Canadian History Roundup – Week of April 14, 2019

Easter March for Peace Toronto. April 16, 1964. Lil Greene fonds.

The latest in blog posts, news, and podcasts from the world of Canadian history.

Missed last week’s roundup? Check it out here.

Environmental History

• The most commonly used words in #envhist last week, according to Jessica DeWitt, were: “Der,” “Die,” and “Und.” Schade, ich kann kein Deutsch lesen.
• This week on NiCHE, Sean Kheraj contributed a new post to the blog’s series on public engagement and environmental humanities. His piece focused on the role of history in Canadian pipeline politics.
• Did you know that Natural Resources Canada has an article series? I didn’t. But this week they published a feature on the newspaper archive on the 1855 Moncton Earthquake.
• As a result of the outcome of this week’s election, Albertan librarians, archivists, and researchers are working to archive digital information about climate change.
• The latest set of comps notes from Jessica DeWitt is for Guy Vanderhaeghe’s The Englishman’s Boy.
• The Canadian Encyclopedia posted a new entry for conservationist John (Jack) Miner, who established the first bird sanctuary in North America and was a leading voice for the ratification of the Migratory Bird Convention Act of 1917.

Military History

• Check out this new first-hand account of the torpedoing of the S.S. Saganaga and the S.S. Lord Strathcona by a U-Boat off the coast of Newfoundland in 1942.

Archaeology

• This week was the Society for American Archaeology’s annual conference. Steph Halmhofer recapped her experience. Content warning: discussion of sexual abuse, gaslighting, sexual predators.
• Robyn Lacy was back with a new blog post this week on the history of the hexfoil (or daily wheel) in mortuary contexts, including headstones in North America.
• In the latest edition of the Dig It column, Kim Christenson explained the user-pay system in BC.
• David Pike’s analysis of midochondrial DNA has revealed a mutation that appears to be much more common in Newfoundland and Labrador than anywhere else in the world. This could be another example of the Founder Effect, since the genetic mutation has a European origin and can likely be traced to a single woman who immigrated to the area in the early 1600s.
• An American author, Bill Williard, wants to exhume the unnamed victims of the Titanic to collect DNA in the hopes of identifying them. But Halifax cemeteries where the dead are buried, including the Jewish Baron de Hirsch cemetery, are against the idea.
• The Inuit Heritage Trust and Parks Canada have signed an agreement about how artifacts from the Franklin Expedition will be preserved, studied, and displayed. The agreement specifies that the items will be protected based on traditional Inuit knowledge and presented from an Inuit perspective.

History Education

• This week on the CHA Teaching and Learning blog, Danielle Kinsey interviewed Michelle Hamilton and Michael Dove about their work on collaborative teaching.
• Connecting the T.Dots: Oral Histories from Toronto Hip Hop Pioneers is a fantastic example of what happens when educators, students, and artists work together to bring history to life and challenge predominant Canadian history narratives.

Transnational History

• Michael K. Bess reviewed John W.I. Lee and Michael North’s edited collection, Globalizing Borderland Studies in Europe and North America for the Borderlands History blog.

Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration History

• This week Daniel Ross announced the publication of the second volume in the Active History ebook series, Confronting Canadian Migration History. And this book includes the piece that I co-wrote with Laura Madokoro on the St. Louis Apology!
• This week the principal of Queen’s University and the director of the School of Medicine at Queen’s University issued a formal apology for the 1918 ban on Black medical students. This apology included a formal letter and presentation that described not only the ban, but its impact on the careers of Black medical students. The apology also acknowledged the activism of Black students and their families, especially the family of Ethelbert Bartholomew, an upper-year student who was expelled despite being in good standing, as well as efforts on the part of university administrators and leadership to conceal the truth and avoid facing the consequences of their actions. Moving forward, the university has agreed to take concrete steps to address the historical injustice, including personal letters of apologies, revisions to the established curriculum, an admission award for Black medical students, an exhibit on the ban to be displayed in the atrium of the new medical building, a symposium on the history of the ban and the issue of diversity in the medical profession, and a mentorship program for Black medical students.
• This week Histoire Engagée published a translation of Anthony Morgan’s recent editorial on the need for an African Canadian Reparations Act.
• The Asian Heritage Society in New Brunswick has begun a new project to collect the stories of Asian immigrants.

