Throughout June, learn more about the histories and cultures of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples with in-person and online activities for all ages and interests.
Join us for amazing performances and family activities at the Museum and online.
At the Museum
G’zaagiin maleńki – I promise you a forest
Activity
May 31 at 1 p.m.
June 1 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
June 2 at 11 a.m.
Grand Hall
FREE with Museum admission
Join us for a sound-based theatre performance for families to kick off National Indigenous History Month. The Voyageurs Immobiles team promises you a forest, but not just any forest: one in which you can participate, born from the meeting of a drum, a cello, and melting ice, a forest that will leave you feeling a little happier and more alive! Ideal for families with children 8 and under.
Live Performance: Mādahòkì
Activity
June 15 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
June 16 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Grand Hall
FREE with Museum admission
Experience the excitement of song, drum and dance with live Indigenous performances in the Museum’s beautiful Grand Hall. Join us for a special weekend at the Museum where performers from Mādahòkì Farm will bring you and your family closer to the cultural practices of Métis jigging as well as pow-wow drumming and dancing, including hoop dancing. Mādahòkì Farm specializes in the production of immersive activities and performances that reflect and respect Indigenous wisdom and diversity.
Family Workshop: Hide Pouches
Activity
June 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Drop-in activity, while supplies last.
Canadian History Hall Lobby
FREE with Museum admission
Makatew, a local Indigenous company, will offer hands-on instruction to help you lace together your own hide pouch. Using locally sourced white-tail deer leather and synthetic sinew, create your own pouch to take home. You will learn more about the use of these hide pouches in certain Algonquin traditions, connecting past practices to contemporary Indigenous culture.
Education Day
Activity
June 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
FREE with Museum admission
Indigenous Experiences is excited to welcome registered teachers, students and home-school groups to the Canadian Museum of History on June 19 for FREE Indigenous programming during EDUCATION DAY, presented by BMO Financial Group. Education Day will include performances and artist demonstrations that share and celebrate the diverse Indigenous cultures of Canada. All the programming is designed to support the curriculum for all grades, and encourages interaction and engagement with our Indigenous artists and knowledge keepers who will help bring the curriculum to life in a fun, authentic and appropriate way. Education Day kicks off the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival, which celebrates the heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples!
Cultural Showcase – Pow Wow Drum & Dance
9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Grand Hall
Featuring a bilingual performance of vibrant Pow Wow drum and dance by Indigenous Experiences, with Métis dancer Brad Lafortune and Inuit Throat Singers Sunsdrum.
Métis Games
9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Exterior grounds
Hank Rowlinson will teach about traditional Métis games, played for generations, in this interactive demonstration.
Inuit Games
10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Exterior grounds
Alla (Stranger) will teach and demonstrate traditional Inuit games that combine strength, speed and skill.
Music Concert – SOLD OUT
The illustrious duo Twin Flames have garnered immense recognition and acclaim in the realm of Canadian folk music. Their exceptional talent and artistry have earned them four Canadian Folk Music Awards, as well as the title of Vocal Group of the Year in 2022.
Interactive Stations
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
First Peoples Hall
Tour the impressive First Peoples Hall where Indigenous artists will bring some of the exhibitions to life with
- Corn husk doll-making demonstration and longhouse teachings
- Traditional quill work demonstration
- Interactive Spirit Horse colouring stations and pages of Rhona Snow’s artwork
- And more!
New Museum Guides
As part of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum are proud to support and promote Indigenous languages in Canada.
To increase the visibility of Indigenous languages, Museum Guides are available in Algonquin (Anishinaabemowin), Inuktitut and Michif. Guides in other Indigenous languages will be available soon.
This is just one of the many initiatives undertaken by the Museums to share with staff and visitors the richness and diversity of Indigenous languages across the country.
Self-Guided Family Activities
Drop by the Information desk, located in the Main Lobby at the Museum, and pick up one or more of these free handouts.
The Grand Hall… For Kids
Learn about the cultures, stories and peoples of Canada’s Northwest Coast while exploring the Grand Hall.
Outdoor Architecture Hunt
Take a walk around the Museum grounds and discover the fascinating symbolism of its architecture. Learn more about the inspiration that architect Douglas Cardinal drew from the Canadian landscape.
Outdoor Museum Quest
Go on an outdoor family adventure using the Museum Quest handout as your guide. Explore the Museum grounds and the surrounding environment to learn more about Indigenous art.
Exhibitions
See the diversity, creativity and resourcefulness of Indigenous cultures through archaeological discoveries, stories, art, images and thousands of historical and contemporary cultural materials on display.
Exhibition
Exhibition
Exhibition
CINÉ+
The Seven Sacred Laws
This colourful and imaginative animated film is presented throughout the month of June. Follow a young boy on an Indigenous rite of passage: a vision quest. Through his spiritual journey, he meets seven animals, each revealing a foundational value of Indigenous culture: Buffalo tells him how the essence of respect is the act of giving. Eagle, how to always act in love. Bear encourages him to listen to his heart, while Sabe (Bigfoot) to speak from it. Beaver teaches him to create a more peaceful world, and Wolf to be thankful. Finally, Turtle says that to live the Seven Teachings is to live in truth.
CINÉ+
Great Bear Rainforest
Journey to a land of grizzlies, coastal wolves, sea otters, and the fabled all-white spirit bear — the rarest bear on earth — in the film Great Bear Rainforest, set in one of the planet’s most exquisite and secluded wildernesses. Hidden from the outside world, the Great Bear Rainforest is found on Canada’s rugged Pacific coast in British Columbia. It is the largest temperate coastal rainforest in the world—a place protected by the region’s indigenous people for millennia. Explore this wild and ancient rainforest, learn what the new generation of First Nations are doing to protect the forest’s natural balance, and discover the secret world of the spirit bear.
CINÉ+
Online
Exhibitions
Online Exhibition
Online Exhibition
Online Exhibition
Online Exhibition
Online Exhibition
The ultimate access to Canada’s national museum of human history. A unique virtual tour featuring Museum experts. Explores the Museum’s exhibitions, including favourites such as the Grand Hall, the First Peoples Hall, and the Canadian History Hall.
Video
Activities
Activity
Activity
Explore
Story
Story
Blog
Photo at top of page:
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