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The Manitoba Museum is preparing to honour one of the greatest Canadians to ever live later this week.
The museum’s 20th annual Tribute Gala takes place this Thursday night, and it will pay tribute to the late Honourable Murray Sinclair, who passed away last fall.
“What we do every year is celebrate those who have a lasting impact on our community and support the museum’s efforts to make knowledge, culture, and heritage accessible to all,” said the museum’s Director of Fund Development Zoë McQuinn in an interview on Morning Light.
“What we’re trying to do is raise funds to support Access For All,” McQuinn continued, highlighting the museum’s overarching fund that ensures that the museum’s exhibits and stories are accessible to everyone. “We really want people to feel themselves in the space.”
The desire to serve Manitobans on a multi-faceted level is influenced heavily by Sinclair’s work as the leader of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which provided the 94 Calls to Action that are key guides on the journey of reconciliation in Canada. “Here at the museum, those are the rules we use to start our process of healing,” says McQuinn. “We’re dedicated to being caretakers [and] co-creators with Indigenous communities to make sure that those stories are accessible, make it a place really for them to recharge and reconnect with heritage and history.”
“Our job, of course, is to honour [Sinclair’s] work, but also recommit ourselves with this event to upholding those principles of truth and reconciliation.”
That commitment at the Manitoba Museum has involved a thorough examination of all of their processes from curation of exhibits to accessibility. The museum has also invited Tabitha Harper, their Advisor on Reconciliation and Indigenous Relations, and Tashina Houle-Schlup, their Head of Indigenous Programming and Engagement, to look at all internal systems to ensure that standards for advancing reconciliation are being met.
“It’s serious work, it’s hard work,” says McQuinn, “but it really is giving a chance for everyone to feel like this is their space and that their stories matter, and that’s a really fun place to be.”
Ticket sales for the Manitoba Museum’s Tribute Gala in honour of the Honourable Murray Sinclair have closed, but donations to the museum’s Access For All initiative are always gratefully accepted. To learn more, visit the Manitoba Museum’s website.