“I repeatedly rub bear-fat in your hair”, said Dominic in the Wendat language, as he welcomed us to the longhouse exhibit of the Huron-Wendat museum in Wendake. Thus began a captivating hour with our vivacious guide. My first reaction was to laugh at this unfamiliar hello; then Dominique explained. Bear fat is very nutritious and was a valuable foodstuff; it is also an excellent leave-in-conditioner. The traditional greeting demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice even food for a guest’s enjoyment.
In the early 17th Century the Huron-Wendat numbered 30,000, then disease and war raged through the community. Only 3,000 survived. Of those, 300 eventually settled in what is now Wendake, establishing a thriving town near Quebec City. In 2008, the community inaugurated a museum to teach the history of the Wendat people. The grandest of the exhibits is the replica longhouse.
Inside the longhouse, it was dark and cool, a result of having no windows and thick insulation. We were invited to climb into the sleeping quarters and rest on the furs while Dominique enthralled us with details of traditional life.
The visit to the longhouse gave us a sense of the texture, temperament and community of our hosts, the ways in which they have changed through interaction with other nations and the traditions that have endured. We learned that the Wendat have prospered through an openness to change. They have taken in the best habits of surrounding communities and have leveraged their history for success. Going forward with our fellowship year, this is a lesson worth remembering.
