Misko-Aki: Confluence of Cultures

Interpretive map mural




Photo: WeatherstonBruer Associates

“Misko-Aki: Confluence of Cultures” is an exhibit that opened at the Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre in Gravenhurst, Ontario in summer 2023.

This graphic is a water-centric map of southern Ontario, highlighting key watercourses to reveal how the Misko-Aki (“Red Earth” / Muskoka) region is at the heart of a vast hydrologic system; a network which has supported Indigenous life across time. Map labels include the Great Lakes with their Anishinaabemowin names, contemporary First Nations communities involved with the project, and some modern place names to help orient the visitor within this slightly less familiar perspective on the region.

This ~8.5 ft long map graphic commission was created in collaboration with the client team (lead by Tim Johnson, exhibit graphic design by David Beyer), WeatherstonBruer Associates (exhibit design), Lord Cultural Resources (content), an ASI (archeological data/research led by Robert MacDonald). Fabrication: Kubik Maltbie.

The larger exhibit space represents years of work by a working group spanning multiple First Nations communities.
For additional documentation:


Example of close-range map detail:
 © Meredith Sadler 2024. No reuse of any content without permission.