lost rivers remaining
Montreal and Belfast are built atop a network of rivers and waterways. Rivers that are seemingly lost yet remain. Largely unknown to us, water flows in what feels like solid ground below our feet. With these rivers underground, the earth seems less substantial. Large sewer pipes allow passage of water amongst the roots of the cityscape. As we walk, the cavernous portals reverberate. Concealed by steel, soil, landscaping, cement, buildings—the layers of cities. Water seeping into the city from the St. Laurence. The series of rivers, like the River Migeon, the River Grande Prairie, reaching north towards the city like fingers of a hand pulling the body to shore. The St. Laurence bringing water to the shore, like its brought people to shore for centuries.
This place, Tio’tia:ke, a gathering place for First Nations since time immemorial. Before Champlain arrived, before settlers arrived: settlers who traveled down the river from the coast, from across the Atlantic, arriving in Montreal, often temporarily, the entry point to the continent; settlers moving from European ports, sea decks to train cars, traveling into the prairies, traveling east or west. Landing on and traversing, exploring, invading Indigenous territories. These settlers seeping and reaching forward from water to land.
This land is unceded.
Detail of Map of Montreal from 1831. James Wyld. "Map of the District of Montreal, Lower Canada," J. & C. Walker, published 1831. https://www.davidrumsey.com/ luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~3259~350033:Map-of-the-District-Of-Montreal,-Lo?title=Search+Results%3A+List_No+equal+to+%274434.001%27&thumbnailViewUrlKey=link.view.search.url&fullTextSearchChecked=&dateRangeSearchChecked=&showShareIIIFLink=true&helpUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fdoc.lunaimaging.com%2Fdisplay%2FV75D%2FLUNA%2BViewer%23LUNAViewer-LUNAViewer&showTip=false&showTipAdvancedSearch=false&advancedSearchUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fdoc.lunaimaging.com%2Fdisplay%2FV75D%2FSearching%23Searching-Searching
Detail of a Map of Montreal from 1761. "The Isles of Montreal as they have been survey'd by the French engineers," S.l: s.n., published 1761 (?). https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:8049g928w
Often it seems, rivers appear on historic maps nameless, as dark meandering lines toward shore, ending, without the Indigenous name, or rarely the French or English name. What were these rivers called when the banks were meadows of wild flowers and berries?[1] These underground rivers, when at the surface, once nourished the soil and nourished people. Who was the first politician to motion their burial? This city is an endless series of destructions and reconstructions. Memories are lost as the city is built then lost again at its destruction, or, memories seep into the soil for safe keeping, finding space in the rivers, leaving the city forever in the flow of water that goes to the river, goes to the sea. What lost information could we resurface about this place if we laid our body atop the water of the St. Laurence? Could we feel that motion of arriving and leaving as we float in its current? If we heard the water move past our ears, would we sense its impact in its cacophony of sounds? The movement of the river, a movement in us—as blood and liquid circulate constantly in our bodies maintaining health, maintaining body-memories to maintain the brain’s memory. What memory is held in these sunken rivers?