Mnjikaning is one of the oldest human developments in North America. At about the time that construction of the Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt was beginning some 5,000 years ago, the installation of the first fish fences (at what is now the Atherley Narrows) was under way. From that time until a navigation channel was dredged in 1857, and even up until the years preceding World War II, a complex system of underwater fences was used by Aboriginal peoples for harvesting fish. 

  In the Ojibway telling of the creation of the world, the Creator gave each species of living thing on the earth a different purpose to fulfill. The fish were told to come together at certain times of the year and to hold council. At these times, the People could more readily access them for food. Remarkably, in spite of all the changes the Atherley Narrows has undergone over the centuries, the fish still hold to their role in creation and come together at Mnjikaning every spring and fall. 

  The Mnjikaning site was more than a place for fishing. Over time, it became a traditional meeting place for Aboriginal nations, a place where agreements would be struck, treaties made, useful information shared, goods exchanged and given, stories told, spiritual ceremonies conducted and festivities enjoyed.