THE METIS

The Metis are not affiliated to any specific community. They are of mixed ancestry, who have European as well as First Nations' ancestors. They differ from the First Nations, from the Inuit and from the Non-Natives. They account for a little over 19,000 in Quebec.

• The maison des cultures amérindiennes, A Museum to foster understanding

THE MAISON DES CULTURES AMÉRINDIENNES,
A MUSEUM TO FOSTER UNDERSTANDING
by Annabelle Dionne

It was with a view to providing a better understanding of Native people and to counter prejudice that the Maison des cultures amérindiennes opened its doors in May 2000, in Mont-Saint-Hilaire. A visit to the exhibitions on maple products, and visual arts, stories and legends, animation workshops, conferences, gastronomic tastings, and the reproduction of traditional Amerindian methods to gather and process maple sap allows visitors to discover the riches of the Native world.

Located in an ancestral maple stand at the flank of Mont Saint-Hilaire, that the Native people have frequented well before the arrival of the Europeans, the Maison des cultures amérindiennes is the result of the hard work of painter, ethnographer and sculptor André Michel. Through contemporary art, visitors are able to understand today's social context of the Native people. "Are the arts not simply a reflection of life, mythology and spirituality?⁽¹⁾" The objective is however to create an opportunity to interact, share and foster mutual understanding.

The permanent exhibition on maple products " De l'eau à la bouche⁽²⁾ " teaches us everything there is to know about Native people's methods for processing maple sap. The sap was gathered in bark baskets that had been painstakingly fashioned with spruce gum to be watertight. With the arrival of the Europeans, they obtained iron pots which were used to boil maple sap until it became a syrup, toffee and even a succulent sugar, which was easier to handle and an excellent source of energy.

An old Micmac woman went to gather maple sap and, given that she preferred to eat it hot, she filled a pot that she placed over the fire. As she was tired, she laid down to rest. When she woke, the sun had set, and in her pot she found the most delectable golden syrup.

Micmac legend

André Michel is far from a novice when it comes to setting up museums. In 1975, he founded the Musée de Sept-Îles; in 1985, the Musée régional de la Côte-Nord; in 1993, the Musée d'art de Mont Saint-Hilaire; in 1998, the Musée montagnais Shaputuan; and in 1999, the Maison P.-E. Borduas. Since it opened, more than 20,000 people have visited the Maison des cultures amérindiennes, either to find answers to their questions or simply out of curiosity. The Maison des cultures amérindiennes therefore fulfills a need expressed by the population. Contrary to popular belief, the clientele is mainly from Québec. "It is often people from Montreal who want to lean more, while Europeans do not necessarily find the folklore that they are looking for given that no one is dressed in traditional garb", noted Mr. Michel. Other surprises await them however so they do not leave disappointed.

The Maison des cultures amérindiennes employs seven persons year round and eight more during the maple sugar season. Eighty percent of the employees are of Native origin from various nations. "They are for the most part Native people who live in Mont-Saint-Hilaire or in the region but who never dared to advertize their Native origins before, explained André Michel. We are careful however to hire employees of various origins in order to avoid creating an off-reserve ghetto." André Michel is against any form of assimilation, but believes in a cultural melting pot. "Racism is born of distorted misconceptions of the other", he says.

For the past 30 years, the artist of French descent has devoted his art to the Amerindian cause. "I have always rallied my painting around a social cause. The more we talk about a people, the less likely it is to disappear", he states. This is André Michel's way of contributing towards the creation of a more open and tolerant society.

1. Sentence drawn from the Maison des cultures amérindiennes brochure.

2. "Mouth Watering Maple".

The Abenakis / The Algonquins / The Attikameks / The Crees
The Hurons-Wendat / The Malecites / The Micmacs
The Mohawks / The Montagnais / The Naskapis / The Inuits