The area that is now Ottawa, Canada’s capital, has been a meeting place for Indigenous peoples for millennia. The city is situated on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe, and their continued presence is celebrated and can be experienced at unique Indigenous attractions, national museums, and sites and monuments across the city and beyond.
Over the past quarter of a century, Ottawa’s Indigenous Experiences has introduced countless visitors to the cultures of Canada’s first people. The reconstructed village next to the Canadian Museum of Civilization on the shores of the Ottawa River has welcomed groups from across the continent and around the world. Last year, the organization took a bold new step by establishing a second and much larger attraction: Mādahòkì Farm.
Located in Ottawa’s rural Greenbelt about 15 minutes from downtown, the 164-acre Mādahòkì Farm celebrates the deep connection Indigenous communities have with the land. Mādahòkì means “share the land” in the Anishinaabe language.
The farm is a year-round attraction, offering groups a range of authentic Indigenous experiences and workshops. The Feel the Heartbeat Workshop lets groups connect with traditional music through rattle-shaking and stomp-dancing. They can make and take home a traditional corn husk doll, medicine wheel, or dreamcatcher; take a walk and learn about the healing properties of native plants; enjoy a traditional meal of tea and bannock by the fire; and more. The farm also has a marketplace, offering a wide range of traditional Indigenous arts, crafts, and wares.
Mādahòkì Farm is home to four seasonal festivals. The largest of these is the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival, which Indigenous Experiences has produced and presented at the end of June for more than 20 years. It features live performances by Inuit, First Nations, and Métis artists; pow wow competitions; arts and crafts demonstrations; family activities; and lots of traditional food. The Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards happens in conjunction with the festival.
The farm also hosts the Tagwàgi festival in the fall, followed by the Pibòn winter festival and the Sīgwan spring festival.
