Know History Inc.

Exciting news! The Nattilik Heritage Centre, Parks Canada, and Know History are thrilled to reveal a forthcoming book that celebrates Inuit leadership in discovering the Franklin Expedition shipwrecks. “The Land Was Always Used: An Inuit Oral History of the Franklin Expedition” was revealed at the Umiyaqtutt Festival in Gjoa Haven on August 31st—just ahead of the 10th anniversary of the discovery of HMS 𝘌𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘴. The book highlights the vital role Inuit played in locating the 𝘌𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘴 and 𝑇𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟, with stunning photography and stories passed down through generations. Stay tuned for its Fall 2024 release! A heartfelt congratulations to Connie Wren-Gunn, Director of Content and Interpretive Products, for her outstanding work on the project! Her expertise and leadership were instrumental in creating a truly exceptional publication.

Check out the important work underway at the Mi'kmawey Debert Cultural Centre.

Meet Me Monday is back! This week, we’re introducing Project Manager and Oral Historian, Lyndsie Bourgon. Lyndsie has over a decade of experience in journalism and has conducted over 150 professional oral history interviews. She was named a National Geographic Explorer and has written about environmental subjects including traditional land use with her latest publication, Tree Thieves, exploring the phenomenon of tree theft through oral history interviews and first-hand accounts. Learn more about Lyndsie here!

Know History attended the Canadian Historical Association’s annual conference in Montreal last month! We connected with old friends and colleagues and attended some fantastic panels that featured insights from CIRNAC, Global Affairs Canada, and Parks Canada. It was great to be a part of discussions on public history programs in Canada, reconciliation, commemoration, and community-engaged scholarship. See you next year!

Earlier this June, Know History joined the Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum, for a week of exciting fieldwork in Sanirajak, Nunavut! Our mission? To capture a full virtual tour of FOX Main, an early warning radar station from the 1950s DEW Line. This radar chain, stretching from Alaska to Greenland, was built to detect Soviet bombers during the Cold War. We are supporting the Diefenbunker in creating a virtual exhibit on the DEW Line, featuring a 360-degree tour, visual and written history, and oral histories on the DEW Line’s impact on the Inuit. The team captured an astounding 36,506 photos! 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Indigenous History and Heritage Gathering! Your presence, insights, and shared experiences made this event truly special. Below are a few images from the event!

National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day to honor and celebrate the resilience, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island. At Know History, we are proud of the strong relationships we have built with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities across the country and look forward to sharing and preserving more incredible stories with you all.

This June, we proudly celebrate Indigenous Peoples Month! We are honoured to partner with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to share important stories that need to be told. Join us in celebrating the rich traditions of Indigenous peoples and check out some events in Ottawa and Calgary these upcoming weeks: Ottawa: Celebrate the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival and enjoy pow wows, Indigenous arts, crafts, workshops, food, shopping, and family fun from June 21 to 23 at Madahoki Farm! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gNAwM95 Join the National Art Centre for a life-drawing session where you can capture the dynamic beauty of powwow dances and their regalia on your own paper. Participants will bring their own material and work with art facilitators to create drawings that capture both the movement of the dancers and their regalia: https://lnkd.in/eE3sGuN7 Calgary: Aboriginal Awareness Week Calgary returns this year with the theme of “Inspiring Our Youth for Change.” Head to Enmax Park on June 22 for a full day of activities, like an Indigenous arts and craft market, a hand games tournament, a traditional powwow, a free barbecue and more: https://www.aawc.ca/ The University of Calgary and Heritage Park Historical Village are honouring National Indigenous Peoples Day with the latest edition of Campfire Chats. Running from 4 to 6:30 p.m., the free event focuses on Indigenous music and culture with performances by Eya-Hey Nakoda, Armond Duck Chief, Craig Ginn, The Denby Family and Olivia Tail Feathers: https://lnkd.in/egDUjB6d Head to the National Music Centre (NMC) to celebrate Indigenous dance, music and song on June 21: https://lnkd.in/ezKVa7rC

How can you say history is just about the past when a 3-year-old boy gets to meet a 104-year-old WWII veteran?   Recently at the opening ‘Faces of Canada Today’ at the Juno Beach Centre, little Joseph Goudie got meet a soldier who was born 101 years before him. Many of Know History’s staff (including Joseph’s father Mark) fell in love with history due to core memories like this. We hope that we can continue to bring these kinds of experiences to the young and the young at heart.

Last week, Know History had the honour of attending the 80th Anniversary of D-Day celebration at Juno Beach. Historical researcher Casandra Masse shared the experience with us through her perspective: As I sat during the 80th Anniversary of D-Day celebration at Juno Beach, moments of such complete silence descended periodically throughout the crowd. Surrounded by hundreds of people, I could hear the waves lapping against the shore, birds singing in the trees, and a child asking for her mother in the distance. This quiet was such a show of respect and solemnity that the weight of the shared history we were all there to remember settled even deeper within me. On June 6th, Mark Goudie and I attended the 80th Anniversary celebration of D-Day. The day was shared by hundreds of visitors: including modern and WWII veterans, current soldiers in uniforms, dignitaries (Prime Minister Trudeau, Prime Minister Attal, and Prince William), and Canadian (as well as French) civilians. With dignitaries paying their respects to the D-Day veterans, the JBC staff assisting those veterans to return to the beach they once stormed, and the cheers from the crowds as those WWII soldiers were acknowledged; I truly believe those words ‘We will remember them’ will continue to be honoured.