Toronto contains one of the most diverse populations in the world, a place where cultures and ethnicities are celebrated in dozens of neighborhoods, including Little Italy, Koreatown, Greektown, Little India and at least three Chinatowns.
First named the Town of York, Toronto (or Tkaronto) was founded on the traditional territories of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat. Today, the city is home to many diverse First Nation, Inuit and Métis peoples.
As a way to connect to the origins of the area, we’re highlighting our favorite ways to experience the art, culture and history of Toronto’s Indigenous peoples on your next visit to the city.
The Hotel
Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Park Hyatt Toronto reopened in 2021 after a major redesign and restoration, with its design aesthetic as a nod and celebration of local and Indigenous Canadian art. One such feature piece is contemporary visual artist Nadia Myre’s Where Beavers, Deers, Elks, and Such Beasts Keep, which is the centerpiece of the hotel’s Four-Star Joni Restaurant. Myre, an Algonquin member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, assembled more than 12,000 handmade beads in an homage to the Wampum belt, an artifact traditionally used to record history or to encode agreements. Through this work, Myre imparts the concept of “A dish with one spoon,” an Indigenous expression that describes how land can be shared to the benefit of all inhabitants, through mutual respect and cooperation.
The Museums
Over in Toronto’s Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge-Dundas Square), check out one of the city’s unique offerings: Little Canada, an expansive attraction showcasing Canada’s cities and landscapes — all in miniature. Its newest exhibit, “Little North,” opened in October and showcases replicas of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Here, guests can learn about the landscapes of Canada’s north and stories from its vibrant communities and Indigenous traditions.
Developed in consultation with Indigenous groups and Cree siblings Jacquelyn and Hunter Cardinal, the showing features sights such as the northern lights over Whitehorse, ice floes on the Northwest Passage, reindeer herds in the Mackenzie Delta and the hair-freezing competition at Takhini Hot Springs.
At the Royal Ontario Museum, swing by the First Peoples Art & Culture gallery, a curated collection of more than 1,000 works and ancestral objects. From traditional feathered headpieces to contemporary creations by Cree painter and printmaker Jane Ash Poitras, they provide an Indigenous-led perspective, both past and present, of the First Peoples of Canada.
At the Art Gallery of Ontario, the J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art showcases a permanent collection of artworks from Indigenous and Inuit artists, focused on telling stories that highlight contemporary perspectives and discussion. Current temporary exhibits include works by Bill Nasogaluak, a self-taught Inuk sculptor and painter from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, and Letendre/Morrisseau, celebrating two painters, Rita Letendre and Norval Morrisseau, and their bold color and line works, illustrating collective themes like transformation, connecting and understanding.
About an hour from Toronto’s downtown core, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection carries a significant selection of Inuit art, with a permanent collection of 7,000-plus pieces and an archive of more than 100,000 works held in trust for the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative.
You can also explore Indigenous art along the city’s waterfront recreational path, a favorite of runners and cyclists alike. Here, you can view the 30-foot-high Toronto Inukshuk by Cape Dorset, Nunavut, artist Kellypalik Qimirpik, which was initially unveiled at the 2002 World Youth Day celebrations. The inukshuk, an Inuit stone structure stacked to look like a human being, is one of the largest in North America, standing proudly along the shores of Lake Ontario to offer safe harbor and guidance for travelers on land and sea.
Continue west toward Humber Bay Shores to find the 12-foot-tall Campfire installation by Anishinaabe artist Michael Belmore and Honduran Herman Mejia. The stunning sculpture symbolizes a campfire at the water’s edge and evokes warmth and reflection.
The Cuisine
To experience Indigenous culture through food, take a day trip from the city to Owen Sound, where chef Zach Keeshig crafts a 12-course progressive tasting menu anchored in Ojibwa traditions at his restaurant, Naagan. Considered one of the best dining establishments in Canada, Naagan shapes a menu that honors traditional cultural practices by exclusively using locally sourced and foraged ingredients — you’ll find no flour, sugar or other items introduced by colonizers in this kitchen — and offering only non-alcoholic beverage pairings.
