Did you know that Indigenous languages across Canada are considered endangered or at risk of becoming endangered?

Canada is home to 70 distinct Indigenous languages, belonging to several language families and including multiple dialects. Unfortunately, some of these languages have fewer than a thousand or only a handful of fluent speakers left, and protecting them now is more important than ever.

In an effort to support the revitalization of Indigenous languages, the Manitoba Museum has been working to incorporate them into all areas, both on and off the floor, from galleries and exhibits, to Museum publications and online platforms, to shared office spaces. Some of the languages represented include Anishinaabemowin, Ininímowin, Anishininiimowin, Denesułine Yatié, Inuktitut, Dakhótiyapi, and Michif. As an educational institution, the Museum has a responsibility to accurately and respectfully share stories and to represent the languages that are deeply intertwined within them.

This June, in celebration of Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, we invite you to visit the Manitoba Museum to learn a few words in one or more of these languages.

Follow a brand new self-guided trail to discover an Anishinaabe word for an Ice-Age animal, learn about the origins of the word “tipi,” and find out where Winnipeg got its name.

As you explore the Museum Galleries, keep your eyes open for animals included in our Anishinaabemowin with Amik language game. Scan the QR code and learn!

For further learning, head down to the Planetarium to learn some words in Ininímowin during a showing of Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories.

Join us this month to explore, learn, and celebrate Indigenous languages and culture at the Manitoba Museum. Plan your visit today!

Plan your visit this June