Experience Québec
Indian summer
On the Native trail
What do we really know about the First Nations? Not much, apart from clichés conveyed by the media and certain horrifying events taken from the pages of Canada’s history! It’s now the 21st century and there’s a rich culture right before us, yet we know little about it. What’s worse, we often ignore it. Travel shapes our youth and our humanity as well. So follow the trail of the ancients and get ready to enjoy an Indian summer. Part one.
To look at all Aboriginals as a single people would be wrong, since there are significant cultural and linguistic differences between the various groups. However, all the First Nations do share some common ground, quite literally: the Earth. She is the mother of all living things. This close relationship between the Amerindians and nature is omnipresent in their tourism products.Let travel open your eyes
Visiting, discovering, looking, questioning... that’s how you learn about others and, by extension, yourself. Isn’t that one of the reasons behind travel? "Aboriginal tourism is becoming popular in Québec. There are ten Amerindian nations spread over 54 communities, not to mention the 14 villages in the Great North that are home to the Inuit nation. They all offer a unique cultural experience to travellers looking for a real change of scenery," explains Louise Séguin, aboriginal affairs coordinator at Tourisme Québec.
Separating the wheat from the chaff
To promote the attractions and services offered by these nations, the Société touristique des autochtones du Québec (Québec Aboriginal Tourism Corporation or STAQ) was created in April 1999. For development officer Jacques Lévesque, "The STAQ serves as a watchdog over the quality of the Aboriginal tourism product. It keeps an eye out for problems and ensures that its members respect three major criteria: authenticity, nature and culture." The STAQ provides a host of information on all the activities and events offered by Québec’s Amerindian community.Trailing the ancients
If you’re looking to discover the Amerindian culture, museums are a good place to start. To approach the First Nations from a purely ethnological standpoint would be merely skimming the surface.
Les premiers pas...
The Musée de la civilisation has a permanent exhibition entitled Encounter with the First Nations. In an approach based on emotion, the exhibition goes far beyond the usual folklore and clichés that often conceal the realities of Aboriginal life. It is divided into seven thematic areas that revolve around the issues of identity, economic interests, political power, territory and communications. Four educational spaces are integrated into the exhibition as well.
In 2005, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec acquired the Brousseau Inuit art collection. This exceptional collection shows how Inuit art evolved over time, from prehistory to today. It features works from the entire Canadian Arctic: Baffin Island, Kitikmeot, Kivalliq (Keewatin), Nunavik, Labrador and the Northwest Territories. Collector Raymond Brousseau took nearly 50 years to amass this collection. A passionate visionary, he was able to acquire remarkable pieces from leading artists.The collection comprises 2,635 works, mostly sculptures, but also original drawings, prints, ethnographic objects and jewellery.
Time to lace up your walking shoes
In Gatineau, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, designed by Native architect Douglas Cardinal, looks at the Aboriginal identity through a contemporary lens. No fewer than w eight exhibitions examine the history of the First Peoples. The First Peoples Hall presents over 2,000 artefacts from Aboriginal life, from ancient times to present day, from coast to coast. The Grand Hall exhibition focuses on the rich cultural heritage and monumental art of the Amerindians from Canada’s West Coast. Storytelling: The Art of Knowledge illuminates the diversity of, and importance of sharing, narratives in six Native communities: Algonquin, Inuit, Mi’kmaq, Métis-Cree, Nisga’a and Abenaki.
Authentic Aboriginal museums can be found outside of the major cities. In Odanak, a small village located about 30 km (18 mi.) east of Sorel, the Musée des Abénakis and its dedicated curator, Nicole O’Bomsawin, will teach you all about the Abenaki culture. You’ll see numerous archaeological objects, samples of basketry and a portrait of the ancestral life of this nation.
Much further north, on the shores of Lac Saint-Jean, the Piekuakamiulnuatsh-the region’s Montagnais-settled in Mashteuiatsh (Pointe-Bleue) in 1856. The Musée amérindien de Mashteuiatsh presents Piekuakamiulnuatsh: Mémoire vive (Piekuakamiulnuatsh: live memory), an exhibition that explores this people’s way of life through written history and oral tradition. Archaeological ruins bear witness to the Montagnais’ attachment to the forest, flora and fauna, which is the foundation of the Ilnu identity. To be continued... Now that you know where you’re going, the second part of the journey will take you to another world, to the lands of the Cree, Montagnais and Huron. Be sure to pack your bag and your paddles for this magnificent voyage!| On the native trail: to find out more |
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André Quenneville
2009-05-22
