National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada

09/30/2026

Dakota Nation Winterfest 2027 Save the Date

https://svdngovernance.com/dnfw-2027/

09/30/2026

The Former Portage La Prairie Indian Residential School is located on the Keeshkeemaquah Reserve lands of Long Plain First Nation in Treaty No. 1 Territory. It operated as a residential school from 1915 to 1975.

Children were sent to Portage La Prairie Indian Residential School from many First Nations and Indigenous communities within Manitoba and elsewhere. In this institution, they endured severe discipline and abuse, harsh labour, emotional neglect, the attempted suppression of their languages and cultures, and isolation from their families, communities and traditions.

In 1981, the building and surrounding land were granted to the Long Plain First Nation. Today, it is home to the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada, and it carries the stories of those who experienced the residential school system and invites visitors to bear witness to their truths. The former institution reminds us of the hardship and loss endured by generations of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, but also stands within a living community whose resilience, cultures, languages and traditions continue.

The sharing of Survivors’ stories is an important act of reconciliation—an invitation and a gift to all Canadians to listen, learn, remember and carry these truths forward.

Learn more about the National Indigenous Residential School Museum and plan a visit: https://nirsmuseum.ca/

Learn about the designation of the Former Portage La Prairie Residential School as a national historic site:
https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/lieu-site/pensionnat-portage-residential-school

Learn about National Day of Truth and Reconciliation: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html

09/30/2026

L’ancien pensionnat indien de Portage La Prairie est situé sur la réserve Keeshkeemaquah de la Première Nation Long Plain sur le territoire visé par le traité no. 1, et opéra en tant que pensionnat de 1915 à 1975.

Les enfants envoyés au pensionnat indien de Portage La Prairie provenaient de plusieurs Premières Nations et de communautés autochtones au Manitoba et d’ailleurs. Dans cet établissement, ils étaient soumis à une discipline sévère, étaient victimes d’abus, astreints à un travail exténuant, vivaient de la négligence affective et subissaient des tentatives d’anéantissement de leurs langues et de leurs cultures. Ils y furent isolés de leur famille, de leur communauté et de leurs traditions.

En 1981, l’édifice et les terrains environnants ont été cédés à la Première Nation Long Plain. Aujourd’hui, le site abrite le National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada et transmet les récits des personnes qui ont vécu l’expérience du système des pensionnats et invite les visiteurs à être témoins de leurs vérités. L’ancien pensionnat rappelle les épreuves et les pertes subies par des générations d’enfants des Premières Nations, des Inuit et des Métis, mais fait également partie d’une communauté vivante dont la résilience, les cultures, les langues et les traditions perdurent.

Le partage des récits des Survivants et des Survivantes est un acte important de réconciliation : une invitation et un cadeau offerts à tous les Canadiens et les Canadiennes pour écouter, apprendre, se souvenir et perpétuer ces vérités.

Apprenez-en plus sur le National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada et planifiez votre visite : https://nirsmuseum.ca/ (en anglais seulement)

Renseignez-vous sur la désignation du lieu historique national de l’Ancien-Pensionnat-Indien-de-Portage-La-Prairie : https://parcs.canada.ca/culture/designation/lieu-site/pensionnat-portage-residential-school

Plus de détails sur la Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation : https://www.canada.ca/fr/patrimoine-canadien/campagnes/journee-nationale-verite-reconciliation.html

09/30/2026

09/27/2026

Annual OSD hockey game at Stride Place in portage. Feeling the energy and excitement 🏒 🥅

09/17/2026

🧡 SAVE THE DATE — SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 🧡

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Please join us on September 30 as we gather in Portage la Prairie to honour Survivors, remember the children who never returned home, and reflect on the ongoing journey of truth, healing and reconciliation.

The National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada will also be open to visitors throughout the day.

📍 5000 Crescent Road W, Keeshkeemaquah Reserve
📅 Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

NOTE: The Reconciliation Walk from Portage la Prairie City Hall to the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada begins at 9:00 am.

🧡 Wear orange. Bring your family. Walk with us. 🧡

09/16/2026

It is such an honour to have local Indigenous businesses like Shelly's Indigenous Bistro supporting Indigenous charities and the work of remembrance, education and healing during Reconciliation Month.

