Indigenous traditions

Québec’s First Nations heritage is etched into the land and our practices. In the last few years, several communities have lifted the veil on their ancient traditions, rituals and customs. Museums, interpretation centres and sites allow us to discover the ancestral and spiritual knowledge of Québec’s first inhabitants.

Indigenous hosts offer a unique insight into the age-old riches of their land, through outdoor activities and urban adventures. They will welcome you into a timeless world where you can experience the bounty of pristine forests, lakes and rivers. Visit a longhouse, sleep in a tepee or even stay in an igloo in the Far North!

Among Indigenous rituals and traditions, the pow wow is the celebration of ancestral culture par excellence. Summer weekends feature music, art, handicrafts and cuisine. Participants garbed in traditional dress dance and chant to the beat of the drums, in a lively atmosphere of vibrant colour and sound. Other events also celebrate Indigenous traditions, including KWE! and the Montréal First Peoples Festival.

Hunters, gatherers, fishermen, trappers... Québec’s Indigenous peoples lived mainly off the bounty of the land and the St. Lawrence River’s abundant supply of fish. Their knowledge of the forest provided access to products that have shaped and flavoured Québec cuisine, including herbs from the boreal forest. Nowadays, many restaurants feature this traditional fare.

Led by experienced guides, set off into the wilderness, into the heart of the forest, the taiga, the tundra or into vast snow-covered areas. In just one excursion, you’ll learn all about your guide’s ancestral, cultural way of life. What better way to explore the close ties between humankind and Mother Earth!