Book series tells of diverse history of southwest Manitoba

A series of books that tell the history of southwestern Manitoba in short stories, photographs and maps are making the rounds in several Westman communities, thanks to the hard work of the Turtle Mountain Souris Plains Heritage Association.

Vantage Points Books have been gifted to various local schools, libraries, municipal councils, newcomers and more because of the value that comes from learning the shared history of southwestern Manitoba communities, said David Neufeld, a Turtle Mountain Souris Plains Heritage Association committee member.

The books, which got their start in 2004, tell the story of the area from both European settler individuals and families and also members of Dakota and Métis Nations in the area, Neufeld said.

“We figured out that by telling stories, primarily, [we learn] about the land and how people have lived on, and thrived on, this land.”

Since those early beginnings, the association has been amazed by how the stories just keep coming out of the woodwork, Neufeld said.

“We have since found out that there’s absolutely no end of stories, especially when we start talking to elders, and going into the whole history of each community,” he said.

“There’s so much material.”

Ken Storie, a retired schoolteacher and administrator who now does consulting, research and writing for the association, got involved in Vantage Points Books after its fourth volume was published.

His task is to take all the stories and turn it into “snippets” that transport the reader back in time and space.

“I have lots of help in doing that,” Storie said.

“It takes time to sift through those [stories] but they’re very entertaining, and they’re just full of little snippets that aren’t in a local history book.”

The latest volume of the books series, it’s sixth, is currently in the planning stages, Storie said.

If all goes well, it will be released before Christmas so that people who have an interest in local history, or know someone else who does, can purchase it in time for the holidays.

Neufeld hopes that by sharing books with young children and their families, they will realize that, while it’s always a good thing to go out into the world, get an education and explore, returning home to a rural life is a completely valid choice as well.

“The idea is that yes, go and see the world. We will accept you back, and we will find opportunities for you to thrive here as well,” he said. “A feature in all of the books is highlighting the movers and shakers from the past.”

The stories of those interesting people will hopefully inspire young people to realize that they too can find success in rural communities, Neufeld added.

The books also offer children and youth a sense of belonging to their home communities, and the same goes for people who are new to southwestern Manitoba and are still putting down roots.

The stories within the books, and the highlighting of Indigenous stories from Indigenous sources, can also be extremely helpful in teaching newcomers about the importance of the complete history of the area, Neufeld said.

From the start, the TMSPHA worked closely with local Dakota communities, such as Canupawakpa Dakota Nation, located 95 kilometres southwest of Brandon, and the local Métis community.

“We live right beside each other, and we had relationships that we could depend on with the Dakota community,” Neufeld said.

“We formed partnerships and were bringing people in the Métis community right in there with us pretty quickly.”

The books also tell the stories of Chinese immigrants, Mennonites, Hutterites and more, Storie said, reflecting the surprising diversity of southwestern Manitoba.

Neufeld hopes that the books will strengthen the unity and community between people of all backgrounds in the area, and will change the way history is told to a more holistic view.

“Hopefully, these books help us to understand that as we go into the future, there might be a lot of innovation and problem-solving that we’re going to have to do together, no matter what our birth community is, in order to help our children and grandchildren thrive in times of climate change or political upheaval,” he said.

As opposed to continuing the legacy of colonialism, both Neufeld and Storie hope the stories in Vantage Point Books will pave a way forward for all communities based on building relationships between neighbours and deepening peoples’ understanding of one another through storytelling.

As of now, there are no plans to end the Vantage Points book series any time soon, Storie said.

In fact, the entire storytelling idea behind the books has expanded into map making, geocaching and film-making opportunities. Recently, teachers in the area have included the books in their curriculum.

“There’s no end to it. There’s always more stuff to find, even in terms of this very local area,” Neufeld said.

Anyone who wishes to learn more about Vantage Points Books can visit vantagepoints.ca.

The TMSPHA is also holding a seminar on local history in Deloraine on March 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Mountainview Centre, located 112 km southwest of Brandon.

The event will include information from the Deloraine Historical Society, a geocaching update, a film screening and information about Vantage Points Books.

Miranda Leybourne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun