Material culture is a somewhat stilted phrase referring to the physical objects and spaces which human beings use in their day to day existence, e.g. pottery, tools, buildings, etc. The study of material culture has become a thriving industry in areas such as Waterloo County, Ontario, and among the Amish Mennonites of Pennsylvania. Almost every month, one sees a publication announcement for yet another book on quilts, or fraktur art. But the field is almost totally unexplored in Southern Manitoba. . . .