‘These are works that hold stories': Métis collection returns to Manitoba
An exhibition telling the story of Métis Elders is now back in Manitoba.
The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) revealed it is now the steward of the 'Our Grandmothers' collection, an exhibit that will now be housed at the Red River Métis National Heritage Centre when it opens in 2027.
'This is more than a collection, it is an artistic and culturally relevant legacy,' said Anita Campbell, finance minister with the MMF.
The exhibit contains 142 items curated over two decades by Gregory Scofield.
'The collection came about because of the lack of Métis visibility, the lack of Métis representation that was being kind of found or at least that I was finding, in museum and gallery collections across the country,' he said. 'Our pieces, if they were featured in those spaces, were often folded into First Nations exhibits and there was very little, if any, presence for Western Canadian Métis people in history and culture and material art in those spaces.'
The collection includes silk-embroidered pieces, children's jackets, gloves and other items from Métis communities dating back as early as 1830.
'These are the works of our ancestor grandmothers,' Scofield said. 'These are works that they were producing at various times throughout our history. These works are more than just material objects; these are works that hold stories. These are works that hold geographies and histories and communities.'
Scofield said pieces from the collection were found across Canada and even as far away as the United Kingdom and Italy.
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