Ontario Doug and the Importance of Wampum Ontario Doug has spent the last couple of weeks with Dr. Lucy learning about wampum. He was particularly intrigued by a recent blog post that MOA wrote on Wampum and wanted to learn more – especially how to make the wampum craft.
What are wampums? Wampums are visual memory keepers that help record history and communicate ideas. Beaded patterns represent a person, nation, event, invitation, shared values and understandings/agreements between two or more parties. Traditional wampum belts were used as covenants and petitions for understanding. Words spoken during an agreement are made into wampum to be used […] Read more
There’s a spirit on the river, there’s a ghost upon the shore, And they sing of love and loving through the starlight evermore, As they steal amid the silence, And the shadows of the shore. From “Dawendine” Pauline Johnson (1861-1913) was the best known female Canadian poet of her time. Born on the Six Nations […] Read more
———————————————————————- Craft Workshops Pottery Students will try their hand at making pottery using the traditional methods of Ontario’s First Nations People and self-drying clay. Suggested for: All ages and grades Personal Totems Students will learn about animal totems and their meanings within First Nation traditions. They will then create their own 3-dimensional sculptures using […] Read more
The evolution of early Canadian currency offers a unique perspective into the growth of Canada as it was evolving into a nation. From it’s pre-colonial origins, to the tokens ushered in by Confederation in 1867, currency saw many forms and many uses. Early 16th Century: First Nations and Wampum As Canada was being settled, coins from […] Read more
Since the first Family Day was observed on February 18, 2008, many Ontarians have enjoyed taking advantage of the holiday to spend time with their family and explore their communities. Family Day 2016 falls on February 15th and you don’t have to look any further than MOA for something fun to do as we continue our […] Read more
What did First Nations people wear for fashion? Or for ritual purposes? What did the decoration on their clothes and these objects look like? How were they made? These can be some of the questions one might ask when referring to the objects that First Nations made through beadwork.
Earth & Fire: The Craft and Form of Ontario Earthenware Pottery Traditions In Partnership with FUSION Potters Guild and London Heritage Council Curated by Nicole Aszalos with Dr. Rhonda Bathurst Archaeologists recognize pottery of many shapes, sizes, and purposes as one of the most common artifact types found on archaeological sites, almost anywhere around the […] Read more