The St. Lawrence Iroquoians
What was life like for St. Lawrence Iroquoian boys and girls? Here’s your chance to find out, in this workshop that will plunge you into the fascinating world of these first farmers in the St. Lawrence Valley!
Long before Europeans arrived, the St. Lawrence Iroquoians were living in villages of longhouses on Montréal Island and all along the St. Lawrence River. See how they lived from day to day, how they used the furs and bones of the animals they hunted, how they prepared their food every day, and more. Your students will be captivated by the ingenuity and know-how of the members of this First Nation. Can they use the same skills?
What will the students do during the workshop?
- Handle, observe and compare natural materials and reproductions of objects that tell us about the lifestyles of the St. Lawrence Iroquoians.
- Take part in some day-to-day Iroquoian activities.
- Imagine the lives of the St. Lawrence Iroquoians from season to season, with the help of evocative sets and models.
Concepts covered during the workshop
Pre-Contact period between Natives and Europeans, between 1000 and 1500 AD, archaeological traces of the First Peoples presence.
- Demographic phenomena: population distribution, sedentary lifestyle.
- Cultural and social phenomena: languages, techniques and tools for pottery and making tools, clothing, entertainment, customs.
- Economic phenomena: horticulture, growing of the “three sisters,” hunting, fishing.
- Political phenomena: matrilineality.
Competencies developed
The activities in this workshop are in line with the aims of the Quebec and Ontario education programs and help develop the following subject-specific competencies:
In Quebec
Geography, History, and Citizenship Education
- Constructing his/her representation of space, time and society:
- Evoke aspects of everyday life at home and abroad, from the past and the present (identify changes and differences in everyday objects, means of transportation, economic activities).
Society studied: Iroquoian society, circa 1500 ad
- Perceive the organization of a society in its territory:
- Situate the society and its territory in space and time;
- Make connections between characteristics of the society and the organization of its territory;
- Make connections between assets and limitations of the territory and the organization of the society;
- Define the influence of people or events on social and territorial organization;
- Make connections of continuity with the present.
In Ontario
Social Studies
- Heritage and identity: early societies (the Natives)
- Describe the social and political organization and lifestyle of an early society: the Natives.
- Heritage and identity: the beginnings of Canada (cultural heritage)
- Describe the main characteristics of various Native peoples, the nature of relationships between various Native peoples who lived in the St. Lawrence Valley and along the shores of the Great Lakes before the arrival of the first Europeans.
- Heritage and identity: the Canadian experience, yesterday and today (development of communities in Canada: First Nations)
- Analyze the physical, social, and cultural characteristics of Native communities.
Our experienced interpreter-guides can adapt the tour to students’ ages and interests, making this a rich and varied learning experience.
Information and reservations
Hours and rates of visits and group activities 2019-2020
September 2020 to April 2021
Tuesday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm
+ Mondays October 26 and December 14, 2020
May-June 2021
Tuesday to Friday, 9:30 am to 5 pm
+ Mondays June 7, 14 and 21, 2021
Rates in effect as of September 1, 2020
Role of accompanying adults
Divide the group into smaller sub-groups according to the number of groups specified on your reservation. The number of groups required corresponds to the number of accompanying adults required during the visit.
Follow the group at all times to maintain discipline and manage particular cases. The mediator or guide will lead the visit. Accompanying adults must stay with and supervise the group during lunch time.
One-day package
Add an interpreted tour or a workshop and enjoy a full day at Pointe-à-Callière:
- First Peoples on the Point workshop or;
- Growing Up in Ville-Marie in New France workshop or;
- Building Montréal interpreted tour.
Lunch room
A lunch room is available for groups.
Reservations required.
Access to the Museum
Consult instructions.
There is free bus parking on de la Commune Street, at the corner of Place Royale.
Other activities
Growing Up in Ville-Marie in New France
Elementary cycles 1 and 2
Educational booklet
