Indians of Canada Pavilion

Last updated
Indians of Canada pavilion. Expo 67 Montreal Canada 1967 (6).jpg
Indians of Canada pavilion.

The Indians of Canada Pavilion was a pavilion at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Contents

The Pavilion, constructed as a temporary structure for public exhibition at Expo 67, contained works of Indigenous art and culture alongside historical and political commentary concerning the past and present issues facing the Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Organizers consulted with Indigenous leaders and advisors to create the narrative and content exhibited within the pavilion, [1] content which proved to be unexpectedly provocative and controversial by both the Government of Canada and the general public. [2] The exhibits emphasized an Indigenous view of history, which stressed the role the non-Indigenous Canadians and the Canadian Government played in the suppression of Indigenous culture and values, the assimilation of Indigenous children in government funded residential schools, and the history of colonialism and the impact of the doctrine of discovery on the lives Indigenous people from contact to the present day.

Exhibits and central theme

The Contents of the Exhibits were intended to reflect the Indigenous people's answer to the question: "What do you want to tell the people of Canada and the World when they come to Expo in 1967?". [2] Their answer can be found in the central theme of the pavilion, which was "the struggle of the Indian to accept a modern technological society with its mass culture while preserving his identity, his personal integrity, and the moral and spiritual values of his fathers". [2]

One of the methods by which this theme was expressed was through an ever present display of narrative text that led visitors through a variety of themed sections. Examples include "When the White Man Came We Welcomed Him With Love" and "The great explorers of Canada traveled in Indian canoes, wore Indian snow-shoes, ate Indian food, lived in Indian houses. They could not have lived or moved without Indian friends". Both messages were present in the Pavilion's reception area. [2]

Visitors were led past examples of Indigenous art and artifacts such a very large exterior Totem Pole, birch bark canoes, rawhide snowshoes, sculpture, murals and drawings by Indigenous artists such as Alex Janvier, Noel Wuttunee and Norval Morrisseau, and traditional clothing and beadwork, as well as images of pertinent documents such as the Royal Proclamation of 1763, and several crown Treaties. [3]

A section near the end of the pathway through the pavilion contained photographs of indigenous people in modern occupations such as tradesman, craftsmen and farmers, markedly more upbeat than previous exhibits. This section was designed by a branch of Indian Affairs. [2]

The final section contained a large space with a central imitation fire pit that invited visitors to sit and reflect upon the future of Indigenous people of Canada.

The experience of visitors was managed by thirteen Indigenous women, hired from a selection of 220 applicants by Expo organizers, to act as hostesses to guide and interpret the exhibits for those unfamiliar with Indigenous culture. The Indigenous women represented the Siksika, Haisla, Haida, Mi'kmaq, Ojibwa, Mohawk, Innu, and Nlaka'pamux First Nations, among others. [2]

One of principal organizers of the Indian Pavilion was Noel Wuttunee, a Cree artist from Red Pheasant Cree Nation who worked with lawyer and national president William Wuttunee of the National Indian Council to ensure that a different story of Canada was told. [4]

Response and media reaction

Reactions to the exhibits present in the Pavilion from the government, the public and the press ranged from outrage and shock to acceptance and accolade. [1] [2]

Many mainstream journalists critical of the pavilion reacted to the threat the message of the pavilion posed to Canadian Nationalism by criticizing the government for allowing itself to be humiliated. An article in the Toronto Star described the exhibits as an "embarrassment to the Government of Canada.". [5] The Globe and Mail and other newspapers complained that "Ottawa footed the bill" to embarrass itself. [6] An article in the Montreal Star suggest that "the pavilion may raise some hackles in government circles". [7] Other journalists took a different tack, claiming that the Pavilion was a "dig at the white man". [8]

Positive reaction by the mainstream press was more commonplace. Some outlets considered the pavilion thought provoking, [1] [2] While others congratulated the Indigenous people for letting "the Indians to tell their own story in their own way," while reflecting that the "bitterness with the past is justified". [7] A report from the Guelph Mercury summarizes the positive response by the mainstream media well:

