The Digital Dust Podcast

01/07/2021

As we continue to uncover the unmarked graves of Indigenous children on the sites of former residential schools, it is more important than ever to learn about these institutions and the damage they inflicted on Indigenous peoples.

We have been actively collecting accessible resources that can be used to learn more about residential schools. You will find a complete list on our blog (link in bio).

This Canada Day we have to do more. It’s time to learn about residential schools in Canada; it’s time to reflect on Canada’s colonial past; and it’s time to consider why it’s taken us this long to get here. Only when we know our history can we truly begin reconciliation.

As always, please share resources that you have consulted and find important below.

Slide 1: Norval Morrisseau, Generations of Pain from Residential Schools, 1974
Slide 2: Indian Residential School Survivors Society - 1 (800) 721-0066. 24 hour Crisis Line - 1 (866) 925-4419
Slide 3: The Education of Augie Merasty, Joseph Auguste Merasty. My Name is Seepeetza, Shirley Sterling. Broken Circle, Theodore Fontaine.
Slide 4: Norval Morrisseau, Generations of Pain from Residential Schools, 1974. Carey Newman, Witness Blanket. What paintings by residential school survivors can teach us about trauma, resilience and the power of art, CBC article and podcast.
Slide 5: Inendi, Sarain Fox, CBC Short Docs. We Can't Make the Same Mistake Twice, Alanis Obomsawin, National Film Board of Canada.
Slide 6: Still Here Still Healing, Podcast, Jade Roberts. Child of the Government, Jayli Wolf.
Slide 7: Did you live near a residential school, Interactive Map. Online Panel: The Future of Canada Day, Free Virtual Panel, YouTube.

28/06/2021

Episode 11: The History of Juneteenth

On this very special episode we are joined by PhD candidate Deidre McCorkendale to learn about the history of Juneteenth, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the future of race and civil rights in North America.

Slide 1: Emancipation Proclamation document
Slide 2: Emancipation Day Celebration band, June 19, 1900, Austin Public Library
Slide 3: Emancipation Day in Richmond Virginia, Library of Congress
Slide 4: Juneteenth celebration in Milwaukee, 1987, Milwaukee Journal

02/06/2021

We are extremely saddened to learn about the discovery of the remains of 215 children that were buried at a former residential school in British Columbia.

Unfortunately, this is not the only residential school in Canada that committed atrocities against Indigenous children, families, and communities. Over 130 residential schools operated in Canada between 1831 and 1996. Over 150,000 Indigenous children, First Nation, Inuit, Métis, between the ages of 4 and 16 were abducted and placed in these institutions.

Here you will find some resources that will help you learn more about residential schools.
Links and more can be found on our blog.

Please share resources that you have consulted and find important below.

Slide 1: Kamloops Residential School Main Administration Building c. 1970
Slide 2: A National Crime: The Canadian Government and the Residential School System, John S. Milloy. Residential Schools, It’s Our Time Education Toolkit, Assembly of First Nations. Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Issues in Canada, Chelsea Vowel
Slide 3: The Scream, Kent Monkman. Apple Factory, Alex Janiver. Witnesses Exhibition, UBC.
Slide 4: We Were Children, Amazon Prime. Canada’s Dark Secret, YouTube.
Slide 5: Savage Mob, Snotty Nose Rez Kids. Battlefields, Twin Flames.
Slide 6: Residential Schools Podcast, Historica Canada. BEFORE, The Halluci Nation.
Slide 7: Indigenous Canada, University of Alberta. Situating Early Residential Schools in Settler Canadian Society, Know History, Free Virtual Panel on Facebook

28/05/2021

Like the passing of spring, May has just flowed by! We’ve been keeping busy here at Digital Dust and wanted to share our favourites from this month 😊

What has keeped you entertained in May? Let us know in the comments! We’re always looking for more recommendations 📚🎥

24/05/2021

Can you guess which First World War battle this Richard Jack painting depicts?

In episode 3: Stuff You DIdn’t Learn in History Class, we talked all about the founding myths of Canada, including the emphasis on this ‘defining battle’. What founding myths were you taught in your history classes?

Image from the Canadian War Museum

18/05/2021

Happy ! What’s your favourite museum?

We wanted to feature a couple of our favourite Canadian museums today. These are spaces in which we explored our passion for museum work, connected with the past, and found solace.

This year's theme is The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine! Museums are important cultural spaces that play a key role in implementing creative solutions to present social, economic, and environmental challenges. We believe museums have the potential to be active members of society, creating bridges between communities and the past, with the ability to promote a brighter future for all.

What do you expect from museums? What can these institutions do to better serve their communities?

Slide 1: Canadian Museum of Nature
Slide 2: National Art Gallery of Canada
Slide 3: Bethune Memorial House NHS
Slide 4: Bethune Memorial House NHS
Slide 5: Fanshawe Pioneer Village

14/05/2021

Good idea: studying your topic of interest and meeting other people interested in your subject area

Bad idea: could be a waste of time and money if your heart isn’t in it

Grad School is often the choice of university students who don’t want to face the ‘real world’. While we sympathize with this (and kinda did it ourselves) grad school is a commitment you shouldn’t take lightly!

