historic peace treaty visits montreal museum for 325th anniversary

for a limited time, a 325-year-old peace treaty that shaped montreal's history is on display at the pointe-à-callière museum in old montreal.the great peace of montreal was signed aug. 4, 1701, by settlers of new france and more than three dozen first nations leaders from across the continent, who all came to gather in montreal.in the years leading up to its signing, first nations and european colonizers struggled to survive a series of ongoing wars, according to louise pothier, archeologist and curator emerita at the pointe-à-callière museum.

"(people) were attacked all the time. all groups were fighting — the french may be attacking the haudenosaunee. haudenosaunee may (have) been attacking illinois transporting furs," or kidnapping members of other nations to grow their own population in face of the lives lost while fighting, pothier said in an interview. the period of peace following the treaty lasted more than half a century until the seven years' war, she explained, when the british overpowered settlers of new france.this is only the second time the treaty has been on view at pointe-à-callière since its signing. the historic document normally lives at the archives nationales d'outre-mer in france, stored in the dark to best preserve the last known copy. it last came to montreal in 2001.the 325-year-old yellowing document is brimming with symbolism: several first nations chiefs signed pictographs next to their names. the huron chief signed with a drawing of a muskrat, placed next to printed signatures and drawings of a thunderbird and a fox.the treaty is written in french with opening words by chevalier de callière, the governor of new france at the time."i therefore ratify today the peace we made in the month of august last, desiring that there be no more talk of all of the blows struck during the war, and i once again seize all your hatchets, and all your other instruments of war, which i place along with my own in a pit so deep that no one will be able to retrieve them," the original treaty says.

more than a symbol

to mark the 325th anniversary of the great peace of montreal, several first nations leaders travelled from across canada to convene for a ceremony on tuesday. ka’nasohon kevin deer, a mohawk elder, opened with a speech and song. he sprinkled tobacco to commemorate the peace pipe that was smoked during the great peace convention in 1701, and held up a row of beads to symbolize a tree of peace that was planted at the time of the treaty signing."it's not only an image. it's not only a metaphor. it's a living spirit, this image of the great pine, the great peace tree," andré dudemaine, director of the présence autochtone festival, said in a speech at the ceremony.mayor soraya martinez ferrada said the more than 300-year-old treaty shaped montreal's dna."montreal is a very inclusive and diverse city," she said in an interview after the ceremony, noting that it's "very particular" the peace treaty happened here. "we respect each other in their differences. and i think that's one of the biggest strengths of montreal." the great peace of montreal exhibition is on view at the pointe-à-callière museum until sept. 20. for more information, see pacmusee.qc.ca.