Indigenous History

• In 1901, then-Prince George met with approximately 2,000 representatives from First Nations communities across the country. Thirty-six of these individuals, all either Head Chiefs or Sub-Chiefs, were presented with medals commemorating the occasion. One of these medals recently came up for auction and was purchased by coin collector George Manz. The medal is currently on display at the Regina Coin Club show, along with another medal on loan from Sakimay First Nation. Wouldn’t it be nice if he donated it back to its home community….?
• This week Andrea Bear Nicholas (Wolatoqiyik) spoke at the Fredericton Region Museum on Wolatoqiyik history, specifically on the ancient history of the Wolatoqiyik as well as their involvement in a series of wars between French and British colonial powers in the 17^thand 18^th centuries.
• Cheslatta Carrier Nation has finally been awarded redress sixty-seven years after they were forcibly relocated with two weeks’ notice to make way for hydroelectric dams and a reservoir. The flooding for the project submerged a village, destroyed sixty graves, and disturbed ancestors (who are still rountinely found in the lake). Content warning: description of ancestors, trauma, forcible relocation.
• @MariahGladstone (Pikuni. Tsalagi) wrote an important Twitter thread on the impact of Native mascots, particularly the damage done when Indigenous peoples are described as part of history rather than the present.
• There is a new Canadian Encyclopedia entry on the forcible sterilization of Indigenous women in Canada.Content warning: forcible sterilization of Indigenous women, violence against women, violence against Indigenous women, Indian hospitals.
• This week on Acadiensis, Natasha Simon (Mi’kmaq from Elsipogtog in the Signigtog District) reviewed Fiona Polack’s edited collection, Tracing Ochre: Changing Perspectives on the Beothuk.
• Secwepemc Elder Louis Thomas spoke with the Vernon Morning Star about the importance of storytelling, his experiences at residential school, how Elders preserve knowledge, and Secwepemc culture and history. Content warning: description of residential schools, abuse, running away.
• Sheldon Krasowski explained why this land is Indigenous land, the Canadian government’s failure to uphold their promises made during treaty negotiation, and why history matters. Just do yourself a favour and don’t read the comments.

New France/British North America

• Leah Grandy is back with part two of her series on the names of privateer and prize ships on the Atlantic Loyalist Connections blog.

Political History

• The Graphic History Collective has released their latest Remember/Resist/Redraw poster, on the Winnipeg General Strike.The artwork is by David Lester and the text is by the Graphic History Collective.
• Shirley Tillotson has written a new blog post for Active History on Canada’s privacy regulations for federal taxes and a political scandal in 1931. Really, the more we learn about R.B. Bennett, the less likeable he seems.
• Gail Campbell spoke to CBC about the 100^th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Brunswick and the history of women in New Brunswick politics. I just wish the article had been clearer that Status Indians did not get the right to vote, rather than just one sentence near the bottom of the article. I often come back to Adele Perry’s Twitter thread from a few years ago on how to phrase this issue properly.
• Vancouver is Awesome looked back at the history of the 4/20 protests this week.

Social History

• Check out the latest fashions for April…1837.
• Kesia Kvill premiered a new series on her blog where she is recreating historical recipes from her research! In the first post, she attempted a 1918 recipe for graham cookies.
• Speaking of food history, this week on Unwritten Histories, I looked back at the history of Matzohgate!
• Matthew Hayes spoke with MyKawartha about this research on UFO sightings, and how it is focused much more on conflict between the government and the Canadian public.
• Omg, another love letter story. Get out the Kleenex.
• This week on Borealia, Wendy Cameron wrote a new piece on the reception and placement of female British Home Children as immigrant “servant girls” in Canada West, with a particular focus on the work of British social reformer, Maria Rye.

The History of Gender and Sexuality

• This week the Calgary Gay History Project looked back at the history of the Western Cup, held every Easter weekend since 1982.

