Winnipeg Ceremony Honours Historic Gift of the Hudson’s Bay Company Royal Charter to Canadians

(Treaty One Territory – Winnipeg, Manitoba: June 11, 2026) – The Manitoba Museum, together with members of the HBC Royal Charter Consortium, hosted a historic event to officially welcome the Hudson’s Bay Company Royal Charter into the hands of Canadians. The event marked the beginning of the work of the Consortium in determining the Charter’s future, ensuring robust and meaningful discussions in the years ahead.   

 In 1670, King Charles II issued the HBC Royal Charter, granting exclusive land, trading, and exploration rights over the entire Hudson Bay watershed – an area roughly one-third of what we now call Canada. The Royal Charter reflects the belief that this land was vacant and free for the taking, ideas that today we know are wrong, and thus it is a significant document for Canada, and an important part of the nation’s history.   

Through auction in December 2025, the 356-year-old document was jointly acquired for $18 million by the Weston family and David Thomson, through their respective holding companies. The Charter was then generously donated in equal parts to four public institutions – the Manitoba Museum, the Archives of Manitoba, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Royal Ontario Museum – working collectively as the HBC Royal Charter Consortium. 

As part of its joint stewardship, the Consortium will undertake a series of initiatives in the coming years to guide the conservation, interpretation, exhibition, and public engagement surrounding the Charter. These initiatives include a range of online and in-person public engagement opportunities; engagement with Indigenous communities; the development of educational materials to support provincial and territorial curricula; the creation of permanent and temporary exhibitions; and conservation stewardship to ensure the Charter’s long-term preservation. 

“The Consortium humbly accepts custodianship on behalf of all Canadians, recognizing the depth of responsibility this trust entails. We are committed to holding a thoughtful, inclusive dialogue about the Charter’s future, embracing conservation, interpretation, exhibition, and meaningful community engagement. In doing so, we hope to invite people from coast to coast to coast to share their perspectives in a National Conversation about the Charter’s enduring significance, who we are as a nation, and how we can move forward together with care and intention, strengthening our collective commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.” – Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO of the Manitoba Museum, speaking on behalf of the Consortium.  

As the hosts of the first official event marking the Charter’s transfer to Canadian stewardship, the Manitoba Museum welcomed distinguished members of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, alongside dignitaries and guests, to a ceremony and reception held in Alloway Hall and throughout the Museum. The ceremony featured meaningful participation by Indigenous drummers and singers, as well as a pipe ceremony and lighting of the qulliq. Remarks and a land acknowledgment were delivered by Manitoba Museum CEO and Consortium representative Dorota Blumczyńska. 

The gathering brought together diverse voices in a spirit of reflection and respect, marking both a hopeful and significant occasion. It serves as the starting point for the Consortium’s work to ensure the Charter’s ongoing conservation, thoughtful interpretation, and inclusive public engagement in the years ahead.  

Each member of the Consortium will also receive additional support from the Desmarais family and Power Corporation of Canada to deliver Charter related activities. At the Manitoba Museum this will include a new permanent exhibition in the Museum’s HBC Gallery opening in the fall of 2027. In the future, the Charter will also be exhibited at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. At this time, those dates have not yet been confirmed. 

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Media Contact & Information: 

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications, Manitoba Museum
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614

Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba (May 1, 2026) – The Manitoba Museum is honoured to welcome a temporary exhibition from the Chinese Canadian Museum which shares moving and powerful stories of Chinese people in Canada and Manitoba during the Chinese Exclusion Act between 1923 to 1947. The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act opens today in recognition of Asian Heritage Month.

The Paper Trail is a special adaptation of the award-winning landmark exhibition that debuted at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver on July 1, 2023 – the 100th anniversary of the Act. It takes an unflinching look at Canada’s exclusion years when, for the first and only time in Canadian history, the country banned the entry of a single community and issued immigration cards to Chinese who were born here. The exhibition focuses on the human impact and personal cost this law inflicted on Chinese people in Canada. The displays reveal haunting stories of loss, despair and fear, as well as powerful examples of courage and perseverance.

“We are so pleased to be partnering with the Chinese Canadian Museum to share this important history with our visitors. Curator Catherine Clement has done a remarkable job to further tailor the original exhibition to include local stories and connect with the Chinese Canadian community in Winnipeg,” says Dr. Amelia Fay, Director of Research, Collections, and Exhibitions.

