FACETnating History

09/07/2023

This is such an amazing effort to ensure historical accuracy.

In France, carpenters are using axes fashioned by a Montreal blacksmith to carve logs of red oak into roof trusses for Notre-Dame-de-Paris, the world’s most famous cathedral.

28/06/2023

This epic story of resilience follows Cree matriarch Aline Spears, played by Grace Dove, over one hundred years as she struggles to protect her family and build a better future.

24/06/2023

https://canadianpowwows.ca/dos-and-donts/?fbclid=IwAR1Gf4wY5xqW1mhBeHM0v9H4PzSMBmXI2ltffmutauOdPGZDVXKSYEPG2WE_aem_AS4nr01jtOklkWyYWhj5RJHcTWEt-k6M3vyV6rSI-LwvqOW6POqQwhQuCo2BrqoqRFQ

Pow Wows are important cultural events that require certain etiquette to be observed. Find out more about the significance of your actions at a Pow Wow.

22/06/2023

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/cree-walking-out-montreal-mohawk-teepee-1.6882321

On June 10, a special Walking Out, a Cree rite of passage, happened in Kahnawake, Que., a Mohawk community southwest of Montreal.

21/06/2023

Why totem poles were never meant to be in museums (CBC News)

A sacred totem pole that has been in a Victoria, B.C. museum for over a century has been returned to its owners, the Nuxalk Nation. CBC’s Wawmeesh Hamilton takes us through its repatriation back home to Bella Coola, B.C. and he tells us what this homecoming means for the community.

CLICK IMAGE to Watch

A sacred totem pole that has been in a Victoria, B.C. museum for over a century has been returned to its owners, the Nuxalk Nation. CBC’s Wawmeesh Hamilton takes us through its repatriation back home to Bella Coola, B.C. and he tells us what this homecoming means for the community.

21/06/2023

It's National Indigenous Peoples day in Canada. May we continue to learn from all Indigenous Nations and work towards reconciliation.

19/06/2023

It also makes spreading hate propaganda based on gender identity and gender expression a criminal offense.

12/06/2023

A great online event to attend “The Power of Indigenous Women’s Voices” held by The Woman’s History Project this coming Thursday June 14 at 5 PM. It’s free! Click on the link to get tickets https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-power-of-indigenous-womens-voices-tickets-651293796277

11/06/2023

From Jenn:

My husband and I went to the "Spirit of the Drum" Pow Wow today in Smiths Falls, ON. It was very moving to see several Indigenous Nations come together to share in friendship with each other and all in attendance. There were 5 drum circles and fancy shawl dancers, jingle dress dancers, and many more types of regalia, which represented the various Nations. Each dance and each song had a meaning. Listening to the songs of millennia echoing through Duck Island and seeing Indigenous Nations living their culture was a privilege. Every generation was represented from a wee one learning to walk and in regalia - and a maybe 2 year old with regalia and hoops learning to dance from what appeared to be his father and grandfather (see pic 2 - I avoided photographing the faces of the kids) - to elders. We were reminded (after an incident yesterday where someone went to the Pow Wow to harrass people) that it is our duty to remind those around us to respect Indigenous People, as they were showing respect to all.

The Pow Wow was survival, triumph and life in action - truly moving.

Food - I had a strawberry drink and my first Indian Taco - I worked in Akwesasne for 4 years and never stopped to get one - they're AMAZING! My husband had a Buffalo burger - incredible.
..and I bought a couple Kookam scrunchies for my daughter and I, a smudge shell and sage, and a dream catcher, as requested by our son.

09/06/2023

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-indigenous-artifacts-found-near-ottawa-give-clues-to-settlement-dating/?fbclid=IwAR3bHleJAcebyQRBk6KoRlEFOuKbFfBjPSUF_CAlgCb9E3SDDErLl6YXvZU_aem_th_AZteAfA_e9Hyq9Zsm4ft_4opzASd9w9sNanAuyKMhGmHJnNsEP6r9BO9h3Mzb_mz2sw

The discovery last month in Lac Philippe, Que., included about 50 pieces of rare quartz tools

06/06/2023

A great list of books chosen by Cree author Michelle Good including her book Five Little Indians. https://www.cbc.ca/books/books-to-read-national-indigenous-history-month-michelle-good-1.6860760?fbclid=IwAR2Xy-1YKphbGOc4_fNuwz5Ab18u9_QnLW4Y0Sunbj9Ozaf1rk00-Q78iVg

Five Little Indians author Michelle Good curated this list of books that 'reach under the myth of North American history.'

