Second on our Toronto bucket list is going to the Royal Ontario Museum. This was namely Ligeia’s addition to the list as Mindy does not really enjoy museums. Discovering that on Tuesdays post-secondary students get in free, Ligeia decided to go this past Tuesday.
There are many sections of the museum and really something for everyone. Ligeia enjoyed walking through the dinosaur exhibit as well as the natural history section.
This was her favorite scene in the natural history section:
The section that she enjoyed the most, however, was the wing dedicated to the First Peoples where she took a guided tour of the exhibit lasting about an hour. Ligeia learned about how canoes were made…
…and the Iroquois’ story of creation. Here is a statue depicting this story:
Here is the Cliff notes (Coles notes for the Canadians) of this story:
Generations ago, Haudenosaunee legend tells us, that Sky Woman fell through a hole in the Sky World and tumbled downward toward the earth that was covered in water. As she fell, the birds came up to hold her and bring her gently to the earth. As she and the birds fell downward, the Great Sea Turtle rose from the seas and spread his legs outward. The animals came up from the ocean bringing mud from the ocean floor, placing it on the Great Sea Turtle. By the time Sky Woman landed on the Great Turtle’s back, an island had formed…Turtle Island. From that island came North America and the world of the First Peoples of this land.
Ligeia also learned that Toronto does not mean “meeting place” as it is popularly known among Torontonians; instead, Toronto carries the meaning “place to fish” according to our guide at the museum or “place where trees are in the water” according to Wikipedia. Either way, what is truly amazing is that there is evidence that humans have been living in what is now known as Toronto for 11,000 years. WOW! So much for N. America have a “short history”.
One of the things Ligeia liked about the museum was the building itself, which ranked 8th out of the top 10 ugliest buildings in the world. While inside, however, you avoid the eyesore altogether. In fact, parts of the inside are gorgeous like this mosaic ceiling:
If you haven’t been to the ROM yet or in awhile, Ligeia recommends trying it out, especially if you have a student card. They are getting a Maya exhibit there in November from parts of Mexico and Guatemala.
Love,
Ligeia and Mindy :):)