Before deciding about going to grad school, consider why you want to go. Do you want to expand your knowledge of a topic you’re passionate about? Do you want to contribute to the field? Is this work you’re truly interested in? Does the career you want require an MA or PhD?

If we did an episode on grad school, what topics would you want us to cover? Let us know in the comments or shoot us a DM!

12/05/2021

Have you heard this quote before? What do you think about it?

We talked about what this quote means in episode 3. Have you listened yet? Quote: Thomas King’s The Truth About Stories. Photo: June 6, 1944, troops approaching Omaha beach.

03/05/2021

Summer is just around the corner and with grad school wrapping up Patrick, Lis, Robin, and Katie sit down to share their summer plans and what's next for the Digital Dust Podcast! Plus hear some amazing advice on how to find a public history summer job!

30/04/2021

📚What books, tv shows, or movies have you been loving this month? Leave us your recommendations below! 🎥

These are some of the things we’ve been reading and watching over here at Digital Dust. Have you watched/read any of them? If so, did you like them?

19/04/2021

Episode 6: Rage, Revenge, and Retellings of the Iliad is out now!!

Listen here:
Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-digital-dust-podcast/id1552333014
Podbean https://thedigitaldustpodcast.podbean.com
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/01dBYdBmfgP23yc83AXG0z?si=O7ri-xprTd6UDpUR7RT2Cg

12/04/2021

Episode 5 Constructing History: Rage, Revenge, and Retellings of the Iliad Part One is LIVE!!!

Listen here:
Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/episode/1O2yVezxUy3twJ03MODZEa?si=D-0cP02UQ0e-Q_yE039GfQ
Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-digital-dust-podcast/id1552333014
PodBean - https://thedigitaldustpodcast.podbean.com/

05/04/2021

‼️WE’LL BE BACK SOON‼️You may have noticed there is no new Digital Dust podcast episode today, but no need to panic! Episode 5 will be coming next Monday, until then stay tuned for other great content on our Instagram this week!
⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️
BONUS: did you know that the photo in this post comes from television history? The “Indian Head Test Pattern” was introduced in 1939, often used as the official tv station sign off after the evening Canadian anthem on CBC. The Test Pattern was also used to help test TV signals! 🎥📺🎬

29/03/2021

Last week, we covered some of the anti-Asian rhetoric, legislation, and actions in Canadian history from 1885 to 1945. Today, we will extend that scope slightly.

Knowing the recent past is just as important as knowing the distant past. Our institutions, social norms, and understanding of the world are built on and from the past. Without examining the root causes and entrenched perceptions of the world, we cannot move towards justice.

This overview ends in the 1980s, not because anti-Asian racism (or racism in general) magically ended in Canada. Instead, this ends because this is where my (Katie) knowledge ends and I didn’t want to give information I wasn’t certain on. For more modern looks at anti-Asian racism look to Asian voices. Hear their stories and give them space to speak about their lives. There are plenty of accounts out there dedicated to giving this space and honouring these stories

22/03/2021

Episode 4 is here!!! Time to learn all things witchcraft with this week's expert, Lis ✨🐈‍⬛🧙🏻‍♀️

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-630730798...
Podbean: https://thedigitaldustpodcast.podbean.com/...
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../the.../id1552333014...

21/03/2021

As historians, our first inclination is always to remind ourselves of the historic roots of modern issues. In the wake of the hate crime that killed eight people in Atlanta and the spike in anti-Asian hate crimes over the last 12 months, we wanted to contextualize this issue for Canadians. Many Canadians don’t know the history of Canada’s anti-Asian policies and we want to change that.

Swipe through to read about the ways Canadians have discriminated against Asian immigrants on the floor of the parliament and in the streets of cities. We selected six moments from between 1885 and 1945, not because post-war Canada was suddenly a ‘post-racial’ heaven, but because of space constraints. In the coming week, another post detailing modern historic anti-Asian racism will come your way. Consider how historic anti-Asian racism contributes to and fuels modern day racism.

This is where our role ends. We will continue to share resources in our story but our voices can only help contextualize. As four white historians, our job is to amplify modern BIPOC voices, not dominate the conversation.

08/03/2021

This week Lis, Robin, Katie, and Patrick share their thoughts on how history is taught in schools - including trench foot demonstrations - and how to improve the history curriculum. Trust us, this isn't your average history lesson!

Listen here:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-630730798?fbclid=IwAR3oxCZ9TLAuQ0-OKB3e1S1CmUzfWNICgnWlrpy_UyBMPS3zRvhHt53noow
Podbean: https://thedigitaldustpodcast.podbean.com/?fbclid=IwAR0PJ6EZAX4Yej7baLt2FBc54P_xbkPDSS5iSHUgnOh02urkrjTJMtd_x1w
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-digital-dust-podcast/id1552333014?fbclid=IwAR1ZxULqWSU1Fg-BiOfLBdwi1bPUUOh10GP1c-Ob_feIMGwPD_pNAgSUxd8

02/03/2021

NEW BLOG POST!

