THE IDENTIFICATION OF A LONG IGNORED INDIGENOUS CULTURAL LANDSCAPE IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, AND THE ROAD THAT LED US HERE

Although awareness of the archaeological past of Canada’s national capital region began fairly soon after the establishment of permanent Euro-Canadian communities in the region, the presence of national institutions dedicated to studying archaeology did not advance our understanding of the region’s ancient past. Rather, the puzzle pieces of a significant cultural landscape, situated between the mouth of the Gatineau River and the Chaudière Falls emerged only recently and, to a significant degree, by happenstance.

Join archaeologist Jean-Luc Pilon who will present the functional and complementary nature of a number of key sites within the landscape allows us to appreciate the vibrant, dynamic and highly valued character of this ancient, unceded Anishinaabe Algonquin land.

Speaker:

Jean-Luc Pilon’s archaeological fieldwork has ranged across the top of the continent from central and northern Quebec, through the Hudson Bay Lowlands to the lower Mackenzie Valley. He has also participated in fieldwork in Patagonia/Tierra del Fuego in southernmost Chile and on First World War battlefields of northern France.

During Dr. Pilon’s more than 33 year-long career at the Canadian Museum of History, he participated in several exhibitions, including Kichi Sibi, Our Region’s Past (now permanently exhibited at the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Cultural Center), the People of the Longhouse module in the Museum’s First Peoples Hall, First Peoples of Canada: Masterworks from the Canadian Museum of Civilization, which toured internationally, and the First Contacts module in the newly-opened Canadian History Hall. His publications include First Peoples of Canada, Masterworks from the Canadian Museum of Civilization which he co-authored with Nicholette Prince and which has been published in Chinese, Japanese, German, Spanish and English. Jean-Luc is an Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton University.

Heritage Ottawa is pleased to offer our lectures free of charge, but we do need your support. Consider making a donation or joining Heritage Ottawa as a member using our secure website: https://heritageottawa.org/join-us