The lands we refer to as the Niagara region have hosted thousands of years of history, beginning with the stories of the first people to call this place home.

At the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum this month, curious minds can learn more about this vast history at “Beyond the Mist,” a lecture happening on Thursday, June 8.

A group of four panellists and one host will discuss and explore Niagara’s Indigenous history: Rick Hill, a historian from Tuscarora Nation; Ron Dale, a Niagara-on-the-Lake-based historian; Karl Dockstader, a broadcaster and educator from Oneida Nation; and Jim Hill, the senior manager of Niagara Parks heritage and legacy.

Tim Johnson, the former associate director for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, said in the museum’s media release that the discussion will span as far back as “the earliest days, when Indigenous eyes first witnessed the cresting of Niagara Falls some 12,500 years ago,” to “issues of contemporary relevance.”

One example of this history is on display now in Niagara-on-the-Lake: the Six Nations and Native Allies Commemorative Memorial is a public art exhibit in Queenston Heights Park drawing attention to how Indigenous allies helped the Crown during the War of 1812.

The lecture is a collaboration with the Niagara Parks Commission and is part of the organization’s ongoing “Explore the Niagara” education initiative.

The lecture will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person.

The museum is located at 43 Castlereagh St., where tickets can be purchased – as well as online at Notlmuseum.ca