Indigenous Gifts to Prince of Wales Being On Display For Peterborough Museum & Archives Exbibit Beginning Friday

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Indigenous birch bark baskets are returning to ancestral lands of Michi Saagiig territory as a new temporary exhibit being featured at Peterborough Museum & Archives announced on Tuesday morning.

From left to right) Rachel Peat, Laurie Beavis, Laura Peers and Laurie Carr. The quilled wiigwaasii makakoons must remain in a crate for 48 hours prior to being displayed in order to properly climatize them. Photo by David Tuan bui.

The 13 birch bark baskets, also known as quilled wiigwaasii makakoons (weeg-wah-see mah-ka-coons) go on display to the public beginning Saturday to Nov. 19.

They were made by Michi Saagiig women and gifted to Prince of Wales on Sep. 7, 1860 when he stopped at Rice Lake village (Hiawatha First Nation) as part of a cross-Canada Royal tour.

The exhibition is called “To Honour and Respect: Gifts from the Michi Saagiig Women to the Prince of Wales, 1860,” and explores the cultural knowledge, love, respect and diplomacy that went into the makakoons.

“Hiawatha First Nation and the Mississauga Nation communities are coming together to welcome these Ancestors home for a visit,” said Chief Laurie Carr of Hiawatha First Nation. “We know that the makakoons have the names of women makers attached and there are descendants of these women in our First Nations.

Since 1860, the makakoons have been part of the Royal Trust Collection and housed at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. They are on loan for exhibition by His Majesty King Charles III. The “To Honour and Respect” curators and the Planning Committee have worked closely with the Royal Collection Trust to facilitate the unique loan.

“Royal Collection Trust is delighted to exhibit this group of gifts presented to the future King Edward VII during the landmark first royal meeting with the Michi Saagiig in 1860,” said Rachel Peat, Royal Collection Trust Curator of Decorative Arts. “Since then, these outstanding works of art have been displayed within the royal residences as a symbol of relations between Mississauga Nation communities and the Crown. Today, this project offers an important opportunity to reconnect with Michi Saagiig knowledge holders and affirm links with this community.”

During the visit of the makakoons, there will be associated programming including workshops on quillwork, provided by Hiawatha First Nation artist Sandra Moore, and on Michi Saagiig language, provided by Curve Lake member Jonathan Taylor.

“While the Ancestors are with us on Michi Saagiig Territory, the PMA will create space for everyone to visit, and we will share knowledge about this art through viewing, workshops and language classes,” said Carr. “We will sit with the Ancestors and acknowledge their spirits and what they have to teach us. Each of the makakoons will add to our cultural knowledge and strength as Michi Saagiig Peoples.”

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