The following was composed by the Manitoba Museum Board of Governors in Spring 2023 following in-depth learning and with the guidance of the Indigenous Advisory Circle to the Museum.
For more information about the Homeward Journey, please click here.
We, the Manitoba Museum, sincerely and profoundly regret that the Museum has held Ancestral Remains within the collections for decades – Ancestral Remains that continue to be in our care today. Some of the Ancestors came to the Museum from institutions that came before it, and others since its creation in the 1960s. By accepting, inheriting, and keeping Ancestral Remains in the Museum collection, the Manitoba Museum has contributed to and played a role in colonialization. These actions have perpetuated the forced displacement of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and their life experiences, contributing to systemic discrimination and racism, including the history of violence perpetrated against Indigenous peoples. We recognize that keeping Ancestral Remains in the Museum collections has had, and will continue to have, a serious impact on our relationship with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
We regret the harm and disrespect caused to the Ancestors and to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and we apologize for our actions, inactions, and failures, past and present.
We apologize to the Ancestors, their descendants, and to future generations who will come to know and understand this injustice.
We apologize to those who have supported and worked at the Museum, carrying the burden of this knowledge.
The Manitoba Museum fully understands our responsibility to address this terrible legacy. We recognize that this apology is only the first step of many actions we must take, knowing that great care and many years will be needed to ensure that the Ancestors are returned to their communities according to the wishes of those communities.
Our goal is to appropriately care for and share the Museum collections so that we may all heal and be inspired by them. We must recognize historic imbalances of power and decolonize our relationships with communities. Regaining the trust of all involved requires that our actions be transparent, honest, and meaningful.
With the utmost respect to the Ancestors and their descendants, and with the knowledge and consent of the Indigenous Advisory Circle, the Museum is beginning the homeward journey of the Ancestors. As we learn more about each Ancestor, we will work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to respectfully repatriate them. We will continue to follow the guidance of Knowledge Keepers to care for the Ancestors until such a time that they are ready to be brought home. We will review the Museum collection as a whole to ensure no Ancestor is missed, and that every Ancestor is returned. We will ensure that under no circumstances will Ancestors enter the Museum in the future. Taking these steps reaffirms our commitment to the goals of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.
We, the Manitoba Museum, dedicate ourselves to be led by and work in partnership and collaboration with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to bring the Ancestors home. The Museum is committed to rebuilding your trust, to repairing our important relationships, and to moving forward in a good way.