06/06/2023

Today is D-Day, the day that more than 14 000 Canadian troops landed on the beaches of Normandy to help liberate Western Europe from N**i occupation. We remember and honour those that fought and those that fought and lost their lives so others would have freedom. To learn more about D-Day click on the link

Remember Canada’s Veterans

05/06/2023

Get ready to research the 1931 Canadian Census! 🎉🇨🇦

After 92 years, the 1931 Census is here! 🎉

All 234,687 pages of the 1931 Census of Canada have been digitized and are available to the public: http://ow.ly/2IX350OBKVW

Collected during the Great Depression and at a time of significant immigration, this census provides a snapshot of the more than 10 million people living in Canada in 1931.

Start browsing the digitized census images by geographic district and sub-district!

We’re collaborating with Ancestry and Family Search International to enhance access to the census. Stay tuned for a fully searchable index!

05/06/2023

Stop number two for Doors Open Ottawa was Elmwood School a private all girls school in Rockcliffe Park. Created by Theodora Philpot in 1915, it was originally called Rockcliffe Prepatory School. “She saw education not as the severe and joyless pedagogy of the Victorian era but as a creative, energetic and engaging exploration.” They’ve added on and built a Junior school at the back and recently built an incredible science area. To learn more about the school check out their website https://www.elmwood.ca/admissions/this-is-their-time

05/06/2023

It was our favourite weekend here in Ottawa, Doors Open Ottawa 😊 Stop number one was Laurier House former residence of two PMs, Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King. King was gifted the house by Zoe Laurier and King then gifted the house to the Canadian people as a historical site. King was big into spiritualism and believed one could contact the dead. Rumour is this house is haunted (both Laurier and his wife Zoe passed away here) but we didn’t encounter any ghosts or unusual events during our visit. 😉 Two unusual things we did see was first the chairs in the sitting room set up in a circle. Apparently King loved clocks(there were many clocks in the house) and had the chairs set up like the numbers on a clock. The second was a plaster cast of President Abraham Lincoln’s face and hands. They were a birthday gift to King from his cabinet. We loved wandering around the neighbourhood after oohing and ahing over the beautiful houses nearby and the embassies. We especially loved the old transformed church across from Laurier House being used as a bistro and vintage store. If you want to know more about the history or to plan a trip click on this link https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/laurier/culture/natcul1

02/06/2023

Happy Pride Month! We thought to celebrate we’d introduce you to some amazing people from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community that fought for the rights they have today.
One such person was Jim Egan. Jim was a pioneering gay activist named by some as Canada’s first q***r activist. Jim and his husband Jack Nesbit brought forth changes for the community with their Supreme Court case that they lost. So how did a loss turn into a change for the better for the community? Let’s find out.
Jim’s activism first began in the late 1940s when he wrote to newspapers who printed articles that were misleading about homos*xuality. During this time newspapers printed articles about raids on gay clubs and cruising spots by the police using sensational titles like “Queers Flushed From Love Nest”. The papers also would print the names and addresses of those caught at these raids as same s*x relations were illegal according to the law at the time. Jim used these letters to the papers to fight against the slurs printed against the gay community. As he stated in his memoir Challenging the Conspiracy of Silence, “I simply let [the press] know that there was at least one person out there who was not going to sit by and let them get away with what I considered to be gross inaccuracies and libels.” In 1951 he published a series of articles for True News Times titled “Aspects of Homos*xuality” which discussed such topics as the need for more tolerance towards homos*xuality, an overview of same s*x desire through history and the legal and scientific aspects towards homos*xuality. His articles written from a gay point of view were a first in gay journalism in Canada. Jim’s husband Jack was not too keen on Jim’s activism as he felt it drew too much negative attention to them. They moved to British Columbia and while Jack got used to Jim’s activism, Jim wasn’t as active as he had been. The 1980s and a Supreme Court case would draw both of them back into activism fully.
Jim and Jack had been together as a couple for over 40 years when, in 1987, Jim and Jack applied for the spousal benefit under the Old Age Security Act. Because they had been together as a couple for over 40 years they felt they fit the criteria to receive the benefit. Their claim was denied by Health and Welfare Canada based on their s*xual orientation as a same s*x couple. In 1988 they filed a court challenge under the Charter of Rights and Freedom claiming “discrimination under the Old Age Security Act in its definition of “spouse,” claiming that the current definition discriminated against same-s*x couples on the basis of gender and s*xual orientation, contrary to section 15(1) of the Charter.” Their claim was dismissed as was their appeal in 1993 to the Federal Court of Appeal. The courts stated their relationship was “not a spousal one”. They took their appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada which agreed to hear their case.
In 1995 they lost their Supreme Court Case but, in a way, won a lot more. While the Supreme Court did not side with Jim and Jack, they did rule that “s*xual orientation” was in the Charter of Rights and Freedom and therefore protected from discrimination. This ruling opened up ways to challenge laws in the future across the country that discriminated on the basis of s*xual orientation in all aspects of life like employment, family law, government benefits, etc. It set a precedent for future legal victories to come like same s*x marriage.
If you would like to hear Jim and Jack talk about how they met and Jim’s activism check out this clip from the documentary “Jim Loves Jack” https://vimeo.com/137426305
Jim Egan was also featured as a Heritage Minute which you can watch here https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=a3e5jC7yZeo&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca%2F&source_ve_path=MTM5MTE3LDI4NjY2&feature=emb_logo