Curated by award-winning Chinese Canadian historian Catherine Clement, The Paper Trail exhibition involved extensive crowdsourcing of private documents and stories from families across Canada, as well as hundreds of hours of painstaking research.

“Chinese exclusion was a monumental chapter in Canadian history, yet it was largely forgotten, even amongst Chinese Canadians whose families had been affected,” says curator Catherine Clement. “Fortunately, the extensive government paper trail left behind to enforce exclusion, helped us to slowly uncover the lived experience of this law: the daily realities, the emotional costs and the quiet endurance of a community under siege.”

The Paper Trail exhibition will be on display in the Manitoba Museum’s Discovery Room and Urban Corridor until April 2027

On May 1, Catherine Clement will give an author’s talk at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum’s Auditorium. This will be Catherine Clement’s only talk in Manitoba—an exceptional opportunity to gain deeper insight into this powerful and resonant story.  Learn more: https://manitobamuseum.ca

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Media Contact & Information: 

Image Gallery: A collection of images and a document with image captions & credits can be found here.

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications, Manitoba Museum
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614

Sophia Cheng
Publicist, Chinese Canadian Museum
Sophia@SophiaChengPR.com
604-828-3102

The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act exhibition is co-hosted by the Chinese Canadian Museum and the Manitoba Museum.

This exhibition made possible with the support of Canadian Heritage.

(Treaty One Territory – Winnipeg, Manitoba – January 15, 2026): The Manitoba Museum is pleased to announce the availability of Aira Explorer, a visual interpreting service, free for use by all Manitoba Museum visitors.

Aira Explorer is an app that connects blind or low-vision users to professional visual interpreters at the tap of a button. Interpreters use a caller’s phone camera and microphone to make visual information more accessible; they can describe surroundings, navigate, read aloud, and assist with a vast range of tasks. Visual interpreters can be reached 24/7/365, and no advance bookings are required.

Aira Explorer can be used by the blind and low-vision community to more fully engage with exhibits and experience the Manitoba Museum more independently.

“Implementing Aira at the Manitoba Museum is an important step toward making our galleries more accessible to everyone. Blind and low-vision visitors who may not have considered visiting before can now explore Manitoba’s history with greater independence. Seeing guests use Aira and hearing their positive feedback truly warms my heart. We look forward to welcoming more members of the community who can now experience the galleries in a way that works for them.” – Rhiannon Leier-Blacher, Director of Marketing, Sales, & Visitor Experience at Manitoba Museum.

The Manitoba Museum soft-launched Aira Explorer in December 2025 and invited a group of low-vision and blind visitors to test the app’s effectiveness and ease of use in Museum spaces. Reviews from the testing group were overwhelmingly positive, encouraging the Museum to proceed with implementing the Aira Explorer app for all Manitoba Museum visitors.

“Aira levels the playing field for persons who are blind to enjoy the Museum, especially when travelling alone. Aira provides the assistance to allow the person with no vision to not only navigate the Museum safely, but also allows the visitor to focus on the [Museum exhibits] rather than [focusing on] getting from point A to point B. Public areas that provide this level of technology open up a world to the blind person that is not normally available to them.” – Tanis Woodland, Aira Explorer user on her visit to the Manitoba Museum.

Anyone visiting the Manitoba Museum, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, or Centennial Concert Hall can use the Aira Explorer App to connect with a visual interpreter at no cost. At this time, Aira Explorer is not available for use in the Planetarium; within the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and the Centennial Concert Hall, Aira is currently available for wayfinding purposes only. Visitors can download Aira Explorer in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store.

This accessibility improvement is made possible through a grant provided by the Province of Manitoba.

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About the Manitoba Museum

The Manitoba Museum is the province’s largest, not-for-profit centre for heritage and science learning. Renowned for its vivid portrayal of Manitoba’s rich and diverse history, the Museum is home to nine interpretive Galleries, a full-dome Planetarium, and a hands-on Science Gallery. The Manitoba Museum plays a pivotal role in showcasing the rich heritage and natural wonders of our region. Our collections encompass both cultural artifacts and scientific specimens and are a testament to the diversity of life and the importance of preserving our past for future generations. We strive to conserve, collect, and share knowledge, while encouraging intercultural dialogue and understanding within our communities, showcasing diverse perspectives, and promoting inclusivity within our society.