"…it is encouraging that the Indians themselves have used this opportunity in this way to dramatize their condition. It is an indication of a new spirit of determination and independence that has for too long been missing. The Indian pavilion at Expo ought to challenge the conscience of every white Canadian who sees it." [9]

Reaction by Indigenous peoples was nuanced. One Indigenous leader thought the pavilion was a "True reflection of the Indian's spirit of dignity". [10] While the then director of the National Congress of American Indians was impressed with the fact that "Canadian Indians may be 50 to 75 years behind [American Indians] in our relations with the federal government". [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expo 67</span> Worlds fair held in Montreal, Quebec

The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 28 to October 29, 1967. It was a category one world's fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most successful World's Fairs of the 20th century with the most attendees to that date and 62 nations participating. It also set the single-day attendance record for a world's fair, with 569,500 visitors on its third day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bureau International des Expositions</span> Organization to supervise international exhibitions

The Bureau international des expositions is an intergovernmental organization created to supervise international exhibitions falling under the jurisdiction of the Convention Relating to International Exhibitions.

Expo 2000 was a World Expo held in Hanover, Germany from 1 June to 31 October 2000. It was located on the Hanover Fairground, which is the largest exhibition ground in the world. Initially, some 40 million people were expected to attend the exhibition over the course of months; however, eventually with less than half of this number, the Expo was a flop and turned out to be a financial failure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kahnawake</span> First Nations reserve in Quebec, Canada

The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory is a First Nations reserve of the Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, across from Montreal. Established by French Canadians in 1719 as a Jesuit mission, it has also been known as Seigneury Sault du St-Louis, and Caughnawaga. There are 17 European spelling variations of the Mohawk Kahnawake.

"A Place to Stand, a Place to Grow" (Ontari-ari-ari-o!) is the unofficial provincial anthem of the Canadian province of Ontario. It was written as the signature tune for a movie of the same name that was featured at the Expo 67 Ontario pavilion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montreal Biosphere</span> Environment museum in Montreal, Quebec

The Biosphere, also known as the Montreal Biosphere, is a museum dedicated to the environment in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is housed in the former United States pavilion constructed for Expo 67 located within the grounds of Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saint Helen's Island. The museum's geodesic dome was designed by Buckminster Fuller.

Walter Perry Deiter was a Canadian First Nations leader. He was the founding chief of the National Indian Brotherhood in 1968, which is today known as the Assembly of First Nations.

The association between the monarchy of Canada and Indigenous peoples in Canada stretches back to the first interactions between North American Indigenous peoples and European colonialists and, over centuries of interface, treaties were established concerning the monarch and Indigenous nations. First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada have a unique relationship with the reigning monarch and, like the Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand, generally view the affiliation as being not between them and the ever-changing Cabinet, but instead with the continuous Crown of Canada, as embodied in the reigning sovereign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expo 67 pavilions</span> Exposition buildings in Montreal, Quebec

The Expo 67 International and Universal Exposition featured 90 pavilions representing Man and His World, on a theme derived from Terre des Hommes, written by the famous French pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expo 2012</span> International exposition in Yeosu, South Korea

Expo 2012 was an International Exposition recognized by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) held in Yeosu, South Korea which opened on May 12, 2012 and ran until August 12, 2012. The theme of the Expo was "The Living Ocean and Coast" with subthemes of "Preservation and Sustainable Development of the Ocean and Coast", "New Resources Technology", and "Creative Marine Activities". There were 105 participating countries, international organizations, and 8,203,956 visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aboriginal Peoples Television Network</span> Canadian television network

The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network is a Canadian specialty channel. Established in 1992 and maintained by governmental funding to broadcast in Canada's northern territories, APTN acquired a national broadcast licence in 1999. It airs and produces programs made by, for and about Indigenous peoples in Canada and the United States. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, it is the first network by and for North American indigenous peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Pheasant Cree Nation</span> Plains Cree in Saskatchewan Canada

The Red Pheasant Cree Nation is a Plains Cree First Nations band government in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The band's sole reserve, Red Pheasant 108, is 33 km (21 mi) south of North Battleford.

