Sunday, October 3, 2021

The First Steps Of The New Country

Coming around the corner from where I left off yesterday, here is the view.


A photograph of Macdonald is here, with the original Centre Block in the background at the dawn of Confederation in 1867. Ottawa had already been chosen as the capital of the Canadas in the 1850s, with the original Parliamentary blocks erected. The original Centre Block would be destroyed by fire in 1916.


Pieces of that building are on display.


A large photograph is mounted on a wall showing how the first Dominion Day, as it was called for a long time, was marked in the town of Kingston, Ontario.


But the question of the indigenous peoples of the land would preoccupy much of the latter part of the century.


Artifacts here include knives and sheath, a hide scraper, and a harpoon head.


Another artifact is given a prominent place. The Blackfoot tribe straddled both sides of the border. This is an elk skin inscribed by a tribe member with images in a spiral going out, each image depicting an important moment of a year. These elk skins were called a winter count.


Close by are other artifacts, including a rifle and saddle. Horses, which gradually made their way into indigenous societies during the days of the Spanish far to the south, would change the tribes forever.

34 comments:

  1. Found the elk skin fascinating.

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  2. You remind me that when I was at primary school we had a book that had illustrations of such artefacts. For a while after that I was supporting the "Injuns" in western films and stories.

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  3. The view coming around the corner is impressive!

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  4. A friend and I visited Ottawa in 1967 and heard a little of the debate about changing it to Canada Day.

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  5. Hello,
    Another wonderful exhibit, I like the inscribed elk skin.
    Take care, have a great new week!

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  6. Esos artefactos de las vitrinas, son bastante curiosos y es una buena muestra, para conocer la historia de esa civilizaciĆ³n.

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  7. You have great museums there. Thanks for sharing.

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  8. @fun60: it's different.

    @John: it's odd how childhood shapes us.

    @Gemel: that it is.

    @David: both are good names.

    @anvilcloud: the 60s were a time of debate.

    @Eileen: thank you.

    @Ventana: thanks.

    @Iris: we're spoiled for museums.

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  9. ...and they were big steps.

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  10. Aboriginal issues have neve been solves since such imperfect treaties were made.

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  11. I liked seeing the elk skin with it's history of those peoples. THanks.

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  12. That hide with the images is beautiful.

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  13. Beautiful First Nation artifact photos ~ Xo

    Living in the moment,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  14. Lots can be learned from the elk skin.

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  15. @Tom: they were.

    @Red: true.

    @Barbara: you're welcome.

    @Bill: very much so.

    @Sharon: I agree.

    @Carol: thanks.

    @RedPat: indeed.

    @Marleen: true!

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  16. That skin has lovely pictographs.I like the colors too.

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  17. Oh, to be able to read that elk skin.

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  18. That chandelier in the first photo is quite something.

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  19. So cool they still have the original pieces.

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  20. Appreciate your showing and telling, William. Adore North America history on both sides of the border as you say

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  21. Those skin editing tools are beautiful.

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  22. The elk skin is most intriguing.

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  23. artifacts are always fun. very unique. ( ;

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