About Aira

At Aira, we believe access to information is a human right. Aira breaks down accessibility barriers by providing on-demand video remote interpreting for both the blind and low vision community, and the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. People can download the Aira Explorer app or the Aira ASL app and be instantly connected to a highly-trained professional interpreter. Available 24/7/365, interpreters work with callers to facilitate more efficient communication and accomplish tasks together. Aira’s services are offered by leading companies globally, and our commitment to accessibility has garnered substantial recognition including a 2025 Golden Apple Award from AppleVis. Learn more about Aira Access here.

To arrange interviews, please contact:

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614

(Treaty One Territory – Winnipeg, Manitoba: December 9, 2025) – The Manitoba Museum’s Curator of Palaeontology & Geology has been busy bringing the past into the present. Dr. Joseph Moysiuk has had an action-packed year, considering that his area of expertise took place over 450 million years ago. Moysiuk is excited to share some key areas of his work with two brand-new exhibits opening this December at the Manitoba Museum.

Earlier this year, Dr. Moysiuk and Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) colleague Dr. Jean-Bernard Caron made headlines with the release of a paper announcing their discovery of a remarkable new 506-million-year-old predator, found in British Columbia’s Yoho and Kootenay National Parks. Mosura fentoni caused quite a stir in the palaeontological field due to its unique body segmentation, which differentiates it from other members of its group, knows as the radiodonts.

“Radiodonts were Earth’s first large predators, with some species reaching up to a meter or more in length. They’re arguably some of the strangest-looking fossil creatures ever found, but it turns out they’re also crucial for understanding how modern insects and spiders evolved” says Moysiuk. “We’re excited to be able to share these globally significant fossils with the public, for the first time in Manitoba.”

Visitors to the Manitoba Museum can see fossils and 2D & 3D representations of Mosura fentoni and related species in a brand-new temporary exhibit. These specimens, on loan from Parks Canada and the ROM, come from the Burgess Shale, which is part of the UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site in British Columbia.

“We are really excited to launch Dr. Moysiuk’s first exhibit at the Manitoba Museum, which is based on his doctoral research and strong partnerships with the ROM. I think our visitors will really enjoy a view into current paleontological research and some interesting and unique specimens that we would not typically learn about from Manitoba’s fossil record” says Dr. Amelia Fay, Director of Research, Collections, and Exhibitions.

Weird Wonders from the Dawn of Complex Life will be on display in the Museum’s Foyer starting December 9.

The Manitoba Museum’s Earth History Gallery will be home to a brand-new mural, depicting a verdant scene from a warmer phase of the ice age, when muskoxen, woolly mammoths, and giant beavers roamed the land. Fossil evidence for these ice age inhabitants has been found throughout southern Manitoba and adjacent regions, notably near Grunthal, Manitoba.

“This wonderful artwork brings some of Manitoba’s most charismatic prehistoric creatures ‘back to life’ and showcases how much this landscape has changed over time. I think people will be surprised and amazed to learn about some of the fossil finds that have been made, practically, in our own backyards.” adds Moysiuk.

The mural, created by Canadian paleoartist and natural history illustrator Julius Csotonyi, is based on fossils finds in Manitoba and adjacent areas, particularly around Grunthal. This area has proven to be a trove of fossils, dating back at least 40,000 years, and is still the site of ongoing exploration and scientific work. The Manitoba Museum collection includes fossils found and donated by quarry workers, although at this time they will not be available for display.

The mural can be explored in the Manitoba Museum’s Earth History Gallery.

These exciting projects were funded by the Manitoba Museum Foundation Legacy Fund. Donations to this endowment fund help us continue to update our galleries, bringing Manitoban stories forward and ensuring that future generations can learn and grow at the Manitoba Museum.

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To arrange interviews, please contact:

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614

Image Captions: 

1. Life reconstruction of Mosura fentoni. Art by Danielle Dufault © ROM
2. Small section of the new Ice Age Mural, Earth History Gallery, Manitoba Museum, showing a woolly mammoth reconstructed in the Grunthal area. Art by Julius Csotonyi. © Manitoba Museum

(Treaty One Territory – Winnipeg, Manitoba: December 4, 2025) – An $18 million bid for the Hudson’s Bay Company Royal Charter, made jointly by the Weston family and David Thomson, through their respective holding companies, has been accepted. The Charter will be donated in equal parts to a Consortium of four public institutions: the Manitoba Museum, the Archives of Manitoba, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Royal Ontario Museum.

