Name/Title
Barn Door: Lock mechanism and KeyEntry/Object ID
004.9.1a,bDescription
a) The lock is rectangular in shape and composed mainly of wood. It is brown to black in colour. There are internal components of the locking mechanism that are composed of metal and brown to orange in colour. The lock is hand manufactured - metal plate missing (shading can be seen). The spring action shows good design and the key is still attached.
b) Large iron key with two cut outs at the end that slip into the mechanism and what looks like a hook for turning the locking mechanism. The handle is attached to a ring that is looped through a large hole in the iron.Context
This barn door lock belonged to a settler in Goulbourn Township whose farm was located in Ashton, Ontario. At first, it appears to be an ordinary farm tool. But its documented history tells a more complex and important story. The donor stated that the lock was used to prevent Indigenous people from taking corn from the barn. This explanation reflects long-standing settler-colonial narratives that portrayed Indigenous Peoples as threats to property, helping to justify exclusion and control. Such claims must be examined critically.
While the lock shows how settlers secured their farm buildings, it also represents the broader context of colonial expansion onto unceded Algonquin Anishinàbeg territory. After the Rideau Purchase (Treaty 27 and 27¼), settlers imposed private ownership on land that had long been shared and cared for by Indigenous communities.
This object also speaks to the connection between displacement and food insecurity. As Indigenous Peoples were pushed off their lands and cut off from traditional food sources, survival became harder. Calling survival theft helped to criminalize Indigenous presence and reinforce settler power.
The donor’s account may also reflect propaganda—stories told to justify colonization.
By including different interpretations, the museum invites visitors to question inherited stories and consider the lasting impact of colonization.Collection
Artefact CollectionMade/Created
Notes
Quantity produced: 2Lexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
Lock, DoorNomenclature Primary Object Term
Device, SecuringNomenclature Sub-Class
Finish HardwareNomenclature Class
Building ComponentsNomenclature Category
Category 01: Built Environment ObjectsSearch Terms
Barn, Farm, Farming, Settler, Pioneer, Key, Ashton, MechanismLegacy Lexicon
Object Name
Barn Lock, Device, SecuringMaterial
wood - bois, iron
