park, located near Peterborough, is home to over 900 petroglyphs. These petroglyphs include images of turtles, snakes, birds, humans and abstract shapes. They are believed to be created by the Algonquian-speaking peoples. These images are deeply spiritual, connected to the Indigenous peoples' understanding of the world (see also Religion and Spirituality of Indigenous Peoples). In Anishinaabemowin, the original word for this place was Kinoomaagewaabkong, which translates to the “teaching rocks.” This site was created somewhere between 900 and 1400 CE. It has been used continually by the local Anishinaabeg communities ever since. Different than pictographs, these images were carved into the rock by using “hammerstones” and ranged in size from centimetre-long dots to 3-m snakes. Some are as deep as 4cm. In oral histories, some have compared this site to a library. Each one of the 900 different images contains the knowledge and stories of at least one book in Western culture (see also Indigenous Oral Histories and Primary Sources). They were used to teach people at various stages of the Anishinaabeg life cycle.

Other notable sites in Ontario include Bon Echo Provincial Park, known for its Mazinaw Rock, which features over 260 pictographs that are on a cliff face directly over water. They are only accessible by canoe or boat. Created from the same red ochre style present throughout the province, and located on Mazinaabikinigan-zaaga’igan, which means “painted-image lake” in Algonquin, this site contains numerous different designs and teachings, and is purposefully placed along a spot which has a natural echo, a turtle shaped rock feature.

Agawa Rock has several pictographs and is located along the east shore of Lake Superior in Lake Superior Provincial Park. This site is known in Anishinaabemowin as Mazinaubikiniguning, which means "the adorned rock on Agawa Lake.” It has one of the most prominent designs of the Mishipeshu (great lynx) that holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for the Anishinaabe. Other sites are found throughout various parts of the province, especially on waterways. They are often found in remote locations and are not marked. However, some locations, that have been marked or mapped have faced problems with vandalism.

Interpretation and Challenges

Interpreting petroglyphs and pictographs is complex. It requires the use of a careful balance of archaeological evidence, Indigenous oral traditions and cultural knowledge. Archaeologists can offer insights into the age, methods of creation and possible interpretations based on comparative studies. However, the full meanings of these artworks often remain fully known only to their creators and their descendants. Indigenous oral histories and knowledge play a crucial role in providing context. They ensure interpretations honour the intended spiritual and cultural meanings.

In the 1960s, non-Indigenous university professors Selwyn Dewdney and Kenneth E. Kidd mapped the locations of rock paintings in the Great Lakes. They documented their findings in the book Indian Rock Paintings of the Great Lakes. They mapped over a hundred different sites, with hundreds of images that were primarily in Ontario over the course of two editions.

During this wave of study, the Peterborough Petroglyphs were significantly altered by researchers who wanted to “preserve” the site. Joan M. Vastokas and Roman K. Vastokas, who wrote the book Sacred Art of the Algonkians: A Study of the Peterborough Petroglyphs, applied a black wax crayon to the images during their research. They intended to make the images more distinctive with black shadows instead of the traditional white or grey. However, this process has permanently changed the colour of these petroglyphs. In 1984, a building was also constructed over the petroglyphs in an effort to preserve the site and protect it from vandalism. However, the process disconnected the area from its natural environment and an underwater stream that ran through the rock face. This decision has been widely debated as the building gets older and new ideas about Indigenous conservation emerge.

Recent research also reveals how the images of the pictographs were used after contact with European nations to represent the Anishinaabe during land sales, alliances and even the signing of treaties. Heidi Bohaker found that the Anishinaabe used pictographs, representing their dodem (clanx), to sign such agreements.

For example, images of cranes appear as the first signatures on treaties or documents pertaining to Bawating (Sault Sainte Marie); the caribou appear first and in highest frequency on documents related to the lands around Rama, Ontario, between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching (also known as Mnjikaning), while images of eagles predominate on treaties related to land on the north shore of Lake Ontario, to the west of the present-day site of the city of Toronto.

Vandalism

By mapping the locations and with minimal security to protect these ancient sites, vandalism has unfortunately taken place at numerous locations across the province. In September 2023, graffiti was once again found on the pictographs in Bon Echo Provincial Park, a practice that has been ongoing since the early 20th century. At that site in the 1920s, a non-Indigenous person carved their favourite Walt Whitman quote alongside the pictographs, showing a repeated pattern of disregard for these historical places. After vandalism in Matinenda Provincial Park outside of Serpent River First Nation in 2017, only five pictographs — out of hundreds originally present — reportedly remain untouched by spray paint. As vandals continue to deface pictograph sites across the country, community members have repeatedly called on the government for more protection. However, there is currently very little protection despite their deep significance.

Conclusion

Petroglyphs and pictographs in Ontario are much more than ancient relics; they are living connections to the cultural and spiritual heritage of Indigenous peoples. They remind us of the deep roots and complex histories of the land and its original inhabitants. Indigenous communities and archaeologists are making efforts to preserve these sites. Some argue it is crucial that these efforts are respectful, involving collaboration with and guidance from Indigenous communities, to ensure that these sites are not only preserved, but are also honoured and understood in the context of their living traditions and knowledge.