COSMIC JOURNEYS

Anishinaabe culture and storytelling is greatly influenced by the natural cycles of our solar system, and David Thompson, a fur trade cartographer, used the sun, stars and other celestial bodies to create maps that would shape the borders of North America. Join our astronomers as they demonstrate how the marvels of the Earth, solar system and the unknown influence our lives.

Curriculum Links: Science & Technology, Social Studies, History & Geography
Grade Suitability: 1+
Availability: September to June (day and night)
Length: 1 hour
Cost (+HST): $120 per class

INAADIZIWIN (A WAY OF LIFE)

Learn about Anishinaabe life, including daily and seasonal routines and the contributions of Indigenous Peoples to the fur trade. Discover building materials, technologies and foods. Learn about trading practices and how the knowledge and technologies shared by Indigenous Peoples with Europeans helped expand the fur trade across North America.

Curriculum Links: Science & Technology, Social Studies, History & Geography
Grade Suitability: 3-7
Availability: September to June
Length: 45 minutes
Cost (+HST): $120 per class

INDI-GENIUS

Discover some of the tools and technologies developed and used by Indigenous Peoples before European contact, and understand the science behind creating these items. Learn about the many regionally available resources, engage in experiments, including testing the tensile strength of natural cordage and manipulation of wood using heat and moisture, and learn about the uses of local sediments and minerals to create tools.

Curriculum Links: Science & Technology, Social Studies, History & Geography
Grade Suitability: 4-6
Availability: September to June
Length: 45 minutes
Cost (+HST): $120 per class

FURS OF THE FUR TRADE

Discover the various animals that were important to the fur trade from the perspectives of the North West Company’s fur traders and the Anishinaabe hunters and trappers. Learn which furs were valued for fashion or winter survival, and why. Examine the skulls of these animals to learn about their anatomy, behaviours, diets, and habitats!

Curriculum Links: Science & Technology, Social Studies, History & Geography
Grade Suitability: Virtual – JK-3, in-person – 2+
Availability: Virtual – year-round, in-person – September to June
Length: 1 hour
Cost (+HST): $120 per class (virtual), $6 per student (in-person)

FUR TRADE SURVIVAL

Learn survival skills inspired by Indigenous Peoples and the Europeans who worked and lived in the boreal forest during the Fur Trade Era. Discover how they used their natural surroundings to build shelter, harvest food, keep warm, and navigate the vast wilderness.

Curriculum Links: Indigenous Studies, Science & Technology, Social Studies, History & Geography
Grade Suitability: 4+
Availability: September to June
Length: 45 minutes
Cost (+HST): $120 per class

WALKING THROUGH TIME

Step back in time and explore Fort William in this interactive virtual tour, led by one of the people who lived and worked around Fort William. Learn the business of the North West Company and visit some of the interesting places that made Fort William the hinge of a global empire! Customized tours highlighting specific themes can be requested at the time of booking.

Curriculum Links: Health & Physical Education, Indigenous Studies, Social Studies, History & Geography
Grade Suitability: Virtual – JK-3, in-person – 2+
Availability: Virtual – Year-round, In-person – September to June
Length: 45 minutes virtual, 1.5 hours in person
Cost (+HST): $120 per class (virtual), $6 per student (in-person)