Unfortunately, that information often had the words ‘rebellion’ and ‘treason’ attached to it, and that made self-identifying as a person of Métis origin somewhat dangerous in many parts of the country.
That led to a unique situation that a new exhibition at the Western Development Museum is attempting to shed light on.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Discovering the Métis Nation in the Archival Records of Library and Archives Canada officially opened on Aug. 12 and will remain on display until Dec.6, offering a look at some of the many photos, paintings and other items that were discovered in an exhaustive search through the national archives.
The project — which was developed by Library and Archives Canada in conjunction with the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Métis National Council — involved scouring thousands of items, many of which were misidentified or wrongly categorized because individuals were concerned about identifying as Métis, or simply due to disregard for First Nations and Métis people when the objects were stored.
The search found and identified items through written clues such as place names and image titles, as well visual indicators of Métis culture.
That’s where the ‘Hiding in Plain Sight’ comes from — the items were always there, hidden away, often under names that wouldn’t identify them as Métis unless someone was specifically looking for them.
The exhibition encourages individuals to:
- discover the great variety of archival documents in our collection about the Métis Nation
- explore the portrayal of Métis Citizens -- some of whom are "hiding in plain sight" — in art and photographs
- obtain a better understanding of the history and the culture of the Métis Nation
The Western Development Museum – which is located on Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 territories and the Homeland of the Métis – is holding viewings of the exhibit from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. The first hour of each day from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. is reserved for those 65-plus and anyone more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Regular museum admission applies, WDM members are free.
