Foraging for Wild Fruits

By Diana Bizecki Robson, Curator of Botany at the Manitoba Museum

There are many plant species with edible fruit in Manitoba. Wild fruits make a nutritious snack when you are out hiking but you may also want to consider growing of these shrubs in your yard to ensure easy access to their delicious fruit.

Berries are fleshy fruits with several seeds inside them. The most popular ones to eat are Saskatoons (Amelanchier alnifolia) and blueberries (Vaccinium spp.). Saskatoons are tall shrubs typically found in the prairies and parklands, while blueberries are low shrubs common in the boreal forest.

Fruits that we commonly call “cherries” or “plums” are actually drupes, a fleshy fruit with a hard, inedible pit inside. Manitoba has five species of wild cherries including Wild (Prunus americana) and Canada Plum (P. nigra), Chokecherry (P. virginiana), Pin Cherry (P. pensylvanica) and Sand Cherry (P. pumila). Wild plums and cherries can be pitted and dried or turned into jam, juice, or jelly.

Before consuming any wild fruit, remember to consult with a field guide, to ensure you can correctly identify both edible and dangerous fruits.

Adapting to life in a new city or country can come with many challenges and successes. This video with Dr. Roland Sawatzky in the Winnipeg Gallery looks at how the experiences of immigrants to Winnipeg in the last 20 years or so compare to the experiences of immigrants 100-150 years ago.

This series celebrating Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary is ongoing throughout 2024, so keep an eye out for more #Wpg150 videos!

Plan your visit to the Winnipeg Gallery today

We show gratitude to the Telus Friendly Future Foundation for their generous support in funding our project, Anishinaabemowin with Amik. Together, we can work towards language preservation and ensure children and youth across the country have easy access to learning Anishinaabemowin. Gichi-miigwech!

This project title is inspired by the beaver (amik) who represents wisdom in the seven sacred teachings. The beaver is the pillar of their community’s and nature’s well-being and strives to make a positive impact.

Here in Winnipeg we love a good celebration! Coming together for festivals, sports, and cultural events help us share what it means to be Winnipeggers. Learn more in this video from the Winnipeg Gallery with Dr. Roland Sawatzky.

This series celebrating Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary is ongoing throughout 2024, so keep an eye out for more #Wpg150 videos!

Plan your visit to the Winnipeg Gallery today

By Tashina Houle-Schlup, Head of Indigenous Programming & Engagement

Throughout this important month, the Manitoba Museum celebrates the tangible and intangible heritage of the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities of Manitoba. One of our special initiatives to create space for these celebrations occurs on Sunday, June 16, when we will host our first-ever Indigenous Artist Market to honour and celebrate Indigenous History Month.

This much-anticipated market will not only showcase and support numerous local Indigenous artists, makers, and crafters but also provide a unique opportunity for visitors to engage in a cultural exchange, connecting the historical works in the Museum Galleries with the beautiful, contemporary creations from these vendors.

As caretakers of a significant collection of Indigenous ancestral works, the Museum takes pride in  preserving and showcasing pieces like the exquisite, intricate quillwork dating back to the early 19th century and beadwork that transcends beauty in every meticulously created design.

We are fortunate to show our visitors that these hundreds of years-old artistic practices are still being carried forward by artists, makers, and crafters today. Some amazing, talented vendors attending our market include Bead N’ Butter, Red Thunder Cloud Designs, Onyx Art, Alicia Kejick Creations, Indigify, By Niizhode, Pretty Windy Designs, Anishinaa-Bakes, and many more.

The market will give attendees the chance to honour the rich artistic traditions on display in the Museum  Galleries, support thriving local Indigenous entrepreneurs, and contribute to the growth and sustainability of their incredible work.

We invite you to visit the Museum this June to explore, reflect, and learn this Indigenous History Month; and don’t forget to stop by on Sunday, June 16, from 10 am to 3 pm to help us support and celebrate the talented  artists taking part in our first ever Indigenous Artist Market.

Water has been a major influence on the development of Winnipeg throughout its 150-year history. Learn about our rivers, floods, and drinking water in this video from the Winnipeg Gallery with Dr. Roland Sawatzky.

This series celebrating Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary is ongoing throughout 2024, so keep an eye out for more #Wpg150 videos!

Plan your visit to the Winnipeg Gallery today

Last year the Manitoba Museum piloted a new program to provide community members increased access to Museum collections. Weekday appointments to view collections are sometimes difficult for folks who work full-time or are enrolled in school. This program was developed through discussions with artists, makers, and interested community members. We decided on a free open-access event on a weekend, one where people could sign up and come and spend a few hours looking at many items cared for in storage, rather than on display in the Museum galleries.

Since the majority of the HBC and Anthropology Collections are of First Nations, Métis, or Inuit origin, we structured the initial sessions with preference given to individuals who self-identify as Indigenous. Due to tight collections storage spaces, we kept each session to a maximum of 10 participants. A smaller group setting created a nice, intimate learning environment for discussion, and enabled us to move freely within collection storage as a group.

For these sessions we brought in skilled artists to discuss the objects with the group and to share learning experiences in traditional artistic techniques. We were very fortunate to feature Jennine Krauchi and Cynthia Boehm at our first session, and Tashina Houle-Schlup and Cheyenne Schlup for the second session. All four of these artists are not only incredibly skilled with beadwork, embroidery, and quillwork in their own artistic practices, but also knowledgeable on historic pieces within the Museum’s collections. Participants were able to learn so much through this collaborative structure with community artists and makers.

Based on the success of this program last year, we hope to offer 3-4 more sessions in the upcoming year, featuring different artists to share these wonderful collections with interested community members.  If you’re interested in participating, keep your eyes on the Museum’s website and social media for the next session!

Don’t miss out on our special Mother’s Day tour From Talk to Table: Indigenous Motherhood on May 12. This tour explores parenting throughout time on Turtle Island and includes include an in-depth tour of Indigenous artifacts in the Museum Galleries and behind-the-scenes.

Canadian armed forces are part of the historical fabric of Winnipeg. Join Dr. Roland Sawatzky to learn about some Winnipeg veterans whose artifacts are on display in the Winnipeg Gallery.

This series celebrating Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary is ongoing throughout 2024, so keep an eye out for more #Wpg150 videos!

Plan your visit to the Winnipeg Gallery today

Winnipeg citizens have been fighting inequality and racism for over one hundred years. Join Dr. Roland Sawatzky in the Winnipeg Gallery to learn about these contrasts within our city.

This series celebrating Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary is ongoing throughout 2024, so keep an eye out for more #Wpg150 videos!

Plan your visit to the Winnipeg Gallery today

By Mika Pineda, Learning & Engagement Producer for Youth Climate Action.  

Every year on April 22, we celebrate our home, the Earth, and all the wonderful things it provides us – from the food that nourishes our body, the shelter and clothing that keeps us warm, to the air and water that allow us to live and breathe.

Still looking for Earth-friendly activities?  

Join us for Earth Days at the Manitoba Museum on April 20 and 21! Play “Planet vs Plastics”, a fun and educational board game led by our Youth Climate Alliance; check out our special planetarium shows: Atlas of a Changing Earth and We Are Guardians; explore the Museum Galleries on an Earth Days scavenger hunt; and stop by the Earth Day reflection Wall to ask yourself: What action will I take to keep our environment healthy?

Help us celebrate Earth and learn how we can better protect our future, together!