INDIAN ROCK PAINTINGS NIPIGON BAY

ROCK ART OF THE NATIVE CULTURE NIPIGON BAY CLIFFS

Slides from the Nipigon Historical Museum Archives



Photo taken before 1972. Note the pulpwood storage.
The small, bare-rock area  bottom left on cliff  is a rock painting area.





Paintings in Red Ochre (haemetite)
mixed with possibly Sturgeon fish "glue".

At the time the Magna Carta was signed the peoples of this area
 were living in what the archeaolgists term as
 The Terminal Woodland Cultural Period.

The "glue" bonded to the rock so well
that over 500 years later the paintings are still visible.

As you can see some of them were fading out.
Since this photo...
Over 40 years have passed for man's air pollution
and nature's lichen to work against them.

The Blackduck and Selkirk Indians
of the Terminal Woodland Period
are either descendants of the Laurel people
or a people who moved into this region from the south.
They could be a bit of both.

Cast shadows are likely from the boat used by the photographer.
The afternoon sun was a great light source.

The Maymayguishy
This is the most famous of our 'Picture Rock Paintings"

Besides the cliffs some other places the paintings were found.