Getting to experience Ottawa through the eyes of two very different community members was enlightening. Both Craig MacDonald, a native of Ottawa, and Jamie Koebel, an Apeetagosan/Nehiyaw woman from Lac La Bich, Alberta, saw the city of Ottawa in unique and different ways. Their interpretation of the history of the city and the Canadian nation as a whole overlapped but also diverged. One of the most interesting parts of the indigenous walking tour was our visit to the Temporal Re-Imagining Exhibit, where Jamie discussed and explained several indigenous art pieces. One of my favorites was a photo by Meryl McMaster called “In-Between Worlds” that portrayed the internal struggle of self-identity of a mixed indigenous and European girl. Overall, both walking tours were valuable experiences that showed us how history can really be subjective, an important thing to keep in mind as we begin our research this week.
By: Erika Doane
