I first visited the Huron Traditional Site on a family trip to Quebec when I was 10 years old and loved it. So when teachers at the school I worked for asked me to be a chaperone on a school trip there, I said Yes!! I am so glad I did because it was even better than my fond childhood memories.
The Visit:
There are lots of tours you can choose from: guided tours, workshops on animal skins, a rally, making of a medicine wheel, tales and legends and also a native show. Be aware that some are only offered at certain times of the year.
Our group chose the guided school tour.
We started with the Longhouse. In the longhouse, families, related on the female family line, lived together but had separate compartments to give them some privacy. The bottom floor is where you would find the fire, one fire for every two families. So, depending on the size of the longhouse you could see two, even three fires. The bottom floor was also used for cooking, playing and socializing. The other floors were used mostly for sleeping, we could see some fur and hides that they used to keep them warm.
Then we went on to visit the smokehouse. It's where we learned about their methods of food conservation. Next, we saw and learned about the sweat lodge. Continuing our tour, we were invited to sit in canoes while we learned about their traditional means of transportation and how they made their canoes, their snowshoes.
The part I was most excited to see was the giant TeePee. It was my favorite as a kid. There we learned about the Hurons way of life and their chiefs. Max Gros- Louis was the chief when I went there as a child and he left a lasting impression. Sadly, he died last year at the age of 89. We didn't get to meet the Chief on our school trip.
Our visit was supposed to end with a traditional meal but they told us they had a surprise for us after dinner.
They started by offering us a bowl of Sunflower Seed Soup made with their own grown vegetables and raw sunflower seeds. It was so good that I find myself putting in sunflower seeds whenever I make a soup.
Then, we were served Game paté and bread, made as per their tradition. If you are a fan of paté, you will love this part of the meal. Then came the main course which was a plate of meat and vegetables and a succulent cake with maple syrup for dessert. With the meal, we were served a wild tea that complemented every bite we took.
The surprise, they had for us at the end, was a traditional dance. Very moving and beautiful and spoke to my own MicMac heritage.
You can't leave without visiting their store. It is full of Eastern Canadian Indigenous art and crafts. Even if you don't buy anything, it is worth seeing the craftsmanship of the many native artists that offer their products.
Everyone enjoyed the tour and learned a lot. Can't wait to go again!
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