Vancouver's Top Museums

Homeschooling has become a fun adventure for us and that is in thanks to a lot of amazing places all over our city. We recently got the opportunity to check out the amazing Museum of Vancouver to give us the opportunity to back up what we have been learning at home about the local Indigenous and the history of Vancouver. The Museum of Vancouver is an incredible wealth of information about our city and their exhibits currently were perfect for what we have been learning about at home.

Museum of Vancouver

Their exhibit: c̓əc̓əwitəl̕  helping each other ch’áwatway showcases the 2019 YVR Art Foundation (YVRAF) scholarship recipients artworks. These artworks showcase themes of resilience, memory and identity, through reconnection with ancestral knowledge and lands. Something I knew was important to showcase after learning about residential schools and the identities and connections lost during those times. The title, written in both hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh snichim, shows their incredible respect for the teachings of the host communities – the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh Nations while acknowledging that this exhibition is taking place within their shared traditional territories. It is a beautiful exhibit with a really wide range of pieces meant to inspire and educate at the same time.

Museum of Vancouver

What did we focus on in this exhibit?

Indigenous art expression
Indigenous history through art
Indigenous language appreciation
Residential School History

Their latest exhibit Haida Now and c̓əsnaʔəm – the city before the city are filled with a wealth of incredible information about how Indigenous tribes once lived on their beautiful land. Filled with over 450 beautiful art, jewelry and clothing pieces there is so much too look at learn from and appreciate. Whether it is why they made a specific object, how they made it or what they made it with there was an answer. They do such an amazing job and preserving these items with the utmost respect so that we can see them, be inspired by them and deeply appreciate the people who have given these items for the museum to showcase.

What did we focus on in this exhibit?

Indigenous art expression through jewelry, clothing and everyday items
Indigenous tool usage and materials used
Why some of these items were created in the first place and their cultural significance
Canadian History and treatment of the Indigenous

Museum of Vancouver

The last exhibit we made a point of going through was their tour of Vancouver through the decades starting in the 1900s. Being able to see how the people of Vancouver first lived, how they struggled in each decade was very eye opening. Since we were learning about Residential schools this past month my main focus was the treatment of minorities over the decades. They do such an incredible job giving you an incredible feel of each era. To see the racism faced by the Indigenous and Asian communities throughout the years it really showed the boys how things once were and, even though it is still a battle we need to fight, we have made a difference. I focused on how learning from the past actions of others helps us make better decisions now as a society and that it is up to them to keep up the hard work of the many generations before them. If you ever want to they have great virtual tours of several sections.

Museum of Vancouver

What did we focus on in this exhibit?

Racism throughout the decades
How Vancouver has changed since the 1900s
Historical events in each decade

If you are looking for an amazing way to back up to your homeschooling lessons let the amazing staff at the Museum of Vancouver share their knowledge with you. They have sanitizer stations everywhere and even styluses for their interactive screens so you don’t have to touch a thing. They are eager to answer questions if you have any and they often have great sales in their gift shop AND they offer FREE admission to those of you who identify as Indigenous, but you must pre-book in advance online.

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