Hands-on learning is a big part of Indigenous Ingenuity.
The exhibit Anishinaabewin Maamninendimowin: Pane Gii-Bite or Indigenous Ingenuity: Timeless Inventions is set up in the Quill Lounge at Northern College. It brings together Western science, Indigenous knowledge, and modern technology to share different perspectives and ways of knowing with people in Timmins.
The exhibit is touring across Ontario and is in Timmins until Nov. 22.
“We’ve been travelling across Ontario and this is one stop along the way to bring all this information to people,” said Tommy Pelletier, who is in charge of its French programming.
The exhibition includes traditional teachings about things like the three sisters' crops, where corn, squash, and beans are grown together, and maple syrup gathering, as well as lessons on things like surface tension with snowshoes and hydrodynamics with canoes.
“There’s a lot of interesting facts and knowledge that you might not consider until you find out where it comes from,” said Pelletier. “It’s always fun to experiment and learn.”
There has been a lot of interest from schools as well.
“We can do a program for the youngest kids to high school, and families are welcome to come over the weekend,” said Pelletier.
Many students from Northern College are exploring it.
Vaibhav Sabharwal stopped by between classes to try out the virtual bow-and-arrow hunting simulation.
“This is my first time with the bow and arrow and I love to do it,” he said. “This is so amazing to have this going on here.”
There is also a virtual reality experience where users can compare a dog sled to a modern snowmobile.
“People who have never experienced this can give it a try,” said Pelletier.
The exhibition started as a larger project at the Montreal Science Centre before Indigenous Tourism Ontario and Science North took it on the road, heading to 30 communities across the province.
“We developed an exhibit that was much smaller and more portable and easier to move from community to community,” said Harrison McKay, Science North’s marketing specialist.
The display at Northern College is free to attend.
It's open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday until Nov. 22.
After the stop in Timmins, the exhibit is going to Chapleau from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6.
More information and a virtual exhibit tour are available on the Science North website.