01/06/2023

If you happen to live or are visiting the Ottawa area this weekend (June 3 and 4) Doors Open Ottawa is back! This is one of my favourite weekends in Ottawa as we get to explore, see and learn about buildings and the history behind them.

Mark your calendars!

On June 3 and 4, there will be so much to see and so much to do with Doors Open Ottawa!

It's your chance to take a peek behind closed doors and find out all about true facts and tall tales of your favorite buildings!

Make sure to plan your day in advance and have a back up plan if needed - some places get pretty busy!

You can also join in the fun from home! 2023 is offering some virtual tours!
Please note: Advance registration is required.

Details: https://bit.ly/37Cf8gE

01/06/2023

June is National Indigenous History Month. While we think Indigenous history is something to be learned year round, this month is a chance to celebrate and learn even more about the rich history, traditions and cultures of our Indigenous communities. We’ll share some resources and histories to further our knowledge about Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities throughout this month.

01/06/2023

Today is the start of Pride Month! While we believe that every day is a day we should support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community this month is a chance to spotlight people and events that helped move the community forward towards acceptance by all. There’s a long way to go still especially with supporting the trans community, but we can celebrate how far they’ve come. My daughter put together this amazing resource as a school project to help those within the community and to help those that might not understand have resources to learn and move forward. -Michelle https://sites.google.com/stu.ocsb.ca/2slgbtqia-community-info/home

31/05/2023

Some updates about our podcast! Jenn and I have had a busy few months outside of doing the podcast. We have decided to go on a bit of a hiatus and have cancelled our podcast host which means our old episodes are no longer are available to listen to on streaming services like Apple or Google but we are still on Spotify (which you can listen to for free). We have some exciting plans for the near future… what we think might be a better way to share some history and more with you through YouTube. We’ll be putting up our old episodes up as YouTube videos with images that we think will help tell the history in a better way. Subscribe to our YouTube channel FACETnating History, follow us on Facebook and Instagram as we will still be posting historical tidbits about fascinating people and places and will post when videos are ready to watch. Thanks again for the support and continuing to join us on our journey of discovering FACETnating history!

05/05/2023

The last article of a 6 part series we’re sharing for National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. In this article journalist Brandi Morin tells us the story of 16 year old Ramona Wilson who went missing in 1994 and whose body was found months later. She also discusses the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the 231 calls to action which are not only asked of the federal government to implement but all institutions, provincial, federal and private. “It’s not only the federal government. It’s the provinces, the private sectors, mining and industry sectors, health care. It’s the institution that was supposed to take care of a human being. So, it’s everyone who needs to grab those Calls for Justice and say ‘Oh my God! I have the responsibility to honour them and make them come alive.” This article has content that may be disturbing to read so reader discretion is advised.

Since Brenda Wilson’s sister was murdered, she has dedicated her life to helping families of other missing girls.

