Embracing Gratitude and Growth in Leadership

Wow, it’s been four years. I can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed. Stepping into the CEO role at the Manitoba Museum was and continues to be one of the most incredible privileges of my life. As I reflect on my journey, I am filled with gratitude—not only for the opportunity to lead but also for the lessons, challenges, and joys that come with it. Leading in the museum field is especially meaningful, as it demands a deep engagement with history, community, and the future.

Anyone who has changed roles or employers mid-career appreciates the importance of being a lifelong learner. While experience provides a foundation, leadership is never static, and new spaces demand we get comfortable with not having all the answers. Every decision, every challenge, and every collaboration offers a chance to grow. I have come to appreciate and enjoy that learning is not a phase or chapter but a lifelong commitment; it’s part of the entire story. Here, I’ve been given the chance to expand my understanding of museum best practices, how museums can be allies in Truth and Reconciliation, how places of history can and must be places of justice. The Manitoba Museum has refined my ability to navigate change, has called on my courage time and again, and has forced me out of ideas and knowledge I felt comfortable in. I can’t fully express how grateful I am for the ways this role has changed me. Since day one, and often still today, I don’t have many of the answers but I’ve learned to ask thoughtful, curious, open-ended questions, inviting new perspectives, and being willing to evolve.

Leadership is never a solo endeavour. I am profoundly fortunate to be surrounded by passionate, talented colleagues who share a commitment to the Manitoba Museum’s mission. Their dedication to preserving and sharing history, engaging with visitors from near and far, and ensuring our institution’s future is inspiring. In a world that feels ever more chaotic and fragmented, working alongside individuals who care deeply about their work is both grounding and invigorating. The collaborative spirit, the exchange of ideas, and the shared excitement for new projects make every day meaningful.

One of the more complex aspects of leadership is balancing a deep love for an institution with a recognition that change is necessary. Museums are places of tradition, yet they must also be places of transformation. As much as I respect the history and legacy of our museum, I also see areas where we must evolve—to be more inclusive, more accessible, more reflective of the diverse stories that make up our shared past. Loving a place means wanting the best for it, even when that means advocating for difficult but necessary shifts. Growth and progress are acts of care, and it is through change that institutions remain relevant and vital.

The longer I work in this field, the more I appreciate how essential museums are to our collective well-being. Museums are not just repositories of objects; they are spaces where communities gather, where histories are honoured, and where learning happens in profound and unexpected ways. They challenge us to think critically, to feel deeply, and to connect with perspectives beyond our own. At their best, museums are catalysts for conversation, empathy, and action. In an era where misinformation and polarization can cloud understanding, museums offer a space for nuanced exploration of the past and its implications for the present and future.

As I continue on this leadership journey, I carry with me a deep appreciation for the experiences that have shaped me, the people who inspire me, and the mission that guides me. Leadership is not just about directing change—it is about nurturing a culture where curiosity, courage, and collaboration thrive. It is about ensuring that museums continue to be places where history illuminates the present and inspires a better future.

I am grateful for the chance to do this work, for the colleagues who walk this path with me, and for the ever-evolving lessons that come with leading in a space so vital to our collective story. The challenges are many, but the rewards—the opportunity to shape a meaningful, inclusive, and forward-thinking institution—are immeasurable. For that, I am truly thankful.

Hello Manitoba Museum friends,

Happiest New Year. I wish you and your loved ones much joy in the year ahead.  

I reflected over the winter holidays on the many changes we’ve made at the Museum in recent years. It’s been an intense and intentional period of transformation. In an organization’s life cycle, there are varying periods of operations; steady, growth, or decline. Occasionally, when an organization faces intense internal or external pressures, incremental changes aren’t enough. It must make an evolutionary leap. That’s what we’ve done at the Manitoba Museum over the last few years. We leapt. Our evolutionary leap has meant: 

• Redefining our raison dêtre – reason for being,
• Recognizing, with gratitude and humility, that the ways in which we were operating no longer served our future,
• Renewing our vision and calling upon the courage needed to become something significantly different, and
• Releasing our grip on what was so that we could become a museum which not only honoured and continuously reexamined the past, but also one that would take meaningful actions to shape the future.

