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Canadian Heritage

Connecting Indigenous languages to the places we call home

An outdoor exhibition highlighting the origin and significance of Indigenous place names in Canada

A group of outdoor exhibit panels in front of a downtown skyline. The front panel is bright yellow and shows an image of a yellow sunset over a beach, with the title "In the Languages of These Lands" in English and French.

Client

Canadian Heritage

Project type

Outdoor exhibition

Collaborators

Each summer since 2016, we have worked with Canadian Heritage (PCH) to develop and install a themed outdoor photo exhibit at Plaza Bridge, a pedestrian space in downtown Ottawa overlooking the Rideau Canal. For its 2023 installation — and in connection to the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages — PCH partnered with the Geographic Names Board of Canada to showcase the diversity of Indigenous place names in Canada, and their importance in preserving endangered Indigenous languages.

Working closely with both project partners, we designed the exhibit’s photo panels to bring strong focus to the place names, showcasing each name in a large, bold font. The secondary reader rails were used to describe the significance of each name in English, French, Algonquin, Inuktitut syllabics, and other languages, with QR codes linking to audio of each pronunciation, and display map showing each location within Canada.

The final installation was celebrated by officials and visitors alike. At an exhibit opening highlighted by a special address by Indigenous Elder Claudette Commanda, the exhibit was described as “playing an important role in educating Canadians about Indigenous history and reconciliation.”

A downtown Ottawa outdoor plaza featuring several large-format exhibit structures with large photos. The structure in the foreground features an intro panel with a yellow background, black text, and a picturesque photo of a beach sunset.

A downtown Ottawa outdoor plaza featuring several large-format exhibit structures with large photos.

A downtown Ottawa outdoor plaza featuring two large-format exhibit structures with large photos of outdoor locations overlaid with their respective Indigenous names in large white text.

A downtown Ottawa outdoor plaza with a close-up of an exhibit structure featuring an indigenous painting and a written land acknowledgment in English, French, and Algonquin languages.

A close-up detailed view of a green exhibit reader rail, featuring a short description in English and French, and a small map of Canada with one location marked.

A downtown Ottawa outdoor plaza featuring two large-format exhibit structures with large photos in the background, and Elder Claudette Commanda at a podium opening the exhibition.

A graphic elevation of an exhibition structure, featuring a large photos of a lake with a small mountain in the background, over a blue reader rail with QR codes, text, and a map of Canada.

A grid of four exhibition structures, each showing various designs including large photos and accompanying text content.

Detailed view of construction specifications for large panels and structures, including measurements and other details.

An architectural site plan of the Plaza Bridge location showing the placement of the exhibition structures and indicating the accessible spacing in between and around the structures.

Be beautifully accessible.

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