05/05/2023

Part 5 of a 6 part series we are sharing for National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. In this article, Indigenous journalist Brandi Morin writes about the role, or lack of, the RCMP plays in investigating these murders and cases of missing Indigenous women and how in some cases the officers themselves are the guilty ones who have committed the crime.

What happens when those who are supposed to protect become the perpetrators?

05/05/2023

Part 4 of a 6 part series. We’ve shared the first three articles earlier on our page for National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. This article discusses the lasting impact residential schools have on the Indigenous community in particular to Indigenous women. It also shares the stories of women murdered and those that survived. The article discusses s*xual assault and violence against women so reader discretion is advised.

How systemic racism, abuse of the land and violence against Indigenous women and girls are intertwined in Canada.

05/05/2023

Part 3 of a 6 part series of articles we’re sharing for National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. This article tells the story of women who have gone missing along the Highway of Tears including one Indigenous woman, Cindy Martin, who was active in an Indigenous mentoring programme and brought awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women, was herself taken and is still missing. The article also discusses the history of First Nations society which was matriarchal and how that all changed with colonization. “Women were highly respected as knowledge keepers, land caretakers and life-givers. But the domination of patriarchy infiltrated Indigenous societies when colonisers imposed assimilation, Joan explains. Along with the degradation and disrespect that followed came violence towards and suppression of Indigenous female leaders.” Reader discretion advised as this article discusses s*xual assault and violence against women.

For decades, Indigenous women and girls have been being murdered in British Columbia. These are some of their stories.

05/05/2023

Part two of the 6 parts series we are sharing on National Day of Awareness for Misding and Murdered Indigenous Women. This article details the horrific attack on one Indigenous young woman who surprised only not to be believed by the RCMP
officer and further describes the history of RCMP inaction and role in the victimization of Indigenous women. It further goes into detail how “man camps” set up for workers of industry jobs like pipelines near First Nations reserves increase the occurrence of violence against Indigenous women and girls. ““Man camps, they’re going to be violent spaces. Canadian laws, systems are designed around protecting [the interests of] whiteness. We need to point to the fact that genocide is the way our governments and courts function. So how are Indigenous women supposed to safely exist within their lands?” This article recounts the tale of s*xual assault so reader discretion is advised.

Jennie was walking home from school when two men pulled over and shouted that they ‘should teach her a lesson’.

05/05/2023

Today is National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Indigenous women are 16 times more likely to be targeted or killed and 12 times more likely to get murdered or go missing than non-Indigenous women. Throughout today we'll share a 6 part series about some of the Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or were found murdered along the Highway of Tears in British Columbia. Written by award winning journalist and authour Brandi Morin, herself a victim of s*xual assault and violence as an Indigenous women, the articles tell the women's stories and the heartbreak and anger of the families left behind. They also cover the history of how colonization brought us to this point and how the Indian Act and residential schools, among other things, aided in the increase of violence against Indigenous women and girls. Just a warning these articles contain content that may be difficult for some to read so reader discretion is advised. Also these articles focus on just one area of Canada that these women and girls have gone missing and have been murdered in but this does not mean it is just happening there. It is occurring all across Canada in every province and territory.

How dozens of mostly Indigenous women and girls disappeared along a murderous stretch of highway in British Columbia.

20/04/2023

What an incredible find!

When Michael Jacobs first laid eyes on a canoe his ancestors expertly crafted a millennium ago, he says he "couldn't do nothing but cry."

12/04/2023

in 1980, Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope in Newfoundland.

Fox’s goal was to run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research.

After running 3,123 kilometers, he arrived in Ottawa on June 30—just in time for Canada Day.

A statue of Terry Fox now resides across from Parliament Hill.

11/04/2023

NOW STREAMING! Our latest episode is up and available on all listening platforms.
We heard a few stories lately of items stolen from Indigenous communities in the past being returned and it got us thinking about what exactly the story was behind these stolen items. In this minisode we tell you the story of some stolen items returned, their significance to their community and the process to the item being returned. We also dig into what decolonizing a museum might look like and changes that are being put in place to make that happen right now.

11/04/2023

I was lucky enough to visit this amazingly preserved street in Philadelphia a few years ago. Here is a short historical overview. - Jenn

Check out our Merch: https://thishouse.mediaLike, Comment, and Share our video, Subscribe if you enjoyed this video!Travel back in time with Ken as he explor...