1491: The Untold Story of the Americas Before Columbus

Indigenous creation stories are explored as well as key discoveries about how and when Indigenous people first arrived in the Western Hemisphere.

For thousands of years, Indigenous activities such as resource harvesting, irrigation and controlled burning have caused significant changes to the natural environment.

The Neolithic era began nearly 10,000 years ago in Mesoamerica and South America with the cultivation of maize and potatoes. Crops spread throughout the Americas through trade networks.

Whether living a nomadic existence or in sprawling urban centres, Indigenous people created innovative and diverse architectural styles.

Each Indigenous nation developed its own unique governance models to control their citizens and expand territories. Complex trade networks satisfied political, social and economic goals.

The ingenuity of Indigenous people is found in the earliest use of the number zero, the mapping of planets and stars, and the invention of writing systems.

The artistic expressions of Indigenous societies have survived through the preservation of ancient cultural artifacts and in works created by contemporary artists working in traditional styles.

The stewardship of Indigenous history in the 21st century is explored through perspectives on cultural material repatriation, language preservation, traditional knowledge and archaeology.