This guide is intended to help those from the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design to find and access resources related to Indigenous architectural history and studies, provide search strategies and tips for discovering Indigenous-related resources and support.
The Indigenous History of Tkaronto | Guide to Indigenous histories and cultures of Toronto with key resources
City of Toronto Archives Database | Collection of documents created by the City of Toronto and its antecedents between 1792 and the present, as well as a range of non-government records
Digital Archive | Inventory of digital objects of archival materials held by Toronto Public Library
I-Portal: Indigenous Studies Portal | Indigenous Studies at the University of Saskatchewan
York University Digital Library | Digital collections, including historical archives, held by York University
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals | Use keyword search to locate articles related to vernacular Indigenous architecture
Agreements, Naming, and Places | Book chapter in Indigenous Toronto: stories that carry this place discusses archaeological artifacts and dwellings discovered in the early Lake Ontario region
Place, Space, and Dwelling in the Late Woodland | Book chapter in Before Ontario on Indigenous dwellings and village construction before contact with settler nations
Building Canada : an architectural history of Canadian life | Book by Alan Gowans documenting local building history before the 1960s, early forts and huts included
Small houses of the late 18th & the early 19th centuries in Ontario | Book by Eric Ross Arthur with illustrations and architectural drawings
At the Daniels Faculty, we celebrate diversity and honor Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. Our dedicated First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group is here to guide and empower your academic journey. With a deep respect for cultural heritage and a commitment to creating inclusive spaces, our advisors offer support to help all students thrive. For more information on our initiatives, please explore the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Daniels Faculty.
Elder Dorothy Peters | de.peters@daniels.utoronto.ca
A Traditional Teacher and Community Nookmis, Elder Peters is a member of Jiima’aaganing (Seine River) First Nation. Throughout her career, she has worked in various consultative capacities with multiple Indigenous organizations in Toronto, including Aboriginal Legal Services and Anduhyaun Inc., and she has previously supported Indigenous students at the University of Toronto through First Nations House, where she served until recently as an Elder-in-Residence. A residential school survivor, Elder Peters is regularly called upon to share her stories, teachings and cultural expertise at events throughout the city.
Amos Key Jr. | amos.key@daniels.utoronto.ca
A member of the Mohawk Nation, Key is an educator, advocate and Traditional Faith Keeper of the Longhouse at Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. The long-time Director of First Nations Language at Woodland Cultural Centre, where he co-founded the Gaweni:yo Cayuga/Mohawk Immersion School System, Key is a leading figure in the ongoing language revitalization movement among First Nations people in Canada. He has also taught as an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Indigenous Studies, and was the inaugural Vice-Provost, Indigenous at Brock University in St. Catharines.
Trina Moyan | trina.moyan@daniels.utoronto.ca
Artist and activist Moyan is nehiyaw iskwew (Plains Cree) from the Frog Lake First Nation in Alberta. She began her career as a writer and producer for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and co-produced and directed the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (now Indspire) for CBC Television. Moyan is a co-founder of Toronto-based Bell & Bernard, a First Nations consulting firm dedicated to including the histories and current realities of Indigenous peoples within urban planning projects, and has spoken widely on Indigenous inclusion and empowerment. Moyan is also a muralist, a traditional dancer and a University of Toronto alumna.
Douglas Cardinal
One of the world’s most prominent Indigenous architects, Dr. Cardinal is known for his lifelong commitment to sustainable design and for such landmark buildings as the Canadian Museum of History. Born in Calgary to a father of Blackfoot heritage and a German/Métis mother, he served as the Daniels Faculty’s Frank O. Gehry Chair in 2020-2021 and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Toronto in June 2022. In 2018, Dr. Cardinal led a team of Indigenous architects and designers who represented Canada at the Venice Architecture Biennale, and he continues to design residential, institutional, and industrial buildings. His role as Decanal Advisor on Indigenous Knowledge at the Daniels Faculty continues his longtime advocacy for the dignity and advancement of Indigenous Peoples.
The University of Toronto provides guidance, advocacy, and community connections to support Indigenous students in navigating both their academic and personal journeys. For more information, visit the First Nations House.
Contains hand-drawing maps of Lower Humber Toronto, Carrying Place Trail, and Baby Point Site - Taiaiako’n
Storymap that illustrates the evolution of Toronto's landscape from Pre-colonial times (1793) to the Present
Navajo Architecture by 
Self build aboriginal housing using balewall construction, Cumberland House, Saskatchewan : final report by 
Building a Straw Bale House by 30 College Street : a narrative tour by 
Indigenous Writes by 
The Toronto Carrying Place by Reports of the Lillooet Archaeological Project by 
Native American Architecture by 
Native American Ethnobotany by 
The Finnish sauna, the Japanese furo, the Indian inipi : bathing on three continents by Toward the design of shelter forms in the North by 
Old stories, new ways : conversations about an architecture inspired by Indigenous ways of knowing by 
Contemporary Native American Architecture by 
The Architecture of Douglas Cardinal by 
Kwah í:ken tsi Iroquois by 
Inca Architecture by 
The Art and Architecture of Ancient America by 
Maya Architecture by 
Pre-Columbian Architecture of Mesoamerica by 
Silent Cities of Mexico and the Maya by 
Forest law = Selva jurídica by 
