Opening in late 2014, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) bills itself as the only museum in the world solely devoted to human rights with the goal of reframing Canadian history through the lens of human rights ideology. The Museum both celebrates and complicates the human rights legacy of Canada and Canadians. Located in Winnipeg and created as a joint partnership between the Asper foundation, the Canadian government, the Province of Manitoba, the city of Winnipeg, and the Forks North Portage Partnership, the museum has not been a stranger to controversy over its now 6 + years of existence. This article examines the ways that the CMHR describes and complicates Canada’s human rights legacy, to understand the way the museum envisions human rights and Canada’s role in enforcing those rights. This is done through a close reading of two exhibitions in the museum focusing on race/racism in Canada.
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