325 years ago today, one of North America’s most important diplomatic documents—the Great Peace of Montreal—was signed under a large tree in Montreal. The treaty was signed by representatives of New France and by 38 Indigenous nations from the northeastern United States. War axes were buried, food was shared, people danced, talked, and signed the peace treaty.
It is one of the defining moments in the history of Montreal and North America—the Great Peace put an end to violent conflicts between French colonizers and Indigenous nations whose territories had been invaded. What we remember today is also the process by which it was negotiated.
This historic treaty can be seen at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum of History and Archaeology, built on the Callière estate—it was there, in 1701, that it was signed.
THE GREAT PEACE OF MONTREAL
An exhibition, centered on the treaty signed in 1701, opens today at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum. We encourage all Montrealers to stop by to appreciate and learn about this historic event.
Depicted here are Wendat Chief Kondiaronk (after whom the lookout point at the very top of Mount Royal was named), as well as delegates from Indigenous nations, French representatives, and interpreters who contributed to the treaty negotiations.
Every Sunday this summer, there will be free activities at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, in its small plaza lined with tall trees, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This Sunday, August 9, 2026, is the International Day of Indigenous Peoples.
Where? Pointe-à-Callière Museum, 350 Place Royale
When? August 4 through September 20, 2026
How much? Adult ticket $30, child ticket (ages 5–12) $10 /For more information, click here
ON AUGUST 14, 2026, THE TREE OF PEACE WAS PLANTED HERE AT THE OUTREMONT THEATER
On the final day of the Festival Présence Autochtone and as part of the 325th anniversary of the Great Peace signed between the Indigenous nations of the Great Lakes region and the settlers, Terres en vues presents an event featuring music, song, and poetry on August 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Théâtre Outremont to create a soundscape that bridges the past and the present.
“On the island of Tiohtá:ke, we artists invite you to celebrate, in a grand and vibrant concert,
the Great Peace of Montreal of 1701—that moment when the nations came together
not amid the clangor of weapons, but in the dignity of exchanged words and the promise of a shared future.”
Featuring the Forestare Guitar Ensemble, Richard Desjardins, Joséphine Bacon, Jacques Newashish, Andrée Lévesque Sioui, Marianne Lambert, Sandrine Masse-Savard, Éric Dupont, Élise Turcotte, Hélène Collin, Kate Bevan Baker, Benjamin Tremblay Carpentier, Marc Morin, Elvira Misbakhova, and Élisabeth Giroux.
