Winnipeg turns 150 this year! Join Dr. Roland Sawatzky in the Winnipeg Gallery to see some of the artifacts newcomers to Canada and Winnipeg brought with them when they arrived here.
This series is ongoing throughout 2024, so keep an eye out for more #Wpg150 videos!
MEDIA ADVISORY – The Manitoba Museum’s Planetarium Astronomer, Scott Young, will be hosting a press conference on Thursday, April 4 to answer media questions regarding the upcoming solar eclipse and the Manitoba Museum’s Solar Eclipse Viewing Party.
Date: Thursday, April 4, 2024
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Location: Manitoba Museum Auditorium at 190 Rupert Ave. Please enter through the lower concourse stairwell.
A partial solar eclipse will be visible in Manitoba on Monday April 8 between 12:30 pm and 3:15 pm. A Solar Eclipse Viewing Party and live stream event, hosted by the Manitoba Museum in partnership with Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, will be held at The Leaf in Assiniboine Park on Monday, April 8 between 12:30 pm and 3:15 pm.
For more information regarding the 2024 solar eclipse please visit our website.
For Additional Information:
Brandi Hayberg, Manager of Marketing & Communications
Email: BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
Phone: 204 988 0614
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ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is pleased to announce “Manidoo Miiniigooizowin, A Gift from the Creator,” SCO’s special 25th Anniversary Exhibit on display now at the Manitoba Museum.
“The Southern Chiefs’ Organization is very pleased to launch “Manidoo Miiniigooizowin, A Gift from the Creator,” a powerful exhibit that showcases incredible objects that represent our 34 Anishinaabe and Dakota member Nations,” shared Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “The exhibition is a celebration of the past, present, and future. The objects on display exemplify the beauty and resilience of the Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples and celebrate the 25th anniversary of SCO.”
Following the guidance of Elders and Knowledge Keepers, SCO and the Manitoba Museum created the exhibition in ceremony. It opens in advance of spring break, which is the museum’s busiest time of the year.
“Many of the objects in this exhibit have been generously shared by individuals and families who proudly represent their respective Nations, and all were designed or made by talented citizens of the SCO member Nations,” shared Chief E.J. Fontaine of the Sagkeeng Anicinabe First Nation. “I am pleased to share that Amanda McLeod, a Sagkeeng citizen, is the co-curator and I commend SCO for ensuring a talented southern First Nation person had a prominent role in developing the exhibit.”
This exhibit also includes historical objects from the Manitoba Museum collections —community treasures from decades past. With both the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ on display, Manidoo Miiniigooizowin, A Gift from the Creator showcases a walk through many Anishinaabe and Dakota generations.
SCO thanks the Manitoba Museum and expresses gratitude for providing the space for the exhibit.
“Co-creating and co-curating Manidoo Miiniigooizowin: A Gift from the Creator with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization was a great honour for our team and a meaningful opportunity to celebrate SCO’s incredible history and contemporary work. Community exhibitions offer the Museum a unique way to discover and share stories that help us know and appreciate one another; Manidoo Miiniigooizowin honours the diverse identities, knowledge, resistance, strengths, and talents of Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples. This beautiful collaboration will bring many communities together, for which we are truly grateful,” shared Dorota Blumczyńska, Chief Executive Officer of the Manitoba Museum.
“In curating this exhibit, we wanted to showcase the vibrancy, talents, and skills of Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples and it also broaden the perception of what First Nations art is. As such, we chose to include artists and makers at various stages of their careers and across a multitude of media, from historical to contemporary,” stated Amanda McLeod, Co-Curator and member of the Sagkeeng Anicinabe Nation.
McLeod earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Conservation Studies at Birmingham City University and the City and Guilds of London Art School in London, England, before returning home to earn a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies and Curatorial Practices at the University of Winnipeg.
“This exhibit started by examining the collections at the museum and we found 19 SCO member Nations were represented. From there, Amanda reached out to community members to ensure all 34 Nations were showcased. Co-curating this exhibit with Amanda has not only been really enjoyable but also incredibly beneficial for relationship-building and working together in the spirit of respect and reciprocity,” shared Dr. Amelia Fay, Curator of Anthropology and the HBC Museum Collection.
The Manidoo Miiniigooizowin, A Gift from the Creator exhibit runs for one year. Admission to the Manitoba Museum is free of charge for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples. The exhibit is the first of several events SCO has planned to recognize and celebrate their 25 years of advocacy and service.
