The Archives is the steward of the records of the University of Winnipeg and its founding colleges: Manitoba College, Wesley College, and United College. The records support the University’s governance, administration, and strategic directions, and preserve its institutional memory and documentary heritage.
The Archives stewards records from individuals or organizations connected with the University, including its faculty, staff, administration, or alumni, and records relevant to the University’s strategic directions, research and teaching, or service mandate. The Archives also provides stewardship for rare publications and special collections that support the teaching, research, and service mandates of the University and its communities.
This includes the Two-Spirit Archives, whose mission is to develop an internationally-renowned centre for research that supports the needs of the Two-Spirit community; makes Two-Spirit people visible in our documentary heritage; and supports the research, teaching, learning, and community mandates of the University. It is guided in its development by the Two-Spirit Archives Advisory Council, which ensures Two-Spirit people are central to preserving the history of their contributions to society and in strengthening their community.
The Two-Spirit Archives consists of newsletters, journals, magazines, reports, newspaper clippings, correspondence, poetry, photographs, posters, art, textiles, books, videocassettes, and other ephemera that document the Indigenous Two-Spirit movement in Manitoba and throughout North America. It is believed to be the most comprehensive collection of material on Two-Spirit people in Canada. Through the stewardship of these records, the University of Winnipeg Archives hopes to centre Two-Spirit people in our history and assist Indigenous people in the ongoing decolonization process by proudly reclaiming this element of their history, culture, and spirituality.