The Consortium will receive the Charter as co-custodians on behalf of all Canadians, with the responsibility to undertake a national consultation on its future, including conservation, interpretation, exhibition, and community engagement.

The Hudson’s Bay Company Royal Charter was issued by King Charles II in 1670, granting the Hudson’s Bay Company a massive land grant that encompassed the entire Hudson Bay watershed – an area roughly two-thirds of what we now call Canada – and which included exclusive trading rights. The Royal Charter reflects the belief that this land was vacant and free for the taking, ideas that today we know are wrong, and thus it is a significant document for Canada, and an important part of our colonial history.

“Placing the HBC Charter in the hands of Canadians marks a monumental step toward Truth and Reconciliation,” says Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO of the Manitoba Museum. “The Manitoba Museum is profoundly honoured to serve as a Public Custodian, recognizing both the privilege and the immense responsibility this role carries. We are committed to ensuring that this historically complex document is preserved while also being placed in service to communities, becoming part of the foundation for healing and a brighter, more just future.”

The Manitoba Museum is home to the HBC Museum Collection. Comprised of 28,000 artifacts and belongings originating from coast to coast to coast, the HBC Museum Collection includes items and stories of great national significance, dating back to the mid-17th century. The Hudson’s Bay Company gifted the collection to the Manitoba Museum in 1994.

“The HBC Museum Collection was originally compiled in the 1920s to celebrate the Company’s 250th anniversary, but over the past century it has grown and flourished after finding a permanent home at the Manitoba Museum in 1994,” says Amelia Fay, Director of Research, Collections, and Exhibitions at the Manitoba Museum. “We work diligently to ensure the long-term preservation of this internationally significant collection, deemed a gift to the nation, as part of our daily work, and enjoy sharing the Collection with visitors through programs, exhibits, and tours.”

This past October, the Museum established the Manitoba Museum HBC Collection Endowment Fund with the goal of providing long-term, sustainable financial support for the HBC Museum Collection.

“This endowment represents a commitment to honouring and protecting one of Canada’s most significant historical collections,” says Charwin Dahl, Director of Development at the Manitoba Museum. “It reflects our responsibility to ensure that the stories within the HBC Museum Collection continue to inspire learning, reflection, and connection for generations to come.”

The Manitoba Museum HBC Collection Endowment Fund held at The Winnipeg Foundation will support conservation, exhibition, research, and community engagement.

The Manitoba Museum is deeply grateful to the Weston Family and David Thomson for their visionary leadership in this exciting moment in Canadian history. Their generous contributions guarantee that this nationally significant artifact will increase understanding of the founding story of Canada and guide us along our shared journey of Truth and Reconciliation.

We invite visitors to come explore the HBC Museum Collection today and look forward to working collaboratively with the Consortium as begin a national consultation on the Charter’s future.

To help us ensure the long-term future of this irreplaceable collection, we invite community members to support the Manitoba Museum HBC Collection Endowment Fund. Please make your donation through the Manitoba Museum website.

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To arrange interviews, please contact:

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614

(Treaty One Territory – Winnipeg, Manitoba: November 27, 2025) – This GivingTuesday we celebrate how Manitobans have shaped the Manitoba Museum to what it is today, and the inspiring progress still ahead.

Every corner of the Manitoba Museum tells a story. From the smallest artifact to the largest gallery, our work is made possible by the generosity of our community.

Thanks to our supporters, this year the Manitoba Museum:

• Cared for almost 3 million artifacts
• Welcomed over 10,000 people to Orange Shirt Days to foster learning and reconciliation
• Connected with 75,000 young minds through school visits and virtual field trips
• Gave 46,921 community members free admission through our Access for All initiative, including First Fridays

Together, we achieve the extraordinary, and your support makes it all possible. When you support the Manitoba Museum, you’re not just preserving history, you’re helping create our next chapter. From the northern lights in our Planetarium to our prairie roots showcased in our Museum Galleries, your gift shares Manitoba’s magic with visitors of all ages.

“The Manitoba Museum is more than a building, it is a living collection of Manitobans’ memories and heritage,” said Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO of the Manitoba Museum. “Every donation and act of support helps us write the next chapter, preserving Manitoba’s past while opening doors to new stories for future generations.”

