Stepping inside the lobby of Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa is like stepping back in time. The bright, high ceilinged entrance and lobby area is lined with history courtesy of LAC’s current exhibition Hiding in Plain Sight: The Métis Nation.

The exhibit delves into the history of the Métis people, one of the three Aboriginal peoples of Canada. The Métis Nation emerged as a distinct people in the 18th and 19th centuries in Canada and the United States out of the mixing of First Nations and European cultures. During those times, important leaders such as Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont helped shape Métis history and create a unified identity.

The LAC houses archival documents about Métis people that includes photographs, artwork, stamps, maps, textual records and sound recordings. The exhibit features a selection of photographs and artwork.

If you’re in the Ottawa area, or happen to be in the nation’s capital in the next few weeks, head on over to Library and Archives Canada at 395 Wellington Street. The exhibit wraps up Friday, April 22.