Looking Towards The West

The first day of the Dominion of Canada was marked in the nation's capital. Ottawa had already been the capital of the united Canadas for a decade by this point. It would serve as the capital for the entire country. Centre Block as it once existed is seen in this large photograph of that first Dominion Day. Pieces of the building, which was destroyed in the 1916 fire, are in a display case.

This is one of the prize artifacts of the Museum. The Blackfoot people of the Great Plains had a tradition called a winter count- painting the most important event of the last year onto an elkskin, starting at centre and spiraling out in a circle. This is one of them.

Across is a large voyageur canoe, suspended over empty space below. The fur traders of largely French Canadian stock had spent over a century venturing into the interior, establishing relationships with First Nations peoples along the way.

Those relationships usually included marriages, and children born into the tribes. In time, a distinct people who thought of themselves as a culture of their own would rise up- the Metis.

This display case includes Metis clothing, and a flag at upper right.

The Metis would in time begin to challenge the Hudson's Bay Company, which exerted commercial control of the vast drainage basin of the bay it was named for. This would ultimately bring them into conflict with the federal government.

The government sought to expand the country from sea to sea by incorporating new provinces and territories into Confederation. 

By 1870, the Hudson's Bay Company would sell their land holdings to the Canadian government. The Metis would find their strongest leadership under Louis Riel, who would in time be considered the founder of Manitoba.