Reconciliation

 This beautiful stained glass window is one of a pair, with the other at Parliament Hill. Metis artist Christi Belcourt created this work from the aftermath of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 

The Commission had been headed by Murray Sinclair, a First Nations lawyer and judge who had an enormous task. A quote by him speaks to his wisdom, and a challenge to the country as a whole.

This headdress belongs to Phil Fontaine, a former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations- himself a survivor of the residential school system.

Indigenous peoples have been political activists for a long, long time.

Here are examples of First Nations art.

A video screen shows imagery of indigenous peoples in the current era.

William Commanda was a local chief of the Anishinaabe, and a recipient of the Order of Canada.

The heart of this space is occupied by a display case containing a dress, placards, and water vessels. The dress belongs to Autumn Peltier, a young First Nations activist who has advocated for the right to clean water, speaking to the United Nations. 

A quote by Elijah Harper, a Manitoba politician and Cree leader, adorns this display. He was a key factor in the failure of the Meech Lake Accord, a constitutional amendment, opposing it on principle.