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The digital kiosk in our Prairies Gallery Schoolhouse exhibit provides opportunities for learning and reflection about the truth of residential schools. © Manitoba Museum/Ian McCausland By Amelia Fay, Curator of Anthropology & HBC Museum Collection   With Orange Shirt Day (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) on the horizon, folks might be thinking about their role in Truth and Reconciliation. Many Indigenous leaders have argued the need to understand the...
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Dome@Home Returns!

Astronomy

The Manitoba Museum Planetarium’s popular online program, Dome@Home, returns this month. Hosted by Planetarium astronomer Scott Young, the show brings the wonders of the universe to anyone with an internet connection. The show has changed formats, becoming a 1-hour program run on the last Thursday of each month. The show’s content will focus on all of the celestial sights and special events that viewers can see over the next month. ...
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The Devin Tri-Color Camera

History

The Manitoba Museum is no stranger to cameras in our collection. We care for 103 of them, to be exact, ranging from the old tripod box cameras to some early digital cameras. But what was offered to us this year was very different from anything I had seen. It was a 1930s Devin Tri-Color camera, made to take colour photographs in an era when artistic and journalistic black-and-white pictures dominated....
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Exploring the Universe

Did You Know

By Scott Young, Planetarium Astronomer Have you ever seen the stars? Like, really SEEN them, from a dark place, far away from the lights of the city. If you have, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, you are missing one of the great beauties of the natural world. The night sky is magical. Take even the most jaded person and put them under the stars, and it...
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The beautiful Ancient Seas animations are projected onto a large curved screen, transporting you to an undersea world 450 million years ago. By Dr. Graham Young, Curator of Geology & Paleontology, the Manitoba Museum Walking into the Manitoba Museum’s Earth History Gallery, you see an enticing undersea scene in the middle distance. Passing through an opening, you find yourself in a small room that feels like an underwater observatory. Here...
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If These Walls Could Talk

Did You Know

This banner has seen many marches, rallies, and protests in the fight for queer rights. Gays for Equality evolved through the years to become Rainbow Resource Centre today. The banner was used at the first official Pride parade in 1987, and is on exhibit at the Museum from May 26. It will be donated to the Manitoba Museum, which continues to welcome more artifacts related to the 2SLGBTQ+ experience in...
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A-toad hunting we will go

Zoology

As we enter June, Manitobans spend time outside gardening at home or swimming at the cottage, except for herpetologists (reptile and amphibian scientists) when June is time to look for toads! This is a good month to be listening for Great Plains toads (Anaxyrus cognatus) and plains spadefoot toads (Spea bombifrons) as males gather in wet spots to call and attract mates. These two species are almost unknown to most...
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Strange History

Collections & Conservation

Maxillary denture; porcelain, plastic; M 20th C. Catalogue Number: H9-15-188. © Manitoba Museum Post by Cortney Pachet, Collections Registration Associate (Human History) Our human history collection is full of special objects, highlighting significant points in Manitoba’s past –like Cuthbert Grant’s medicine chest or the replica of the Nonsuch. Yet we also make a point of collecting objects that represent everyday life in Manitoba – cans of soup, well-loved toys and...
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Planting for Pollinators

Did You Know

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) attracts a wide variety of midsummer pollinators. © Manitoba Museum By Dr. Diana Bizecki Robson, Curator of Botany The loss of biodiversity, including wild pollinators, is an ongoing environmental problem. In Manitoba, our main pollinators are bees, flies, butterflies, wasps, moths, beetles, and hummingbirds (see www.prairiepollination.ca for help identifying them). Fortunately, there are things you can do to make life easier for these important creatures, including...
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Investigate Aquatic Animals

Did You Know

Male sea horses and male giant water bugs are both the primary caregivers for their young. © Manitoba Museum   For the month leading up to Earth Day, the Manitoba Museum is celebrating water and aquatic life. In the Learning and Engagement department, Erin Buelow has worked with curators and collections specialists to bring seldom-seen specimens to the public. These preserved animals from the museum’s natural history collection come from...
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