This GivingTuesday join us in celebrating everything Manitobans have built together, and help keep the Museum a place where curiosity, adventure, and discovery thrive for a lifetime.

Your generosity ensures that Manitoba’s past, present, and future remain connected, so every Manitoban can see themselves reflected in the story of this remarkable place we call home.

Make your GivingTuesday gift by phoning 204-988-0571, or online at  www.manitobamuseum.ca.

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To arrange interviews, please contact:

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614

The newly released Manitoba Flora will be the first of a two-volume series. Volume One contains a brief history of why plants have the names they do and an illustrated guide to plant terminology for beginner botanists.  Descriptions and identification keys to all the spore-producing plants, cone-producing plants, and flower-producing monocots are included. A special foreword written by Indigenous Elder Shirli Ewanchuk (Black Thunderbird/Mukaday Animikii) provides readers with an Indigenous perspective of the plant world.

The Manitoba Flora project began over two decades ago when Dr. Robson began reviewing and updating the plants in the Museum’s 50,000+ herbarium to the taxonomy used in the Flora of North America (1993+) publication.  During this work, Robson not only discovered many mis-identified specimens, but also that certain species were missing from the Flora of Manitoba. This prompted Robson to begin writing a new flora that contained all of the species in the province.

“It is the Museum’s hope that this new publication will make it easier for students, professional botanists, landowners, ranchers, foresters, gardeners and native plant enthusiasts to identify the diverse vascular plants of the province,” said Robson.

Paperback editions of Manitoba Flora: A Guide to the Vascular Plants of Manitoba: Volume 1, Spore-producing Plants, Conifers and Monocots can be pre-ordered online or in person through the Manitoba Museum Shop for just $34.99.  E-books and hard copy print-on-demand books can be purchased from FriesenPress. Royalties from the book will be used toward publishing Manitoba Flora: Vol. 2, Dicots, which is currently in progress.

An official book launch event and signing will be held in late November at the Manitoba Museum; keep an eye on the Manitoba Museum website for details as they emerge.

This project was funded through grants from the The Manitoba Museum Legacy Fund, Manitoba Government, the Canadian Botanical Association / L’Association Botanique du Canada Special Project Fund, Nature Manitoba Native Habitat Grant Program, and Helios Hernandez.

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To arrange interviews with Dr. Robson, please contact:

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614

Manitoba Museum honours National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with complimentary admission September 28 to 30

(Treaty One Territory – Winnipeg, MB: September 23, 2025) To honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, the Manitoba Museum will once again provide complimentary admission from Sunday, September 28 to Tuesday, September 30.

Orange Shirt Days @ the Manitoba Museum offers visitors special, all-day programming focused on the history and the impacts of Indian Residential Schools and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action.

“Truth requires facing difficult realities and moments of discomfort,” says Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO of the Manitoba Museum. “As visitors move through the Museum, they will follow a path that opens hearts and minds to a history that challenges their understanding of Indian Residential Schools, amplifies the stories of survivors, and honours the children who never came home.”

Orange Shirt Days also provides meaningful and engaging opportunities designed to encourage reflection, community-building, and healing: visitors can watch powwow demonstrations by Beautiful Cloud Dance Company; find inspiration and community at a drop-in beading circle; take part in a collaborative art activity; and learn about the history and legacy of the Indian Residential School system and the path to healing and reconciliation in presentations held by the National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation.

“As a publicly trusted educational institution, we have a responsibility to share the history of the Indian Residential School system and its impacts. Each year, we welcome between nine and ten thousand visitors who are not only learning and reflecting, but are also healing, “says Tashina Houle-Gaywish, Head of Indigenous Programming & Engagement. “Celebrating our beauty and excellence through powwow demonstrations is also vital – to show that, despite all of the harm and pain, we continue to persevere.”

We welcome all members of the community to join us in honouring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with free admission from 10am to 4pm, Sunday, September 28 to Tuesday, September 30.

“We ask Manitobans to join us—learning, reflecting, and committing to meaningful change and a better future. This journey is made possible in partnership with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and with the support of the Province of Manitoba,” says Dorota Blumczyńska.

The Museum thanks our program partners The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, Treaty Relations Commission, Parks Canada, the Mackay Residential School Gathering Inc., and all the community members who supported Orange Shirt Days @ the Manitoba Museum.

