Manitou Mounds

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🎉 Powwow Weekend is finally here!From June 19–21, Rainy River First Nations welcomes everyone to Manitou Rapids for a we...
06/15/2026

🎉 Powwow Weekend is finally here!

From June 19–21, Rainy River First Nations welcomes everyone to Manitou Rapids for a weekend filled with incredible dancing, powerful singing, great food, and community connections.

Whether you're a dancer, singer, vendor, or visitor, we wish everyone a safe and enjoyable weekend. See you at the powwow grounds!

🪶 June 19–21, 2026
📍 Manitou Rapids #11, Treaty #3 Territory

Day 14 🏛️The museum's collections help keep stories alive. Today we're sharing a photograph from the James Bennett Colle...
06/14/2026

Day 14 🏛️

The museum's collections help keep stories alive. Today we're sharing a photograph from the James Bennett Collection, preserving a moment of everyday life from the 1920s.

📸 This photograph shows Aunt Jane and Lois Gabrielson standing outside a small wooden structure, believed to have been taken at a Sioux community or reservation. Aunt Jane is pictured holding a long-handled tool, surrounded by a thriving garden, while Lois stands nearby.

Images like this remind us that history is not only found in major events, but also in daily activities, family relationships, and the places people called home. Photographs of gardens, homes, and community life help tell the story of resilience, self-sufficiency, and connection to the land across generations.

While some information accompanies this photograph, there is still much to learn about the individuals pictured, the location, and the story behind this moment.

KNC.2023.03C.001.002 📷🖤



🏛️ Do you recognize Aunt Jane, Lois Gabrielson, or the location shown in this photograph? We welcome community knowledge and memories that can help us better understand and preserve the stories within our collections. Please share your insights in the comments or contact the museum directly. 🧡

Day 13 🖼️ Every image preserved in our archives is a valuable piece of community history. Today’s photograph is no excep...
06/13/2026

Day 13 🖼️ Every image preserved in our archives is a valuable piece of community history. Today’s photograph is no exception.
Day 13 🏛️

The museum's collections help keep stories alive. Today we're sharing a photograph from the Godin/Morrisseau Collection, which preserves memories of families, livelihoods, and life on the waterways of Northwestern Ontario.

📸 This photograph features George Godin posing beside a large muskie caught during a fishing trip on Lake of the Woods. Two women stand alongside the impressive catch as it hangs from a scale on a wooden dock.

Born around 1890, George worked as a fishing guide on Lake of the Woods and is also listed in census records as a cement worker. Images like this help document the important role Indigenous guides played in the region's tourism and fishing industries, sharing their knowledge of the land and waters with visitors from near and far.

Photographs preserved in museum collections offer a glimpse into everyday moments, local economies, and the people who helped shape the history of our communities.

KNC.2024.03C.008.005 📷🖤



🏛️ Do you recognize George Godin, the women pictured, or this location? We welcome community knowledge and memories that can help us better understand and preserve the stories within our collections. Please share your insights in the comments or contact the museum directly. 🧡

Breakfast is up! 🥞 the restaurant is open 9-3pm!
06/13/2026

Breakfast is up! 🥞 the restaurant is open 9-3pm!

🌿 Through photographs, we can learn about the lives, experiences, and resilience of Indigenous Peoples across generation...
06/12/2026

🌿 Through photographs, we can learn about the lives, experiences, and resilience of Indigenous Peoples across generations.
Day 12 🏛️

The museum's collections help keep stories alive. Today we're sharing a photograph from the William Hampden Tener Collection, a remarkable collection of glass plate negatives that helps preserve glimpses of life in Northwestern Ontario during the early 1900s.

📸 This portrait, taken between approximately 1900 and 1920, shows an adult and child standing together for the camera. The adult is dressed in beautifully decorated regalia featuring floral designs and feather adornments, while the child stands nearby holding a small bouquet of flowers.

The William Hampden Tener Collection contains hundreds of images that document people, families, and communities from over a century ago. While some details have been lost to time, these photographs remain important connections to the individuals and stories that shaped our region.

Museum records suggest the people in this photograph may be connected to the Brown family, although this has not yet been confirmed. By preserving and sharing images like this, we hope to continue learning from the communities and families whose histories are represented in our collections.

KNC.2025.03C.003.001 📷🖤



🏛️ Do you recognize this individual, family, or location? We welcome community knowledge and memories that can help us better understand and preserve the stories within our collections. Please share your insights in the comments or contact the museum directly. 🧡

🐦The birds are chirping, the sun is shining and Guided Bird Tours are tomorrow! Make sure to book your spot with Wyatt! ...
06/12/2026

🐦The birds are chirping, the sun is shining and Guided Bird Tours are tomorrow!
Make sure to book your spot with Wyatt! 🦉

🍃 Friday Bird Day: Veery 🍃Captured in this photo is the Veery, a subtle but remarkable species of thrush named for the c...
06/12/2026

🍃 Friday Bird Day: Veery 🍃

Captured in this photo is the Veery, a subtle but remarkable species of thrush named for the cascading "veer" notes that make up its hauntingly beautiful song.

