4 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2026
HONOURING EVERY STORY:
EACH POW WOW DEMONSTRATION AT ORANGE SHIRT DAYS ENDS WITH A FRIENDSHIP DANCE TO ENCOURAGE UNITY AND HUMAN-TO-HUMAN CONNECTION.
ORANGE SHIRT DAYS AT THE MANITOBA MUSEUM
BY KRISTIN MARAND
At the Manitoba Museum, programming for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is more than a single-day affair. Orange Shirt Days run from Wednesday, September 30 through Friday, October 2. The museum’s galleries and spaces are always free for people of First Nations, Inuit and Métis descent. During Orange Shirt Days, admission is waived for all to welcome visitors into the space to learn about the residual harms of residential schools, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, and to engage in respectful, reciprocal dialogue.
W e do three days of programming centered on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and educating our visitors on the Indian residential school system. We do a variety of different programming,” explains Tashina Houle-Gaywish, the head of Indigenous programming and engagement at the museum. “We have a self-guided trail which takes visitors to differ- ent exhibits in the galleries that are related to either the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action or the Indian residential school system as a whole, and we also will have a number of other activities going on.” The activities include the self-guided reflection trail; special screenings in the Winnipeg theatre and planetarium, a language learning reading nook in the smudge room, an art activity called Project of Heart, a drop-in beading circle, a pop-up art exhibit featuring artwork from survivors of the MacKay Residential School who created these the works as children between 1958-1960 and performances by
Beautiful Cloud Dance Company. “We will have pow wow dancers and singers, which is always a really healing aspect of Orange Shirt Days,” says Houle-Gaywish. “They usually do demonstrations of their style of dance, and then have a Q and A with the audience.” Friday, October 2 is a First Friday, a monthly Exchange District event where galleries, shops, and businesses in the Exchange stay open beyond regular hours to welcome visitors who might not otherwise get to take in their offerings. On First Friday, the museum has invited a dozen Indigenous organizations, artists and makers to showcase their work, giving visitors a chance to learn from them and network. Houle-Gaywish sees this as an oppor- tunity for dialogue, particularly for those who are looking for Indigenous organizations to support. Houle-Gaywish, an Anishinaabe-Swiss woman from Ebb and Flow First Nation, who grew up on a bison ranch near Waywayseecappo First Nation, has been in her role at the museum for over three
COLLECTIONS POP-UP AT THE ANNUAL BEAD-A-THON FUNDRAISER. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO VISIT AND GAIN INSPIRATION FROM ANCESTRAL BELONGINGS AT THE MUSEUM.
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