The Passing of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick

The Passing of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick

We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, and offer our sincerest condolences to her husband, children, grandchildren, her home community of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, and all her relations. Grand Chief Merrick offered wise counsel, immense knowledge, and warm kindness to everyone who had the honour of being in her presence. Grand Chief Merrick was a courageous warrior, a truth teller, and an advocate who never wavered in her calls for justice for Indigenous peoples.

When she was first elected in 2022, Grand Chief Merrick met with us at the Manitoba Museum to ensure we understood how to be true allies to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. She generously offered her guidance and support to the changes we would make and returned to sit in circle with us many times as we undertook the work of fulfilling our promises.

“Grand Chief Merrick was direct in her words about where the Museum needed to do better, she was clear about our unique responsibilities, and thoughtful in her expectations. She was also hopeful. When we last saw each other, she left me knowing the monumental tasks that were ahead of us, and that she believed we would do the work needed, that she had faith in us. To me that is who Grand Chief Merrick was, an incredible leader who demanded the world be better while dedicating every moment of her own life to making it so.” – Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO

The Manitoba Museum Board of Governors and staff grieve the loss of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, our province’s greatest Matriarch, our most resolute Warrior, and beloved Kukum to generations.

Did you know about this avian actor?

Have you ever heard of the killdeer? This bird has a clever way of keeping predators away from its nest of eggs. Learn how in this video with Learning & Engagement Producer Erin!

Did You Know? Finding the unexpected

Sometimes our Curators find unexpected items in donations to the Museum Collections. What at first may look like it falls under one discipline, like Archaeology, may in fact fall under another discipline entirely! Learn about one neat example in this video with Curator of Archaeology Dave Finch.

It’s Science! Making rocket fuel

Can you get rocket fuel from water? Join Science Communicator Rhianna in the Explore Science Zone to conduct some hydrogen electrolysis and learn about rockets!

Catch Forward to the Moon in the Planetarium this summer!

Plan your visit today

What played recorded music before vinyls?

You may be familiar with large, round, vinyl records for playing music, but do you know what was used to play recorded music before that?

Join Learning Facilitator Erin in this video from outside the Ukrainian Booksellers and Publishers Ltd storefront in the Museum’s Winnipeg 1920 Cityscape to learn more.

Criddles at Work! Woodworking

The Criddle family made money in all sorts of different ways, from farming, to community service, to handcrafts! In this video Collections Technician of Human History, Cortney Pachet shows us some of the beautiful mother of pearl inlay work done by Evelyn and Stewart Criddle.

The Seasonal Round of Archaeology

By David Finch, Curator of Archaeology

 

I lived in Yellowknife for ten years where the seasons are definitely pronounced. Downtown Yellowknife wraps around a small lake and I used to shop at stores on the other side. Shopping in winter was easier because I didn’t have to go around the lake – I could just walk across the ice. For the rest of the year, I faced a longer trek to reach my destination.

A miniature museum diorama showing a community during three different season of the year, and demonstrating the changes in activities and living.

There is a concept in science called the seasonal round, which is basically how a group lives at different times of the year. Note that I did not say “in all four seasons” because that’s a Western idea of time – one traditional Cree view of the year has six seasons.

Regardless, humans and animals follow seasonal cycles that we see reflected in archaeological sites. Summer fish camps are different from fall hunting sites, and both are different from winter trapping cabins.

 

Image: A museum diorama of seasonal Anishnaabe campsites demonstrates the concept of a seasonal round. ©Manitoba Museum

Archaeologists also follow a seasonal round – it’s hard to dig in frozen ground or to survey when there is snow. In Manitoba, the season for fieldwork is often from May to October, with the winter months spent writing reports.

Shoreline of alake beginning to melt in spring time. Further from the shore there is ice and snow on the surface of the lake, and near the shoreline, which is still covered in snow, pools of water are beginning to show through the ice.

Spring break-up creates challenges for getting around, so it’s the perfect time for reports and a pot of tea. ©David Finch/Manitoba Museum

An individual on a snow mobile from behind, as they travel down a snow covered road lined with evergreens.

Accessing the country near Hudson’s Bay is a lot easier with snow machines. ©David Finch/Manitoba Museum

This summertime focus affects our mobility: recorded sites tend to be near highways and shorelines because most fieldwork is done during summer from trucks and boats. Ancient access was different, and winter sites might be in what we now write off as bogs.

One way around these problems is to think broadly about how, where, and when we can explore the land: oral history and traditional land use can help predict where sites may be (and where we should dig); underwater archaeology and remote sensing can reveal hidden sites; and making community connections and getting to know the land in all seasons can also point us in the right direction.

Looking over the heads of two people on a boat travelling over a body of water towards a treed bank.

Lakes and rivers are like highways, both in ancient times and for archaeologists. ©David Finch/Manitoba Museum

Two individuals seated on the edge of a river bank among trees with fall foliage. Both individuals are wearing high-vis vests.

Doing community-based fieldwork in Labrador (working in fall means fewer bugs. ©David Finch/Manitoba Museum

Did you know that roughly 2.5 million (86%) of the Museum’s 2.9 million artifacts are part of the Archaeology collection? Containing objects dating from the last ice age through thousands of years of Indigenous history and the arrival and settlement of Europeans in Manitoba, the collection represents over 12,000 years of Manitoba’s history. Visit today to explore the Archaeology collection and all the stories it has to tell.

Dave Finch

Dave Finch

Curator of Archaeology

Dave is an archaeologist and ethnohistorian who works with communities in the Canadian Subarctic. He was born in Winnipeg and was raised in northern Manitoba and northwest Ontario. He has also worked in environmental assessment and forensics, and in areas from the Northwest Territories to Labrador. He received a Masters in Environmental Studies from Lakehead University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Winnipeg.
Meet Dave Finch

Meteorites or Meteor-Wrongs?

Spotting a shooting star can be a pretty exciting experience. Join Planetarium Astronomer Scott Young at our Space Rocks exhibit to learn about some of the best meteor showers of the year – one of which is coming up later this month!

Visit the Science Gallery, where you can check out the oldest rock you’ll ever touch!

Plan your visit

It’s Science! Let’s make a rocket

Do you know the three things that are needed to make a rocket? In this video, join Science Communicator Rhianna in the Explore Science Zone to learn about rockets, and to make one of our own!

Catch Forward to the Moon in the Planetarium this summer!

Plan your visit today

Meet the Criddle Family!

Have you ever heard of the Criddles of Manitoba? They immigrated to Canada in 1882, but they weren’t your typical farming family. Learn more about Percy Criddle and his family in this video with Collections Technician of Human History, Cortney Pachet.