musee des abenakis

A Quebec historical researcher took me to the Odanak Reserve in Pierreville, Quebec, because, he said, "They are few, they are different, and their Mission Church and Abanaki Museum are not to be missed."The Odanak Reserve is easy to find, 20 minutes directly East from Drummondville, then cross the St. Francis River and make the first left. Voila! The Internet has several good historical reviews of the Abenaki people, including Wikipedia.That they are few, is an understatement: 469 noted in the 2006 census. That they are different, most of them creamy-white skinned people, makes little different to their native heritage. They have a long, solid history an native allies of the French since 1600. Rumours persist that they may be the descendants of the Welsh Prince Madoc and his people who fled Wales in the 13th century (AD) to escape the invading English King, Henry II. No definitive research has either proven or disproven that possibility. In the permanent exhibit room the visitor will find videos of Abenaki people who eat, dress and look like any other Canadian people, but once they begin to speak, we hear a close adherence to Native American traditions and there is no doubt that they know who they are!We contacted the Mission Church where the Administrator, Mme. Charbonneau, gave us a thorough tour, both of the historic and spiritual challenges of her people.Behind the Mission Church is the Abenaki Museum. With an unassuming facade of a country house, we were astounded, having opened the massive, glass door, to find a very modern museum with three levels of exhibit space supported by an elevator, coffee shop, gift shop and clean, sparkling bathrooms!The Abenaki Museum gives due credit to their chiefs. An entire room is dedicated to their history. One of the earliest known chiefs was drawn by a French artist in the 1600s. In a land where natives were generally free of facial hair, the Abenaki chiefs sported thick, handlebar mustaches and full beards, which certainly makes them look different from their peers!Another exhibit room featured the Abenaki crafts. Many of the band members make their living from basket weaving and beautiful samples have been collected for public showing, along with their wood-carving skills, which used to include canoe-making. Baskets can also be bought at the gift shop.The Museum is cutting edge in its audio-visual technology, with screens everywhere and a separate screening room for films and videos. The village is the birthplace and home of the "Aboriginal award-winning filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin", whose family name is shared my many former chiefs of the Odanak Reserve, including the current one.The Museum is well managed and the guides are bilingual, courteous and knowledgeable. Although in the Fall and Winter the Museum Cafe is closed, there are two restaurants in Pierreville, run by Abenaki people, where one may sit down and drink in this modern enigma that everything looks and feels like a normal Quebec town, but under the surface is a native tradition of an ancient indigenous people..

The museum is modern and very beautiful, located nearby the Saint.Francis river. A very knowledgeable young guide introduced me to the life, history and habits of the Abenakis. There is a small-scale reproduction of the old fort and two very good exhibitions on the Abenakis and the chiefs of Odanak including pictures, artefacts and high-fidelity reproductions. Two other exhibitions were not about the Abenakis, but about the very impressive beads work of the Iroquois and another about the residential schools of Quebec for Indians. I learned a lot in this museum and was touched by the beauty of the artefacts and testimonies. I travelled 1h30 for this museum and I was not disappointed. It is possible to have picnic around the museum and the staff can guide you to find a restaurant around. There is apparently a hiking trail passing by, but it seemed closed or maybe the signs were not visible and I got confused. If you plan to hike, maybe you should ask for directions before.

The Musée des Abenakis was not at the top of our list of things to do, but after riding our bicycles in the surrounding countryside we decided to stop by this small museum. Our guide gave us an excellent tour, using some of the artefacts to explain how the Abenakis lived, worked, and played a few centuries ago. However, for us, the highlight of the tour was a highly creative video on Abenaki mythology, which deals with the creation of the world and the first humans. You won't find Adam and Eve in this story, but the parallels are quite startling.The museum, church (step inside to see the wood sculptures) and a small chapel are on a very pleasantly shaded lot next to the Saint-Francois River. Tickets for an adult are $8.50; the tour of the museum and the grounds takes about 1.5 hours.

this is one of the best places, i love it. You can learn so much about native canadiens. we visited Odanak many times, had very good fish and cheese nearby. It is a MUST DO for all, visiting these frienly people and place.

Un musée très accueillant, bien entretenu, de belles collections... on en apprend beaucoup sur le peuple Abénakis. Charmante petite boutique. Une ballade dans les rues du village dans la neige par -17°vaut le détour! A recommander sans aucune modération!

Très beau musée, moderne et bien documenté. Les expos sont originales (celle des pensionnats indiens est remarquable) nous avons passé une bonne matinée en apprenant ce qu'il fallait sur la culture Abenakis.

Ben on en apprends des choses .... Et Rodrigo et super sympa. Ce petit bout de réserve .. réserve (Hé hé) des surprises ...

Merveilleuse visite de cette institution, belle expérience. Ça vaut le détour. Une belle incursion dans l'univers Abénakis. Le site extérieur est enchanteur. Mon fils de 12 ans a bien aimé sa visite.Nous pouvons en apprendre plus sur l'histoire du peuple Abénakis et surtout y admirer des expositions artistiques uniques et très intéressantes. L'art Abénakis est vraiment impressionnant. Important de consulter le site internet afin de bien planifier sa visite car le Musée regorge d'activité et nous pouvons ainsi être mieux préparé. En juillet 2012 il y avait des fouilles archéologiques et nous avons pu ainsi bien préparer notre déplacement en visitant leur site.

Ce musée à dimension humaine, est situé au sein même de la réserve indienne à ODANAK.Notre guide connaissait parfaitement son sujet, et a su nous transmettre tout son amour pour le peuple ABENAKIS (et autres indiens).Nous prenons, par cette visite, toute la mesure de leur culture, et de leur savoir faire, de leur passé et de leur présent.Visiteurs Français, nous nous faisons tous petits.... Nous prenons la mesure que chaque peuple a son histoire de bonnes et de (très) moins bonnes choses... De longues discussions en sont ressorties avec nos enfants à la fin de cette visite.PS : les objets en vente sont fabriqués par les indiens (et non "MADE IN CHINA", comme dans beaucoup d'endroits)