Shelly’s has created a delicious way for the community to make a difference: $3 from every $5 “A Meal With Meaning” meal purchased through SkipTheDishes will be donated to the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada.

The promotion runs now through September 27 and is available exclusively through SkipTheDishes in Winnipeg.

We are incredibly grateful to Shelly's Indigenous Bistro for helping support the museum and the work we do to preserve history, honour Survivors and create opportunities for learning and understanding.

Can’t order from Shelly’s because you’re outside Winnipeg? You can still support the museum from wherever you are by making a donation through our CanadaHelps page: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/national-indigenous-residential-school-museum-of-canada-inc/

Thank you, Shelly’s, for showing what community support and reciprocity can look like. 🧡

🧡 A MEAL WITH MEANING 🧡

Enjoy a delicious meal for ONLY $5.00 where WE DONATE $3.00. This helps support an important part of our community!

With EVERY order purchased $3.00 will be donated to the NTL Indigenous Residential School Museum!

From now until September 27, order 9 crispy chicken nuggets, hot and crisp fries, and our signature honey dill sauce for only $5.00, exclusively through SkipTheDishes.

Everything is prepared fresh and served fresh, giving you the hot, satisfying meal you deserve. Best of all, for every A Meal with Meaning meal sold, Shelly's Indigenous Bistro, in partnership with SkipTheDishes, will donate $3 to the NTL Indigenous Residential School Museum.

Supporting our community and preserving Indigenous history are incredibly important to us. Every order helps contribute to meaningful education, remembrance, and healing.

Enjoy fresh food. Support an important cause. Make your next meal mean something. 🧡

📅 Available now through September 27
📱 Order exclusively through SkipTheDishes

09/15/2026

🧡 THE REVEAL IS HERE. 🧡

Something new has arrived at the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada — and we are so excited to finally share it with you.

This year’s newest orange shirt features a powerful jingle dress dancer in red, brought to life through beautiful artwork by residential school Survivor Garry Meeches Sr. of Long Plain First Nation.

And we didn’t stop with orange. 👀

🧡 Orange T-shirts
🖤 Black T-shirts
❤️ Full-zip hoodies in black and orange

We’re honoured to share this new artwork and to have Garry Meeches Sr.’s work represented on this year’s collection. The jingle dress carries its own teachings of healing, strength and renewal — making this a particularly meaningful design to share as we approach the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

🎥 Watch the reveal.
Then come see the collection for yourself.

The shirts and hoodies will be available for purchase at the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event at the museum on September 30, 2026.

📍 National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada
📅 September 30, 2026

For more information, contact the museum at 204-239-6464.

🧡 Wear the colour. Carry the story. Remember.

09/12/2026

Earlier this summer, we had the privilege of welcoming visitors from the University of Melbourne in Australia, who visited NIRSM in June as part of their research into truth-telling and education. Their visit led to an unexpected and meaningful opportunity: in early August, members of the NIRSM team were invited to participate in a truth-telling podcast created for Australian educators.

The podcast has now been released during Reconciliation Month, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share a little of NIRSM’s work with educators and learners beyond Canada. Listen to episode #4 at https://www.truthtellingpedagogies.com/truthtellingteachers

We are grateful that these conversations are reaching new audiences, and especially grateful for the opportunity to share Indigenous perspectives with educators who are helping shape how future generations understand truth, history, and reconciliation.

Miigwetch to the University of Melbourne team for visiting NIRSM and for inviting us into this important conversation.

09/12/2026

🎨 Celebrating Youth Creativity at NIRSM

We’re delighted to celebrate Nevaiah and the beautiful creativity she contributed to the exterior of the National Indigenous Residential School Museum.

The painted wood panels at the front of the Museum are more than a little colour and beauty—they reflect the creativity, imagination and contributions of young people in our community.

Thank you, Nevaiah, for sharing your artistic gifts with us and helping make the Museum exterior a more welcoming and beautiful place for visitors. 💛

We’re grateful to all of the young artists who contributed their time and creativity. We’ll be featuring more of their work next week!🎨