On their third full day in Montreal, Gardiner ’27 and Dahlia ’27 recount how they spent the day in the city exploring history from the perspectives of the First Nations and the Colonial Victors, ending the evening with fun watching the Superbowl, eating tasty food and delicious desserts and having fun and entertaining conversations to create long-lasting memories with peers.
On our third full day in Montreal, we spent the entirety of our time in the city. First, we stopped to get breakfast at a supermarket, ending up buying nutella biscuits instead. We visited two museums today—the McCord Stewart Museum and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. At the McCord Stewart Museum, we went to an exhibit called Indigenous Voices of Today. Within this exhibition, there are three major sections: Knowledge, Trauma, and Resilience. Throughout the exhibit, we encountered a series of testimonies taken by Huron-Wendat curator Élisabeth Kaine, which encompassed the views of about eight hundred people stemming from the Indigenous nations of Quebec. The majority of our time at the museum was spent in the Knowledge section, overviewing the eleven indigenous nations of Quebec and their innovative hunting techniques and traditions. Aspects of this innovation were seen through the objects on display—selected by Jean St-Onge—encompassing a wide range of everyday activities such as hunting, clothing making, and child-rearing. We learned of the emphasis on family and the next generation, which brought us to the room dedicated to memorializing the generational traumas faced by many First Nation families and their pursuit for reparations. There, we learned of the atrocities First Nations children faced at Indian Residential Schools and how the abduction of generations of children affected families and the cultural identities of survivors. We learned of examples of First Nations people stereotypically portrayed in mass-media, as well as the legacy of acts passed from the 1850s to the 20th century meant to hinder the rights of indigenous people in the region. The final section was the Knowledge room. Huron-Wendat artist Ludovic Boney’s “Trade Ornament” installation was based on trade ornaments given by the British crown to allied Huron-Wendat chiefs. We were surprised to realize the distinct colors of red, yellow, and green are the same defining colors of the Hudson Bay Company, established in 1670 to exploit the beaver fur trade. We were astounded by the fact the company operated for 355 years, officially closing last year!
With no time to visit the gift shop, we made our way to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. After having some trouble figuring out where to go, we eventually found our way to the Kent Monkman exhibit, titled History is Painted by the Victors. Monkman is a Cree artist known for his paintings that intervene with depictions of Native/Settler interactions in Western European and North American art history. Within his work, Monkman explores themes of resilience and sexuality within the context of European colonization, merging the complexities and varied perspectives of indigenous people historically and in the present. The exhibition was an emotional rollercoaster, shedding light on the realities and experiences—typically of Queer and Indigenous people—left out of the dominant narrative.
We then drove to eat Chinese cuisine at Kan Bei. However, to our greatest disappointment, we realized the restaurant was closed. As a last resort, we decided to eat lunch at Five Guys where we ordered burgers, fries, and milkshakes. We all really enjoyed the food, and I enjoyed the new experience of going to a Five Guys restaurant. After lunch, we drove back to the hotel where we enjoyed some down time in our hotel rooms. At 5:45 pm, we congregated in the lobby to go eat dinner. Mr. Jan found an amazing Italian restaurant earlier this evening and made sure it had a TV, enabling us to watch the Superbowl and eat simultaneously. We had a lot of fun watching the sports event, eating tasty food, and having fun and entertaining conversations. After ordering delicious desserts, we took the van back to the hotel. In the room, we continued watching the game while playing cards. We shared a ton of laughter and had the funniest conversations! Today was an amazing way to end our fantastic journey in Canada on a high note. This journey was full of adventures; from walking on the Kahnawà:ke reserve and embracing the spiritual connection that they have to their land to watching a live hockey game and the Superbowl. Although we did encounter a few challenges, we took them as opportunities for growth, which made the atmosphere always remain lively! Last but not least, we are very grateful to Ms. Fidanza and Mr. Jan for being the most amazing trip leaders. We greatly appreciate their kindness, generosity, and patience! We would also like to thank the CSGC committee for making this trip possible and allowing us to create long-lasting memories with our peers.
