The Council Stones

The Moncur Gallery has published a background report on the physical evidence of Aboriginal history in the Turtle Mountain region entitled Turtle Mountain Tales : The Council Stones. Copies are available for purchase from the Moncur Gallery.

A Glimpse Into The Past

The Turtle Mountain and surrounding prairie area has been home to people for several thousand years. A sharp eye can still spot remnants of those early inhabitants: a carefully worked arrow point reflecting sunlight in a ploughed field, a grooved granite hammerhead lying in the pasture grass, a finely pointed awl of sun-bleached bone.

Always a keen observer, William Moncur gathered an extensive collection of ancient artifacts portraying the earliest history of southwestern Manitoba which provides the basis for the Moncur Gallery. In the gallery are more than a thousand artifacts, including ceremonial items, food preparation utensils, hammers, scrapers and hundreds of projectile points.

About 11,000 years ago nomadic hunters came into southwestern Manitoba in search of game. A walk through the Moncur Gallery returns one to the time when grass covered the plains and inhabitants hunted the plains bison to support themselves and their families. Artifacts left behind by these people, beautifully displayed in visual storage cabinets, provide clues to a fascinating lifestyle which predates the written record.

A variety of other displays, fascinating original paintings, models of archaeological work, a map of the area during the time of transition from Aboriginal to European dominance, a video interview with Mr. Moncur, and an illustrated time line, enhance the value of the collection and make it a unique and wonderful experience of discovery for people of all ages.