Indigenous London: Nations, Land and Community
An introduction to London: its history, the Nations whose lands it sits on, and Indigenous community life today, with sources.
About London
Southwestern Ontario’s largest city grew up where the north and south branches of the Thames River meet, a spot still called the Forks. The Indigenous name for the river is Deshkan Ziibi, and the region has been home to Attawandaron, Odawa and Ojibwe peoples, with archaeological evidence reaching back roughly 11,000 years. Education and health care dominate the local economy: Western University and Fanshawe College are the main post-secondary schools, and London Health Sciences Centre is the biggest employer. UNESCO named London a City of Music in 2021. N’Amerind (London) Friendship Centre, one of Ontario’s original six friendship centres, began in 1965 and helped launch other local organizations such as the Southern Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre. Three First Nations sit close to the city: Chippewas of the Thames, Oneida Nation of the Thames and Munsee-Delaware Nation, each with deep ties to the river valley.
London history
Long before a townsite was drawn, Indigenous farmers lived on this land. At the Lawson Site, an agricultural village flourished in the early 1500s. It is now a designated Canadian historic place. Today the Museum of Ontario Archaeology shows a reconstructed 16th-century longhouse there. The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that Ojibwe peoples later succeeded the Neutral Nation in the area. Western University’s acknowledgement links the land to the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796. It also names the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum between the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee and Lūnaapéewak. The Munsee-Delaware Nation, descended from the Lenni Lenape, settled along the Thames in the late 1700s. In 1793 Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe reserved 405 hectares here as a future provincial capital. He also valued the spot for its strategic, defensible position. In 1826 London became the seat of the London District. A courthouse went up in 1828, and the town grew around it. London was incorporated as a city in 1855 with 10,060 people. London Life insurance began in 1864, joining brewing and manufacturing in the early economy.
Treaty and territory
London, Ontario is on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples.
Nearby: Chippewas of the Thames First Nation · Oneida Nation of the Thames · Munsee-Delaware Nation · St. Thomas · Strathroy · Woodstock
Indigenous London today
Three nearby First Nations shape Indigenous life around London. Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, known as Deshkan Ziibiing, is based at Muncey. It runs more than 14 departments, including culture and language programs, and hosts an annual powwow. Its monthly newsletter is called Mazinigan. The Nation is pursuing land claims tied to the 1834 Caradoc surrender. Oneida Nation of the Thames belongs to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Its people are the Onyota’á:ka, the People of the Standing Stone. The community runs its own fire, police and paramedic services and has pressed for a permanent fix to its water problems. The Munsee-Delaware Nation has about 715 members, with roughly 217 living on more than 1,000 hectares. Its name, Nalahii Lunaapeweaak, means from the Upstream. At Western University, the Wampum Learning Lodge supports Indigenous-led programs, and an Elder-in-Residence offers guidance to students. Anishinaabe artist Jeannette Ladd was commissioned to paint a mural for Thames Hall. The Indigenous Studies Program offers undergraduate paths in Indigenous histories and knowledge. The Museum of Ontario Archaeology also acknowledges the ancestral territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe and Munsee-Delaware Nations.
Life in London
London counted 422,324 people in 2021, up from 383,822 in 2016. Service industries employ about three-quarters of the workforce. The Forest City nickname comes from street trees planted in the 1800s, many of them large silver maples. Historic buildings still anchor downtown. The old courthouse dates from 1828, St. Paul’s Cathedral from 1846, and Eldon House from 1834. Covent Garden Market reopened in 1999, and a major downtown arena opened in 2002 as the John Labatt Centre. At the Museum of Ontario Archaeology, a VRchaeology lab lets visitors explore reconstructed objects and settings. The museum also runs field trips and workshops for students of all ages, and it offers research support. It also cares for archaeological collections from across Ontario.
London seasons and weather
London lies in a snowbelt east of Lake Huron, so winter storms can drop heavy snow, and summers are warm and sticky. Layer a hoodie under a winter jacket from December to March.
More on the region: Indigenous Ontario · all of Canada.
Keep learning in the XUSI Journal
- First Nations, Métis and Inuit: What’s the Difference?
- How to Write a Land Acknowledgement That Means Something
- Orange Shirt Day & the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- National Indigenous Peoples Day and History Month: A Guide
- All Journal articles
London questions
Is there free shipping to London, Ontario?
Yes, orders of $90 or more ship free within Canada, which includes London. Smaller orders have their shipping cost calculated at checkout.
Can a Western or Fanshawe student group get custom printed merch?
Yes, as long as the order is at least 10 garments. Every order gets a full quote before anything is printed, and design help is included. They are printed in Saskatoon and shipped to London.
Could a Western or Fanshawe Indigenous students’ group order hoodies for a powwow or welcome event?
Yes. Custom runs start at 10 garments, with up to 4 colours per design, and every order is quoted before printing. We help with the design, print in Saskatoon and ship to London. Please order early so there is time for proofs before your event date.
Your designs use Cree. Where can people near London learn local Indigenous languages?
Our designs carry Cree words and stories from our home in Treaty 6, explained on our meanings page. Communities near London have their own languages and programs. Chippewas of the Thames runs a culture and language department, and Western University offers Indigenous Studies. Those are good places to learn local words.
Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources listed below.
Indigenous clothing from XUSI
Whether you study at Western or live near the Forks of the Thames, XUSI can ship to London, Ontario. The Indigenous-owned label sends its tees, hoodies and hats out from Saskatoon.
London sits under tall maples and heavy snow, so we build the year around both. A heavyweight cotton tee and an A-frame snapback suit a humid July afternoon at Covent Garden Market. In October the Forest City’s silver maples turn. A Golden Era ringer tee or Black Oni long sleeve covers a walk by the Thames. Game nights at the downtown arena call for an easy zip hoodie. Through snowbelt storms from December on, our heaviest hoodie layers under a winter coat for the walk to class at Western or Fanshawe.