In commemoration of Emily Carr, this week we will explore the artist’s work and the memory she leaves behind.
Emily Carr’s work is usually highly regarded. However, upon closer inspection her representations seem to fall short. Especially among Indigenous communities.

Let us know what you think below!

In commemoration of Emily Carr, this week we will explore the artist’s work and the memory she leaves behind. Beginning her career in 1890, Canadian artist Emily Carr struggled to break through in the art world. Finally, in 1930, after connecting with members of the Group of Seven, Carr found her ...

01/03/2021

80 years ago today the first Captain America comic, written by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, was published. The comic was released 4 months earlier in December of 1940 but

In March 1941, the US had not entered WWII. The release of this comic about a man attempting to enlist was a call to action for the American public. By the time the US entered the war in December of that year, Captain America comics were flying off the shelves.

This month Marvel is releasing the TV show the Falcon and the Winter Soldier where we will (*hopefully*) see Sam Wilson take up the mantle.

25/02/2021

Did you know Disney’s first black princess was Brandy Norwood when she played Cinderella in 1997?

It would take Disney an additional 12 years before they cast another woman of colour as the lead in “The Princess and the Frog”.

Produced by Whitney Houston, Cinderella (1997) is an exceptional musical with a diverse and multicultural cast. The music and acting are superb, and Brandy’s Cinderella was refreshing as she was dynamic, strong, and independent.

Now available on Disney+, this unforgettable film deserves more recognition and certainly another watch!

23/02/2021

Tuesday Trivia!

When was the first electret microphone invented?
Comment your guess below! Tap on the image to reveal the answer.

Since the majority of our communication is done digitally we have Dr. James E. West and Dr. Gerhard M. Sessler to thank for keeping us connected.
Most microphones found in common electronics like our phones, hearing aids, and baby monitors rely on this invention!

23/02/2021

Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me 4/5 stars

Written as a letter to his son, Coates shares the stories of how he came to consciousness. He recounts his personal history in relation to the longer and larger history of race relations and racism in the United States. Coates weaves the personal with the historical in a way few authors can achieve.

22/02/2021

EPISODE 2 IS LIVE!!

What's your favourite song? What do you think about school? What are soup hands?! This week get to know Robin, Lis, Patrick, and Katie as they host a chaotic Q&A!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-digital-dust-podcast/id1552333014
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-630730798
Podbean: https://thedigitaldustpodcast.podbean.com/

20/02/2021

Angie Thomas’ On the Come Up - 5/5 stars

Thomas’ second novel follows Brianna Jackson, a teen rapper looking for success and facing poverty. Bri becomes famous overnight for a controversial rap and the novel explores the consequences of that fame. This beautifully written novel covers rhyme schemes to the hardships facing Black communities to the realities of fame and everything in between.

19/02/2021

Reni Eddi-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race - 4/5 stars

White supremacy and racism are not issues that are confined to the borders of the United States. Eddi-Lodge’s amazing book shows how racism works in the United Kingdom. Her commitment to demonstrating the ways intersectionality (the intersections of two or more factors) between race and gender and class and sexuality will surely remind readers that racism does not exist in a vacuum.

18/02/2021

Residing in the earliest documented Black settlements in Ontario, the Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church was erected after Black Loyalists were granted land by the British for their military assistance during the war of 1812.

A total of 25 plots of land in Oro County were allocated to Black settlers. While these plots had strategic value during the war, they were not ideal for these families, as the land was remote and agriculturally poor.

The new settlers built the Church in 1847, and it was in use until the community faded away during the 1900s.

Today, this Church is designated as a national historic site and is preserved to commemorate the communities who once lived on the land. Recently restored in 2016, the Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church is open to the public for free tours.

18/02/2021

Talia Hibbert’s Get a Life, Chloe Brown - 4/5 stars

The first novel in a trilogy about the lives of the three Brown sisters, this book follows Chloe, the eldest Brown sister, as tries to get her life back together. Hibbert does an exceptional job exploring the lived experience of chronic illness and the ways it affects a person’s life.

17/02/2021

Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist - 5/5 stars

Kendi is a historian by training and has spent many years as a professor at different universities around the United States. Kendi uses his historical training to his advantage as he outlines the history of racism in the US but moves outside traditional academic language to invite non-historians to consider these issues too. While he may not be classified as a public historian, we believe his writings are some of the best examples of how history can move beyond academia.

16/02/2021

Jacqueline Wilson’s Red at the Bone - 3.5/5 stars

This novel tells the story of how a teenage pregnancy affects the lives of two different families and moves back and forth through time. This beautifully written novel explores the role of ambition, decisions, community, and relationships in the lives of its protagonists.