Kwe! In their ancient language, which is still spoken today in Wendake, the welcoming inhabitants greet you warmly. Wendake, the only Huron-Wendat Nation in Canada, is proud of its heritage and culture and eager to share it with those interested in learning about the history and customs of the area. Discover a Huron-Wendat cultural cradle approximately 15 minutes outside of Québec City.
Make a reservation at the First Nations Hotel & Museum Complex.
This four-star hotel offers a unique experience for guests. The inviting interior decor of the guest rooms and public spaces, as well as the boutique hotel’s longhouse and teepee-inspired construction, will entice you.
All of the rooms overlook the Akiawenrahk River, and the carefully chosen room décor includes local plants and fauna as a reminder of the spiritual connections between the Huron-Wendat and nature. La Traite, a restaurant that has won numerous awards and serves food that showcases the region’s terroir, is also located inside the hotel.
Take a look at the Huron-Wendat Museum.
This museum, which is housed inside the First Nations Hotel & Museum, will take you on a fascinating journey through the Huron-Wendat people’s turbulent history. The knowledge, memory, and territory cultural themes are represented by three groups of objects in the permanent exhibition. The museum, which is devoted to the preservation and promotion of Huron-Wendat legacy, also reflects on the current vitality of the country.
The Huron-Wendat Museum and the visitor centre in front of Château Frontenac are connected by a shuttle during the summer.
An Immersive Multimedia Night Walk Will Astound You
Discover the enchanted world of Onhwa’ Lumina, an immersive journey through the forest that honours the great Wendat Nation’s lives and principles via the beauty of light, sound, and video projections. Onhwa’ Lumina is 1.2 kilometres long and accessible to the public at dusk.
In the summer, a package enables hassle-free transportation there through a shuttle departing from Old Québec.
Hear Legends and Stories in the Traditional Longhouse of the Ekionkiestha
An unique visit to the traditional longhouse is included in the guided tour of the Huron-Wendat Museum. As a community member shares tales and traditions from before European contact, you can sit by the fire and time travel. Bannock bread baked on a stick over the fire will be provided, along with Labrador tea or hot chocolate. Spend the night in this magnificent longhouse with the keeper of the three fires as your guide for a truly exceptional experience.
View a Performance of Traditional Dance
First Nations festivities are not complete without traditional dances. You’ll be speechless with the dancers’ intensity.
For the annual pow wow in the summer, dancers and drummers from First Nations around North America assemble in Wendake. Being steeped in First Nations cultures, ceremonies, and customs, these events serve as a potent affirmation of identity and offer attendees a singularly authentic experience. There are numerous food and craft sellers in addition to the customary dancing and singing. Regalia is what the dancers are dressed in. Each dancer creates their own, incorporating personal symbols into the clothing to make it distinctive.
Visit the Onhoüa Chetek8e Traditional Huron Site to learn more about Huron Wendat culture.
Visit a painstakingly recreated Huron-Wendat village where you may explore a huge tent and a longhouse and witness a smokehouse and drying racks—two crucial components for preserving meat—after being greeted by a guide dressed in traditional attire. You’ll also get to view the sweat lodge and discover how it works. You will learn about the Huron-Wendat way of life and how snowshoes and canoes—the traditional mode of transportation—are created through your guide’s lectures.
Finish your trip with a traditional lunch at NEK8ARRE comprising fish and wild game (bison, elk, and deer) (trout and salmon). Along with the guided tour, there are other activities for children, such as storytelling, a workshop on the medicine wheel, and an introduction to fur handling. Last but not least, guests can use a canoe, rabaska canoe, or snowshoes to explore the site’s natural environs.
Eat at a Native American restaurant
Natural flavours are the main focus of First Nations cuisine, which is one of the reasons the dishes are so surprising and distinctive. Along with native flora like wild mint, balsam fir (which is used to produce jelly), wild berries, and black spruce, game meat and fish are important staples. The dough for bannock is produced from flour, yeast, salt, and water. It is then rolled around a stick and roasted over the fire until it is nicely crisp on all sides.
The meals on the 100% regional menu at La Traite include dishes with Arctic char and wild boar. Alternatively, you may swing at La Sagamité for a snack and sample the stew by the same name. This wonderful traditional recipe has endured the test of time because it is made with game meat, corn, squash, and red beans. At Onhoüa Chetek8e Traditional Huron Site, NEK8ARRE offers trout and venison dishes in a cosy, homey setting.
Buy native artwork or crafts.
First Nations artists and crafters may bridge the gap between history and contemporary by sharing their culture through their work. Dreamcatchers, jewellery, masks, and totems are a few examples of souvenirs that frequently have a spiritual meaning. Moccasins and other leather products are also very popular.
There are a few of shops in Wendake, one of which is located at the Huron-Wendat Museum and the other at the Onhoüa Chetek8e Traditional Huron Site. Other areas of Huron-Wendat territory also have a few boutiques.
Le Sachem, a souvenir shop in Old Québec, is situated in front of the Hôtel de ville (City Hall). The Brousseau Gallery on Rue Saint-Louis, which has been representing artists from the Canadian North for more than 40 years, is the perfect destination for fans of Inuit art to discover their happy place.
Visit Native American-themed museums
- This Is Our Story, a reference exhibition created in partnership with the First Nations people residing in the province of Québec, is on display at the Musée de la Civilisation. Additionally, the MCQ is displaying the eye-catching artwork, the Witness Blanket, until February 19, 2023. Carey Newman, a master carver and member of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation and Coast Salish, created this potent piece of art as a homage to the victims of the residential school era and as a sign of the urgent need for reconciliation.
- Illipunga, a permanent exhibition of about sixty Inuit artists’ creations from the past 60 years, is currently on display at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.
Meet the Inuit and First Nations Residents of the Province
The KWE occasion! The best time to learn about these rich cultures is at Meet the Indigenous Peoples, which is held in mid-June at Place Jean-Béliveau and features an exhibition in the woods close to the Grand Marché.
[…] Cartier’s expeditions were a “discovery” from his perspective, although he found Indigenous people who had been residing in the region that is now known as Canada for many thousands of […]