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The Southern Chiefs’ Organization represents 34 First Nations and more than 87,000 citizens in what is now called southern Manitoba. SCO is celebrating 25 years of service as an independent political organization that protects, preserves, promotes, and enhances First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.
For media inquiries:
Email: Media@scoinc.mb.ca
The tools that conservators use to fix, repair, and clean objects are pretty unique, in that many of these items come from different professions rather than being made specifically for artifact and specimen conservation. In this video, Senior Conservator Carolyn shows us some of the tools she uses to conserve the Museum Collection!
Click here to learn more about the tools found in a conservator’s toolbox in Carolyn’s blog post.
Did you ever grab a meal at the C. Kelekis Restaurant during its time as a Winnipeg staple?
In this video with Collections Technician of Human History, Cortney, check out some Kelekis memorabilia that was donated to the Museum after the restaurant closed.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, viewers across North America will have an amazing opportunity to experience the motions of the solar system in real time! On that afternoon a solar eclipse will be visible across the province and across the continent. Learn more in this video with Planetarium Astronomer Scott Young!
Click here to buy your certified eclipse glasses from the Museum Shop
Find further eclipse viewing details on our website here.
Join Science Communicator Adriana in the Science Gallery to check out one of our newest exhibits – the magnetic ball wall! Learn which forces are taught by this fun hands-on exhibit.
The city of Winnipeg turns 150 this year! Join Curator of History Dr. Roland Sawatzky in the Winnipeg Gallery to learn some of the early history of the city of Winnipeg.
This series is ongoing throughout 2024, so keep an eye out for more #Wpg150 videos!
Trilobites tend to be well-preserved in the fossil record, but some of the fossil trilobites in the Museum Collection look like pieces of their head are missing. Why is this and what does it have to do with trilobite growth spurts?
Find out in this video with Curator of Palaeontology & Geology Dr. Joe Moysiuk!
The many natural history specimens in our exhibitions are familiar to Museum-goers. The dioramas and displays introduce Manitoba’s incredible diversity of life, impressing the need for conservation of our wild spaces to maintain a healthy planet. What is less familiar is that, behind-the-scenes, the Museum holds important research collections that scientists use to examine how and where organisms live. These discoveries influence public policy and help preserve our natural heritage.
Museum collections in the Boreal Forest Gallery might offer the first chance to see insects close up and develop a fascination with Manitoba’s incredible biodiversity. © Manitoba Museum/Ian McCausland
The Manitoba Museum bird collection is a resource for exhibits and teaching, and for research by Museum scientists and others around the world. © Manitoba Museum
For many visitors, the Museum collections on exhibit provide the first close look at an insect wing or cougar skull, the first chance to explore life underground, or to experience the wonder of just how many animal species live in Manitoba. Becoming fascinated with the natural world is a necessary first step in caring for it. A gallery exhibit influences attitudes towards our environment and can inspire the next generation of conservation advocates.
The Museum’s research collections – spanning millennia – are like a time machine that tells us about organisms and their environment in the past compared to today. This can determine if species are affected by climate change, habitat loss, pollution, or other factors. Collections are permanent archives of the distribution of organisms and an essential resource for scientific research at the Museum and for scientists around the world. They help assess a species biology, rarity, and any environmental threats, all critical to devise strategies and policies for responsible ecological stewardship.
Museum collections play a significant educational role in exhibits and programs encouraging champions for wildlife. From the scientific evidence they provide, we can better understand changes in our environment and plan conservation action. The Museum research collections of animals, plants, and their representative fossils furnish important data to interpret the past, understand the present, and consider the future of Manitoba’s natural world.
Analysis of feather samples discovered that some prairie songbirds overwinter along the Gulf
of Mexico. Protection of breeding and migration sites can now be planned. © Manitoba Museum
This orca tooth (MM 406) was chemically sampled to study food preferences in Arctic Ocean populations. © Manitoba Museum
Birds of different decades can be used to measure environmental contaminants over time. This ivory gull (MM 1-2-941) from 1926 was analyzed to examine changes in mercury levels to inform management plans. © Manitoba Museum/Ian McCausland
Spring Break is back at the Manitoba Museum! March 23 through March 31, the Manitoba Museum is the place to be, with a week full of family-friendly activities, a brand-new planetarium show, a fun and interactive toddler zone, and more!
