Wrapped in the Colours of the Earth: Cultural Heritage of the First Nations

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This is the catalogue of a First Nations exhibit at the McCord Museum at
McGill University, Montreal. The exhibition, which opened in 1992,
consists of three subexhibits: an Iroquois site in what is now downtown
Montreal; Micmac culture; and life in Nunavi (Inuit villages in
Quebec’s arctic). The catalogue uses essays and photos of artifacts to
introduce these three related themes and to provide a context for the
artifacts.

The bilingual text gives the history of the areas from which the
exhibits are drawn, and a summary of the archaeological work that led to
the artifacts’ becoming part of the McCord Museum collection. The
objects range from pottery shards, bone tools, and pipe fragments to
decorative items such as pendants, quillwork, and game pieces. Some
clothing and ceremonial costumes are included. Enough cultural and
social history is provided to help the reader visualize the production
and use of the objects. The book also includes five detailed essays
that, taken together, make the catalogue a useful reference work on the
early Native culture of Quebec and the bordering Maritime and Arctic
areas. The essay on Micmac life and the numerous photos of Micmac crafts
deserve special note, as the Micmac are one of the most highly skilled,
yet least known, of Canada’s Native groups.

While any exhibition catalogue is most meaningful to readers who have
visited the show in person, this one can stand alone as a reference work
for anyone interested in archaeology and the material culture of
Canada’s Fist Nations.