Often found foraging along the forest floor, this small brown bird searches the understory for insects and other invertebrates. While its appearance may be modest, the Veery is an impressive traveler. Recent telemetry research revealed that these birds spend their winters in central and southern Brazil, refining what scientists once believed about their migration routes.

During migration, Veery can travel up to 285 kilometres in a single night, soaring at heights exceeding 2,000 metres—far higher than most thrush species.

As we continue to explore the natural history of our region, birds like the Veery remind us of the incredible journeys that connect forests across continents.

📸 Have you ever heard the Veery's distinctive "veer" call in the woods?

🐦🌎🍃

🏛️ Thursday Collections Spotlight 🏛️This week, we're highlighting Gabeshiwin (Village Scene), a remarkable mixed-media a...
06/11/2026

🏛️ Thursday Collections Spotlight 🏛️

This week, we're highlighting Gabeshiwin (Village Scene), a remarkable mixed-media artwork created on birch bark by Maggie (Spence) Wilson (1879–1940).

This detailed scene depicts a community in motion, featuring tipi-like structures, adults and children, canoes, trees, and other elements of the natural world. Created on five stitched birch bark panels, the artwork showcases both artistic skill and the ingenuity of traditional materials and techniques.

The piece is currently undergoing conservation treatment at the Canadian Conservation Institute, where specialists are carefully stabilizing and preserving it for future generations. Conservation work includes examining the stitched birch bark panels, plant fibre attachments, and painted imagery to ensure the artwork's long-term preservation.

We are excited to share that Gabeshiwin is expected to return home to Manitou Mounds in the winter of 2028. Its restoration will help ensure that this important cultural and artistic work can continue to be appreciated and studied for years to come.

Stay tuned as we share more about the conservation process and the stories held within our collection.

📸 Gabeshiwin (Village Scene) by Maggie (Spence) Wilson
🍂 Mixed media on birch bark
🔎 Currently undergoing conservation at the Canadian Conservation Institute

🧡🍃

Day 11 🏛️ The museum’s collections help keep stories alive. Today we share another photograph that contributes to our un...
06/11/2026

Day 11 🏛️ The museum’s collections help keep stories alive. Today we share another photograph that contributes to our understanding of the past.

📸 A photograph of a Hoop Dancer performing at the National Aboriginal Youth Conference, held in Regina, Saskatchewan, from May 16–18, 1995.

This image captures a hoop dancer performing on stage during the conference, demonstrating a powerful and dynamic Indigenous art form that combines storytelling, movement, and cultural expression. The dancer is pictured wearing regalia adorned with beadwork and bright red sequins while skillfully manipulating multiple hoops to create symbolic shapes and designs throughout the performance.

Events such as the National Aboriginal Youth Conference provided opportunities for Indigenous youth from across Canada to gather, celebrate culture, share experiences, and strengthen connections through traditional teachings, performances, and leadership development. Photographs like this preserve important moments of cultural pride and community gathering.

KNC.1995.03C.001.002 📷🖤


🏛️ Do you recognize this individual, family, or location? We welcome community knowledge and memories that can help us better understand and preserve the stories within our collections. Please share your insights in the comments or contact the museum directly. 🧡

Day 10 📸 This photograph captures a moment in time and serves as a reminder of the rich history held within our collecti...
06/10/2026

Day 10 📸 This photograph captures a moment in time and serves as a reminder of the rich history held within our collections.
📸 A copy of a photograph labeled “Teepee Brunch – Homesteaders”, circa 1920.

This black-and-white image captures eight individuals gathered around a temporary shelter constructed from sheets and quilts stretched over wooden poles. The photograph is labeled “Chief Blackbird’s Yard”, and handwritten notes identify two of the standing individuals as “Bud B” and “Lois B.” The relaxed scene offers a glimpse into a social gathering, with participants seated and standing together outside the shelter.

Photographs like this provide a unique look at everyday community life, recreation, and the relationships that connected families and neighbours. They help preserve personal stories and moments that might otherwise be lost to time, offering valuable insight into life in the Rainy River area during the early twentieth century.

KNC.2023.03C.001.003 📷🖤



🏛️ Do you recognize this individual, family, or location? We welcome community knowledge and memories that can help us better understand and preserve the stories within our collections. Please share your insights in the comments or contact the museum directly. 🧡

Address

340 Ross Road
Stratton, ON
P0W1N0

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

(807)483-1163

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