QUÉBEC CITY, May 24, 2024
/CNW/ - Today, Rémy Vincent, Grand Chief of the
Huron-Wendat Nation, and Joël Lightbound, Member of Parliament
for Louis-Hébert, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault,
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister
responsible for Parks Canada, inaugurated a new experience at the
Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site.
![Logos of the organizations involved in this announcement. (CNW Group/Parks Canada (HQ)) Logos of the organizations involved in this announcement. (CNW Group/Parks Canada (HQ))](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2421101/Parks_Canada__HQ__The_Huron_Wendat_Nation_and_Parks_Canada_colla.jpg)
The result of a partnership between the Huron-Wendat Nation and
Parks Canada, this project aims to highlight the theme of encounter
by enhancing the outdoor visitor experience at this urban park,
while paying tribute to the historical and cultural perspective of
the Huron-Wendat Nation. To this end, three new stations have been
developed and installed at the main entrances to the national
historic site. They describe the defining moments of the encounter
on Jacques Cartier's second voyage
(1535-1536) in the Québec area, more specifically at the confluence
of the Saint-Charles (Akiawenrahk)
and Lairet rivers, with the "St. Lawrence Iroquoians," whom
the Wendat consider to be their direct ancestors. This new
installation promotes a better understanding of the various aspects
of the encounter and, ultimately, of the site's history.
Each of the three new stations addresses a different facet of
Jacques Cartier's voyage: the notion
of encounter, the choice of location and the importance of exchange
and helping each other, as well as the Iroquoian way of life and
the relationship with creation from the Wendat perspective. Each
station also has a fun element where visitors can test their
knowledge, either by putting important events in the right order or
by searching for specific features hidden throughout the
stations.
Parks Canada is proud to work
with Indigenous peoples to develop interpretive materials and
activities at national historic sites to foster a better
understanding of the perspectives, cultures and traditions of these
peoples.
Quotes
"Thanks to a fruitful collaboration between the Huron-Wendat
Nation and Parks Canada, visitors to the Cartier-Brébeuf National
Historic Site will now be able to learn more about the history of
this site, which witnessed the first encounters between Indigenous
peoples and Europeans. With our ancestors occupying the region
since time immemorial, I am proud that this interpretive project
presents our perspective on this important period in history."
Rémy Vincent
Grand Chief of the Huron-Wendat Nation
"With this new project, I hope that visitors to the
Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site will be able to recognize
and appreciate all the work accomplished in cooperation by the
Huron-Wendat Nation and Parks Canada which means that, more than
ever, this site is intended to be a place to meet and share."
Joël Lightbound
Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert
"The Stories of Canada
program ensures that sites administered by Parks Canada reflect the
history and contributions of Indigenous peoples, which is essential
to advancing reconciliation. This new experience at the
Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site will showcase the rich
history of the Huron-Wendat Nation. I invite everyone to visit this
exhibit to learn more about our shared history."
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
MP for Québec and Minister of Public Services and
Procurement
Quick Facts
- Parks Canada is committed to
ensuring that its network of national historic sites recognizes and
honours the historic and contemporary contributions of Indigenous
peoples, their histories and cultures, and their special connection
with ancestral lands and waters.
- Parks Canada and Indigenous
peoples work together to develop interpretive materials and
activities at national historic sites, national parks and national
marine conservation areas to foster a better understanding of the
perspectives, cultures and traditions of Indigenous peoples.
- Parks Canada is working to
advance the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Call to Action Number 79, which
calls on the federal government to integrate Indigenous history,
heritage values and commemoration practices into the national
heritage and to commemorate the contributions of Indigenous peoples
to Canadian history.
- This work is also supported by the implementation of Parks
Canada's Framework for History and Commemoration, which provides
strategic direction for sharing more diverse and inclusive stories
at national historic sites to ensure that Canadians have the
opportunity to understand the full breadth of the country's
history.
- The Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site commemorates the
wintering location of Jacques
Cartier and his companions in 1535-1536 near the
Iroquois village of Stadacona. It
also bears witness to the establishment in 1625-1626 of the first
Jesuit missionaries' residence in Québec.
Related Links
Parks Canada
Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site
Huron-Wendat Nation (French only)
Parks Canada Discovery Pass
SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)