Local History

• For some reason, twenty-one satirical magazines and newspapers all premiered in Quebec in 1878.
• This week Whistorical looked back at two famous chefs from Whistler history, Lam Shu and Wing Sam.
• This week the Toronto Public Library posted several features on Ontario’s history including:
  • This look at the online Toronto City Directories from 1837 to 1969.
  • Ontario’s tuberculosis sanatoriums from 1897 to 1960.
  • And a history of John Ross Robertson’s work at The Telegram.
• Our Digital World was back with another mystery this week, on the Finlandia Club players of Thunder Bay.
• The latest entry from The Dictionary of Canadian Biography is for Montreal notary Ernest-Rémi Décary.
• Josh Dehaas shared the long history of Toronto transit plans that failed.
• There is a new BC Stop of History commemorating the establishment of the Gur Sikh Temple and Heritage Museum in Abbotsford.
• This week Heritage Winnipeg looked back at the establishment of the Nanton Estate.
• This week the City of Montreal Archives profiled Décarie Boulevard before the creation of the autoroute.
• This week Eve Lazarus explained the history of laneway houses in Kitsilano.

Digital and Public History

• I think that this piece, by Jon Weier, is a must-read for all Canadian historians. 
• I know this isn’t Canadian, but I couldn’t resist a piece about an Indigenous version of the Oregon Trail computer game, called “When Rivers were Trails.” The project was created by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva/Scots-Gaelic), twenty Indigenous writers, with music by Supaman (Apsáalooke) and Michael Charette, and support from the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, Michigan State University’s Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab, and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Sign me up.
• I also believe that public history is important, but this “Which Great Alberta Suffragette Are You?” quiz is not how you do it. Shame on you, Edmonton Journal. I’m not even going to link to it. For those who don’t know why this is a problem, see my previous post on the women’s suffrage movement in Canada.
• The Royal Canadian Mint has released a new $1 coin commemorating the supposed decriminalization of homosexuality with the passage of the 1969 Omnibus Bill. But as this piece from CBC explained, following discussion with Tom Hopper, this is commemorating a problematic myth. Warning: The CBC included some homophobic commentary from David Cooke of the social conservative group, Citizens Go Canada near the end of the piece.
• This week the UBC Digitizer’s blog celebrated National Poetry Month by sharing some of the poetry volumes from their collection.
• The Peel Archives, Museum, and Art Gallery Twitter account put together another of their Twitter moments collecting tweets from Canadian archives on Canadian film day.
• The Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawénna Roatitiohkwa Language and Cultural Center, just launched their new digital photo archive, following the digitization of their photo collection documenting the history of Kahnawà:ke by Vernon Goodleaf (Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke) and Scott Berwick.
• This is an epic Ancestry.com fail.  Thankfully it was pulled within a couple of days. This piece by Tiffany Black does a thorough job of explaining why these kinds of ads are problematic and harmful. And thanks to Gail Dever to posting this link! Content warning: racism.

Doing History

• I would love to see more blog posts like this one from Patrick Lacroix, explaining their personal connections to their research.
• Brittany Long looked back at the problematic methodology used by New Brunswick historian, William Francis Ganong.
• The latest edition of Signatures from LAC is out!
• I’m really happy to see that Canadian Heritage announced $680,000 in funding for the Canadian Museums Association to undertake a national review of museum policies, in collaboration with Indigenous communities, to ensure that they are adhering to UNDRIP’s principles and to make recommendations for future alterations.
• The Nova Scotia Archives added records from pre-1867 Sable Island to their crowd-sourced transcription program, Transcribe.

Podcasts

• Episode four of the Manitoba Food History Podcast came out this week, featuring a conversation with Steven Watson about what Indigenous cuisine would have looked like if it hadn’t been disrupted by colonialism.
• The latest episode of the Juno Beach and Beyond podcast featured a conversation with Neil Orford about the Juno75 Defining Moments project.

So this is kinda random, but I’ve been meaning to use this image in a roundup for a couple of years now. Does anyone know anything about it? If you do, I’d love to hear from you! In any case, I hope you enjoyed this week’s roundup! If you did, please consider sharing it on the social media platform of your choice! And don’t forget to check back on Tuesday for a brand new Historians’ Histories! See you then!

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