When an evolutionary leap takes place, the organization will either transform and realize a viable future, or it will miss the mark and face possible decline.   

The Manitoba Museum bravely chose to change, work which will continue for many years to come. Thankfully, our efforts have been warmly welcomed by our communities, generously supported by donors, enjoyed by Members, and appreciated by partners, collaborators, and co-creators.    

An important example of how we’ve changed is the implementation of a very important policy; the Indigenous Complimentary Admission Policy. Since actively promoting this policy in 2021 and working to strengthen our relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, over 60,000 Indigenous visitors have come to the Manitoba Museum to connect and reconnect with their own heritages, histories, artifacts, and stories.  

There is perhaps no stronger example of the impact of our efforts to exist in the service of our communities than these new and renewed relationships.  

Why is complimentary admission for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples important, you might ask?  

I’d like to take a few minutes of your time to answer this question. 

Indigenous Complimentary Admission at the Manitoba Museum 

In alignment with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Manitoba Museum proudly offers complimentary admission to all First Nations, Inuit, and Métis visitors. This initiative reflects a deep commitment to reconciliation, cultural revitalization, and the reclamation of knowledge and language. 

Reconciliation in Action 

The TRC’s Calls to Action urge institutions across Canada to take meaningful steps toward healing and repairing relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. For the Manitoba Museum, providing complimentary access is a tangible response to these calls, embodying the principles of respect, inclusivity, and acknowledgment of the profound contributions of Indigenous cultures and histories. 

Similarly, UNDRIP emphasizes the rights of Indigenous peoples to maintain, develop, and share their cultural heritage. By opening its doors to Indigenous visitors at no cost, the Museum acknowledges its role in supporting these rights and creating an environment where Indigenous voices, stories, and traditions can flourish. 

Image: This Treaty No. 6 Medal, first presented to Chief Red Pheasant on Aug. 28, 1876, came to the attention of the Manitoba Museum’s former curator, Katherine Pettipas, in 2002. The medal was acquired by the Museum in 1994 as part of a large donation of over 25,000 artifacts in the Hudson’s Bay Company Museum Collection. Records and oral history indicate that in 1885 an Indian Agent removed it from the possession of Chief Red Pheasant. Pettipas contacted Red Pheasant Cree Nation to initiate the repatriation of the medal to the Community, and in July 2019 Red Pheasant Chief and Council formally requested the repatriation of the medal. Director of Research and Collections, Seema Hollenberg worked with Chief Clint Wuttunee and the Band Council to returned to Red Pheasant Cree Nation, which occurred at Treaty Days on July 3, 2019.

An Anti-Colonial Stance

Providing complimentary admission to Indigenous visitors is more than a policy; it is a conscious anti-colonial act. By challenging barriers to access and welcoming inclusivity, the Museum rejects colonial practices that have historically excluded or marginalized First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Instead, it creates opportunities for empowerment and self-determination, affirming the centrality of Indigenous perspectives in understanding Manitoba’s shared history.

Image © Manitoba Museum, H4-2-527

We cannot change the past, but we are responsible for changing the future. By providing accessible opportunities for cultural engagement and education, the Museum takes responsibility for its role in shaping a more inclusive and equitable future for all. 

Thank you for your support as we undertake this important work. 

Sincerely,

Dorota Blumczyńska
Manitoba Museum CEO

Is the Manitoba Museum an independent organization? 

Yes, the Manitoba Museum is an independent legal entity guided by its mandate, mission, vision, and values in its service to Manitobans. Unlike many museums in other provinces across Canada, the Manitoba Museum is not an arm of the government, nor a department or crown corporation.  

The Manitoba Museum is a not-for-profit organization with charitable status. It is governed by a Board of sixteen volunteers who set the organization’s strategic priorities, approve Board policies and procedures, and provide judicious oversight of the Museum’s resources. The Museum is led by CEO Dorota Blumczyńska, who determines day-to-day operations including the implementation of the Complimentary Admissions Policy.