Orange Shirt Days @ the Manitoba Museum

THREE DAYS OF FREE ADMISSION TO ALL AREAS 

No tickets required. Capacity in Planetarium and Science Gallery is limited. 

To honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Manitoba Museum is pleased to provide complimentary admission to the Museum Galleries, Science Gallery, and Planetarium from Saturday, September 28 to Monday, September 30.

Orange Shirt Days @ the Manitoba Museum features special, all-day programming focused on the history of Indian Residential Schools and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action. Please join us for a time of learning and reflection offered in partnership with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Orange Shirt Day has been recognized in Manitoba since 2017. The orange shirt is a symbol of remembrance for Indian Residential School Survivors, which originated with the experience of Phyllis Webstad of the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation. She shared her story of how her new orange shirt was taken away from her on her first day at St. Joseph Mission Indian Residential School, leaving her feeling worthless and insignificant. Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation answer the TRC call for a National Day of Remembrance as a way for Canadians to publicly commemorate the history and legacy of Indian Residential Schools and the resilience of Indian Residential School Survivors, their families, and communities. 

To learn more about Indian Residential Schools in Manitoba, please visit our website HERE.

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

Programming

Museum Galleries
Daily, 10 am to 4 pm

• Embark on a self-guided trail which highlights exhibits and videos relevant to the history of Indian Residential Schools and the TRC Calls to Action.
• Visit the language learning booth in the Welcome Gallery to learn a bit of the Ojibwe language with flash cards, and to find additional language resources.
• Stop by the Winnipeg Theatre to watch a few short videos to further your learning journey. Videos playing consecutively in a loop.
  • The Legacy of the Residential School System: An Event of National Historic Significance – Parks Canada (10 min)
    “By recognizing the national historic significance of the Residential School System, the Government of Canada is acknowledging the past, and, with Indigenous peoples and communities, is committed to sharing the experiences of Indigenous children in these schools to ensure that this history is never forgotten.”
  • Murray Sinclair – National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation (2 min)
  • Phyllis Webstad – National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation (2 min) 

Alloway Hall

• Project of Heart Art Activity – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily.
  • Project of Heart is a collaborative, hands-on activity using art to bring learning and healing to those who take part. Click here to learn more about Project of Heart.
• Experience the power and beauty of incredible powwow performances by the Beautiful Cloud Dance Company – daily at 1:00 pm.

Planetarium

Legends of the Northern Sky at 11:00 am and 1:30 pm

Embark on a journey with the Indigenous peoples of the western plains of Canada and share in their wisdom conveyed by the stars. Alongside Ocek, the fisher, and his band of animal friends, audiences take a dangerous expedition south to retrieve summer and return it to the frozen north. In Legends of the Northern Sky, we learn and appreciate Indigenous stories in the stars and in turn, learn a little bit more about the spirit that connects us all.

Worlds of Ice at 12:15 pm and 3:00 pm

Wonder at the enchanting Arctic territories to the boundless frontiers of our mesmerizing solar system, as Beatrice Deer guides us through this awe-inspiring odyssey. Worlds of Ice delves into the profound interplay between humanity and the ever-shifting ice, a protean substance whose remarkable dynamics reverberate across the realms of biology, astronomy, ocean sciences, anthropology, culture, and artistic expression.

Auditorium

Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair (29 min):
Screening: 10:45 am daily
Produced by: Alanis Obomsawin 

As the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Senator Murray Sinclair was a key figure in raising global awareness of the atrocities of Canada’s residential school system. He believes in the importance of understanding difficult truths for genuine reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Alanis Obomsawin shares his powerful speech accepting the WFM-Canada World Peace Award, interspersing the heartbreaking testimonies of former students imprisoned at residential schools. 

The Long Ride Home (65 min):
Screening: 11:30 am & 2:45 pm daily
Produced by: Steve Haining 

Years of inter-generational trauma has caused an over representation of First Nations children in care causing further trauma and leading to dangerous coping methods and often death. A brave group of natives leave on a nomadic horseback journey 600 kilometres south. Powered only by their spirit and tradition they attempt to spark change, bring awareness of the missing Indigenous women, 60s scoop survivors, and bring their children home. 

It Had to be Done (22 min):
Screening: 2:00 pm daily
Produced by: Tessa Desnomie

This short documentary explores the legacy of residential schools through the eyes of two extraordinary women who not only lived it, but who, as adults, made the surprising decision to return to the school that had affected their lives so profoundly. This intimate and moving film affirms their strength and dignity in standing up and making a difference on their own terms. 

Science Gallery
Daily 10:00 am to 4:00 pm 

Every exhibit in the Science Gallery is yours to touch, feel, and interact with as a scientist, engineer, or wide-eyed explorer.