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For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614

(Treaty One Territory – Winnipeg, MB: September 17, 2025) – The Planetarium dome will rock you this fall as the Manitoba Museum launches special showings of the Queen: Heaven planetarium show.

Queen’s incredible aura, the creativity of their lyrics, and the tremendous power of their concerts now can be seen on the planetarium dome in this thrilling music show. Experience a tribute to these exceptional artists with original footage, images, and remastered concert clips.

“After the extremely popular – and often sold out – run of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, we wanted to bring Winnipeggers more musical experiences in the Planetarium,” says Planetarium Astronomer Scott Young. “Queen is one of the most popular bands in history, never fading away despite not having a new album in thirty years. This show really brings the band’s music to life. Every song is a banger.”

You will hear the greatest hits and anthems of their band history, such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You,” “I Want to Break Free,” “One Night Standing,” “The Show Must Go On,” “We Are the Champions,” and many more.

“This show is another level above the Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon show the planetarium ran for that classic album’s 50th anniversary,” says Young. “The show isn’t just video effects and space images, it features a lot of classic concert footage and rarely-seen images of the band in performance. I never got to see Queen live in person, but this feels like the next best thing.”

For music lovers looking for a more hands-on concert experience, come early and you’ll get the chance to explore the universe with an adult twist. Show attendees can enjoy beverages at a pop-up bar prior to showtime in the Museum’s Science Gallery and relive the explorations of their youth with hands-on science fun.

Queen: Heaven plays at the Manitoba Museum Planetarium for select showings in October & November. Doors will open one hour prior to the show to give attendees a chance to enjoy a beverage and explore the Museum’s Science Gallery.

Visit ManitobaMuseum.ca/Queen for show times and information.

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For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614

Treaty No. 4 Territory – Piapot First Nation, Saskatchewan – Sept. 10, 2025 – The Manitoba Museum recently completed its largest repatriation to date, with the return of 19 belongings to Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan, which coincided with the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 4.

The 19 belongings include ceremonial pipes, a drum, an eagle fan, medicine pouches, as well as gifts that Chief Piapot gave as thanks to the minister who conducted his daughter’s marriage ceremony. These came into the Museum’s care through three separate donors, two of whom donated to previous collections/museums that later became part of the Manitoba Museum.

“The return of Chief Piapot’s belongings is very important. The different sacred belongings that he has – the pipes, the leggings, the shirts – all of that brings honour back to our people. When our people see the belongings, they’re proud, they’re honoured, they’re emotional. It’s a great thing. We want to give thanks to the Manitoba Museum for working closely with us, KNT IRS Consulting (Kā-natonahkik-tāpwēwin) in repatriating all of Chief Piapot’s belongings to our nation. It’s going to carry our nation for another hundreds and hundreds of years to come and we give thanks to all who have supported us, here today on the 150th commemoration.” – Chief Mark Fox of the Piapot First Nation

The Manitoba Museum recognizes repatriation as an important institutional responsibility. Repatriation is more than returning objects to communities. It is in support of revitalizing Indigenous self-identity, spirituality and ceremony, languages, art, sovereignty, laws and governance.

“It was such an honour to work with Barb Lavallee from Piapot First Nation on this repatriation, ensuring that we followed the guidance and protocols from the Elders and spiritual leaders and aligned them with the Museum’s policies and procedures. I view repatriation as a very collaborative process, and I’m so grateful for the dedication from Barb and Nadine to finalize this significant repatriation.” – Dr. Amelia Fay, Curator of Anthropology and the HBC Collection at Manitoba Museum

The Manitoba Museum’s repatriation policy was first put in place in 2007. This policy has been continually updated and revised, most recently considering the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and through discussions with the Indigenous Advisory Circle to the Museum.

“We’re honoured and humbled to have been witness to today’s important commemoration with the Piapot First Nation. We hope that the repatriation of Chief Piapot’s belongings to his community will bring present and future generations renewed strength and hope.” – Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO of Manitoba Museum

We welcome all requests for repatriation and approach this work as part of a community-led practice, where we integrate community values and needs throughout the process.

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To honour this important repatriation and to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 4, representatives from the Manitoba Museum, including CEO Dorota Blumczyńska, Curator of Anthropology and the HBC Collection Amelia Fay, and Museum Advisor for Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Tabitha Harper, travelled to Piapot First Nation on September 9 to participate in the community’s celebration.

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For further information, please contact:

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
Manitoba Museum
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca | 204-988-0614