Jackson Beardy was an Indigenous Oji-Cree Anishinaabe artist born in Canada. His works are characterized by scenes from Ojibwe and Cree oral history and many focus on the relationship between humans and nature. He belonged to the Woodland School of Art and was a prominent member of the Indian Group of Seven. His work has contributed to the recognition of Indigenous contemporary art within Canada.

Challenge for Change was a participatory film and video project created by the National Film Board of Canada in 1967, the Canadian Centennial. Active until 1980, Challenge for Change used film and video production to illuminate the social concerns of various communities within Canada, with funding from eight different departments of the Canadian government. The impetus for the program was the belief that film and video were useful tools for initiating social change and eliminating poverty. As Druik says, "The new program, which was developed in tandem with the new social policies, was based on the argument that participation in media projects could empower disenfranchised groups and that media representation might effectively bring about improved political representation." Stewart, quoting Jones (1981) states "the Challenge for Change films would convey messages from 'the people' to the government, directly or through the Canadian public."

The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to Indigenous peoples in Canada, comprising the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expo 2010 pavilions</span>

This article contains the details of the pavilions at Expo 2010. The 2010 World Expo Shanghai is the largest Expo site ever, covering more than 5.2 square kilometers and containing more than 70 exposition pavilions. More than 190 countries and 50 international organizations registered to participate in the 2010 Shanghai Expo. After the six-month run, the Expo had attracted well over 70 million visitors. The Expo 2010 is also the most expensive fair in the history of the World's Fair, with more than 45 billion US dollars invested by the Chinese Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Québec Pavilion</span>

The Québec Pavilion was a pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal on Notre Dame Island. It featured modern architecture and exhibited Quebec's urban and industrial growth.

Although same-sex sexual activity was illegal in Canada up to 1969, gay and lesbian themes appear in Canadian literature throughout the 20th century. Canada is now regarded as one of the most advanced countries in legal recognition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michel Band</span>

The Michel Band is an Indigenous nation of central Alberta, Canada, which the Government of Canada recognized as a nation and treaty partner from 1878 to 1958. The descendants of that historic band, now organized as an association called the Michel First Nation, are engaged in legal and political action to regain recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaleidoscope (Expo 67)</span>

The Kaleidoscope Pavilion was a sponsored pavilion at Expo 67, the International World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1967.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Griffith, Jane (2015). "One Little, Two Little, Three Canadians: The Indians of Canada Pavilion and Public Pedagogy". Journal of Canadian Studies. 49: 171–204. doi:10.3138/jcs.49.2.171. S2CID   148049603.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rutherdale, Myra (2006). "First Nations Participation in the Indian Pavilion at Expo 67" (PDF). Journal of the Canadian Historical Association. 17: 148–173. doi: 10.7202/016594ar – via Erudit.org.
  3. ↑ National Film Board of Canada (2010). "Indian Memento". YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  4. ↑ "Museum Pieces | McGill-Queen's University Press".
  5. ↑ Cochrane, Robertson (18 April 1967). "Controversy's Rocking the Expo Boat". Toronto Star.
  6. ↑ "Indian Pavilion Tries Not to Be Restful". The Globe and Mail. 1 May 1967.
  7. 1 2 Gray, John (5 April 1967). "Pavilion Reflects Bitterness". Montreal Star.
  8. ↑ Snell, Richard (19 May 1967). "Who Designed the Pavilion? Mohawk Model, Chief Disagree". Toronto Star.
  9. ↑ "Scaled Down to Size". Guelph Mercury. 11 April 1967.
  10. ↑ Fox, Bill (6 October 1967). "Missionary Chief explains the true Indian". Ottawa Citizen.
  11. ↑ "Pavilion Praised". Montreal Star. 19 May 1967.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.