Testing Confirms 15th-Century Saugeen Ojibway Nation Ancestor Found on Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula
Radiocarbon testing confirms human remains discovered on the Saugeen Peninsula in August 2025 date to the 15th century and are those of a Saugeen Ojibway Nation ancestor.
Human remains discovered on the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula last summer have been confirmed through scientific testing to belong to a Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) ancestor who lived more than 500 years ago.
In an update released March 13, SON said radiocarbon analysis determined the individual lived between 1426 and 1452.
The remains were originally discovered on August 14, 2025 in a northern part of the Saugeen Peninsula.
At the time, Grey Bruce Ontario Provincial Police confirmed the remains had been located by archaeologists working in a remote area. Police consulted with the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and a forensic anthropologist, and the remains were collected for further examination.
According to SON, the radiocarbon results confirm the remains are those of an ancestor of their people.
“The disturbance of ancestral remains is a matter of deep spiritual and cultural importance for the Saugeen Ojibway Nation,” the Nation said in its statement.
“This confirmation affirms what our people have always known — that our ancestors have lived on and cared for these lands since time immemorial.”
Repatriation Process Underway
Saugeen Ojibway Nation says it is now working with officials to ensure the ancestor is respectfully repatriated, and next steps will proceed according to its cultural protocols.
“Further updates will be shared as appropriate,” the statement said.
The discovery prompted a coroner’s investigation last year involving provincial forensic specialists. At the time, investigators searched the surrounding area but did not locate additional remains.
Officials have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the discovery.
The investigation into the remains was previously led by the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service with assistance from the Grey Bruce OPP Crime Unit.
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