The Sheguiandah Archaeological Site is dedicated to preserving, studying, exhibiting collections of artifacts that tell the story of the Anishinabek and earlier indigenous cultures who lived and worked here. This includes Woodland, Archaic and Paleoindian, who used the site as a quarry for mining quartzite to make stone tools as well as camping, fishing, hunting and gathering around Sheguiandah Bay about 10,500 years ago. The 10 hectares location is one of several early sites in this area. The quartz hilltop has a beautiful view looking over Lake Huron and in historic times was visited for spiritual purposes, such as meditation, sweat lodges, and other similar purposes, according to First Nations’ Elders.

In hopes of conserving heritage resources and developing their tourism potential, the local Manitoulin municipality and First Nations initiated the development of an Archaeological Master Plan, in the 1990’s.  This investigation was conducted by a team from Archaeological Services Inc.(ASI), directed by Dr. Peter Stork and Dr. Patrick Julig.  No further development would occur at the site until 2017, when funding from both the Provincial and Federal governments could be secured by the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands (NEMI).

The tour and exhibit bring together available information on the site, from both its early discoverer Thomas Lee and the re-investigations that were held from 1989-1991, and were co-directed by Patrick Julig and Peter Storck.

Artifacts from the site on display at the Centennial Museum, have mostly been donated by Thomas Lee and Patrick Julig. Spear points and other artifacts from the original investigations in the 1950’s are held in the archives at the Canadian Museum of History with a small collection on display at the Royal Ontario Museum. A large collection of artifacts from sites around the Great Lakes and Northern Ontario, have been repatriated and are now curated at the Ojbway Cultural Foundation in M’Chigeeng, but these do not include many artifacts from the Sheguiandah Archaeological Site.