Penetanguishene in Simcoe County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
The Meeting ⎯⎯⎯ La rencontre
Artist: Tim Schmalz
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2024
1. The Meeting / La rencontre Marker
Inscription.
[English] The Meeting statue is a celebration of two people, two faiths and two distinct cultures coming together 400 years ago. In 1615, Chief Aenon of the Huron Wendat presents the Wampum belt, a symbolic gesture of friendship and alliance to welcome Samuel de Champlain and the French people to their land. Beneath the two figures are sculpted symbols from both cultures. Under the Chief the artist highlights the belief held by the Huron Wendat that the world is a large turtle. On this turtle live their people. Also represented are the Three Sisters, the spiritual providers of what sustains their people, sister corn, sister bean and sister squash. Beneath Champlain lie the symbol of the French, emerging from their ship, the ancient symbol of the fleur de lys. Also included are the Christian symbols of God, represented in three parts, the Father by the hand, the son Jesus by the fish, and the Holy Spirit, the dove. A ribbon of maple leaves continually flows throughout the sculpture, symbolic of our shared nation and the Huron Wendat belief that all meetings never end. The Meeting statue is symbolic in itself of the two cultures embracing on the shores of Georgian Bay and their woven history to the area. The artist captured the 400 years of history by using 400 leaves throughout the piece. ,
[English] The Meeting statue is a celebration of two people, two faiths and two distinct cultures coming together 400 years ago. In 1615, Chief Aenon of the Huron Wendat presents the Wampum belt, a symbolic gesture of friendship and alliance to welcome Samuel de Champlain and the French people to their land. Beneath the two figures are sculpted symbols from both cultures. Under the Chief the artist highlights the belief held by the Huron Wendat that the world is a large turtle. On this turtle live their people. Also represented are the Three Sisters, the spiritual providers of what sustains their people, sister corn, sister bean and sister squash. Beneath Champlain lie the symbol of the French, emerging from their ship, the ancient symbol of the fleur de lys. Also included are the Christian symbols of God, represented in three parts, the Father by the hand, the son Jesus by the fish, and the Holy Spirit, the dove. A ribbon of maple leaves continually flows throughout the sculpture, symbolic of our shared nation and the Huron Wendat belief that all meetings never end. The Meeting statue is symbolic in itself
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of the two cultures embracing on the shores of Georgian Bay and their woven history to the area. The artist captured the 400 years of history by using 400 leaves throughout the piece.
[Français] La sculpture « La rencontre » célèbre deux peuples, deux croyances et deux cultures distinctes qui se sont rencontrés il y a 400 ans. En 1615, le chef huron-wendat, Aenon, présente la ceinture de wampum, geste symbolique d'amitié et d'alliance, à Samuel de Champlain pour lui souhaiter, ainsi qu'au peuple français, la bienvenue sur leurs terres. Les symboles des deux cultures sont sculptés sous les deux personnages. Sous le chef, l'artiste souligne la croyance des Hurons-Wendat que le monde repose sur le dos d'une tortue géante. Le peuple autochtone habite sur cette tortue. Les trois sœurs y sont également illustrées, maïs, haricot et courge représentant les soutiens spirituels qui pourvoient aux besoins de la population. Les symboles représentant les Français sont illustrés sous Champlain : le débarquement du navire et les colons présentant au nouveau monde la fleur de lys, symbole historique de la France. De plus, trois images représentent les symboles chrétiens de Dieu : Dieu le Père par la main, le Fils Jésus par le poisson, et le Saint-Esprit par la colombe. Un ruban de feuilles d'érable enveloppe l'ensemble de la sculpture, symbole d'une nation
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2024
2. The Meeting / La rencontre Marker
Looking west; Penetang Bay is in the background.
partagée et de la croyance huronne-wendat que les rencontres ne prennent jamais fin. La statue « La rencontre » symbolise en soi les deux cultures qui s'accueillent à bras ouverts sur les rives de la baie Georgienne et leurs histoires étroitement tissées dans la région. L'artiste a représenté les 400 ans d'histoire en parsemant l'œuvre de 400 feuilles d'érable.
Location. 44° 46.222′ N, 79° 56.414′ W. Marker is in Penetanguishene, Ontario, in Simcoe County. It can be reached from Owen Street just north of Water Street. The marker and sculpture are located along the Trans-Canada Trail in Penetanguishene Rotary Champlain Wendat Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8 Owen Street, Penetanguishene ON L9M 1M8, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Ontario Cottage Country and specifically in Georgian Bay Country. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 134 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 10, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
