Know History

10/08/2026

Meet the authors behind Talk Treaty to Me. Join us on November 4 for the official book event, hosted at our Know History office!

Dr. Crystal Gail Fraser is a Gwichyà Gwich’in historian and Indigenous studies scholar from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, and an associate professor at the University of Alberta. Her work focuses on Indigenous histories, treaties, colonialism, oral history, and community-engaged research in the North. She is the award-winning author of By Strength, We Are Still Here and co-author of the national bestseller Talk Treaty to Me.

Dr. Sara Komarnisky is a researcher and public scholar based in Yellowknife, with a PhD in anthropology from UBC. Her work explores mobility, place, and lived experience bringing a thoughtful, human perspective to complex histories.

Together, they invite us to think more deeply about what it really means to “talk treaty” and why it matters today.

📅 November 4, 2026 between 6:00pm – 8:00pm
📍 Know History Office, 384 Bank St.
🎟️ Free event – register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/talk-treaty-to-me-book-event-tickets-2001066249018

10/05/2026

We are thrilled to be hosting a book event celebrating the national bestseller Talk Treaty to Me by Crystal Gail Fraser and Sara Komarnisky! During Treaties Recognition Week, join us for a conversation about the histories, relationships, rights, and responsibilities that treaties carry into the present.

📅 November 4, 2026 between 6:00pm – 8:00pm
📍 Know History Office, 384 Bank St.
🎟️ Free event – register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/talk-treaty-to-me-book-event-tickets-2001066249018?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

Join us for an evening of conversation exploring treaties, their histories, and why they matter today. The event will feature a presentation by the authors and a Q&A.

10/01/2026

We're at the Association of Nova Scotia Museums (ANSM) Annual Conference in Stellarton, Nova Scotia! This year's theme, "C.A.K.E.: A Recipe for the Future of Museums," explores Community, Access, Knowledge-sharing, and Engagement.

We're hosting a workshop, "A Shared Table: Rethinking Community Engagement," tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. We'll explore approaches to community engagement and how museums can build meaningful relationships with the communities they serve.

It's also a big year for celebrations: ANSM is turning 50 and Know History is turning 15! Join the party at the Know History booth and tell us your secret ingredient for a great museum. We'll send you home with a free anniversary swag bag.

We hope to see you there!

09/30/2026

On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we honour Residential School Survivors, remember the children who never returned home, and recognize the ongoing impacts of colonialism on Indigenous communities.

In Ottawa and Calgary, several events are inviting people to listen, learn, and take meaningful steps towards reconciliation.

Ottawa Events:
The national commemorative gathering for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will be held on Parliament Hill on Wednesday starting at noon. The 90-minute commemorative ceremony “Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation” will highlight residential school survivors and Indigenous artists. https://trw-svr.nctr.ca/parliament-hill/

Beechwood Cemetery is hosting a screening of The Story of a National Crime, followed by a Reconciliation Tour and opportunities to learn about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. https://landing.beechwoodottawa.ca/-national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation-2026

The Canadian Museum of History is offering free admission from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a morning ceremony at 10 a.m., a Sacred Fire in the Indigenous Medicine Garden from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a livestream of the national commemorative ceremony at noon. https://www.historymuseum.ca/events/truth-and-reconciliation

See more Ottawa events here: https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/events-around-ottawa-on-the-national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation/

Calgary Events:
Heritage Park is hosting Dancing in Their Honour: Truth & Reconciliation Pow Wow in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The event will honour Residential School Survivors and children who never returned home through song, dance, drumming, food, art and community. https://heritagepark.ca/events/national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation/

The Confluence is offering free programming from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., including an Indigenous market, storytelling, reconciliation letter writing, stories with Elders and walking tours. The site will also host the City of Calgary Orange Shirt Day Program from 9 to 10:30 a.m. https://www.theconfluence.ca/events/ndtr-2026

Werklund Centre is hosting a day of commemoration at the Jack Singer Concert Hall starting at 11 a.m., featuring storytelling, an Indigenous market, ceremonies and other programming led by the Elders of the Elders Knowledge Circle Society. https://werklundcentre.ca/events/ndtr-2026

Celebrate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at Werklund Centre with the Elders Story Project

09/17/2026

Last week, staff from Know History travelled to Waskaganish to attend the Residential School Gathering. The three-day Gathering included presentations from community leaders, Elders, and experts, and land-based activities such as bannock making, a traditional medicine workshop, decoy making, and other activities.

The event was memorable, thanks in large part to the hard work of the organizers and guiding committee, who handled everything thrown their way—including a last-minute venue change due to the weather!

We’ve had the privilege of working with the community on past projects and are grateful for the opportunity to support Waskaganish as it documents and shares the history and ongoing impacts of the Residential School system. Over the coming months, we will be working with the community to plan and design a memorial, conduct archival research, and record Survivors’ and their families’ stories. These projects will commemorate and honour the community’s experiences and resilience, and recognize the impacts of Indian Residential, Indian Day, and Boarding schools.

We were also honoured to stay at Hesterville with the Hester family. A special thank you to the Hester family for your generous and warm hospitality! It was a privilege to be part of the Gathering, and we look forward to supporting the community in the work ahead.

09/17/2026

What a wonderful evening at Gems of the Park!

We enjoyed celebrating alongside our community and were proud to support this important fundraiser for Heritage Park, an incredible organization dedicated to preserving and sharing history.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the evening such a success. We’re grateful to be part of such a meaningful cause!

09/15/2026

We’re hiring! Know History is looking for a Director of Museum Services to join our team. We’re looking for someone with strong museum experience who can lead projects, support our team, and help bring historical stories to life through engaging exhibits and visitor experiences.

Interested? Apply through our website: https://secure.collage.co/jobs/know-history/65499

09/09/2026

The new podcast from the Canadian War Museum explores Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan through the voices of the people who experienced it firsthand. Across the series, veterans, journalists, and other eyewitnesses reflect on key moments of the mission, offering personal stories and perspectives on a defining chapter in recent Canadian military history. Many voices heard in The Long War come from the Canadian War Museum’s oral history project, In Their Own Voices: Stories from Canadian Veterans and Their Loved Ones. In Their Own Voices is an oral history project about Canadian veterans’ postwar and post-service lives from the Second World War to the present day.

Oral history reminds us that history is not just about events, but about the people who experienced them. Know History is proud to have contributed to the research behind the podcast and to help bring these stories to a wider audience. To mark the launch, Canadian War Museum historian Dr. Andrew Burtch will also moderate a discussion with eyewitnesses and experts featured in the podcast, including veterans, a journalist, and an Afghan translator who escaped Taliban rule.

Congratulations to the Canadian War Museum team on the launch! Listen to The Long War: Canada in Afghanistan:

The Long War: Canada in Afghanistan explores the meaning and impact of Canada’s participation in the war in Afghanistan.

09/04/2026

One year ago, Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Directed by Shane Belcourt and co-written with Tanya Talaga, this powerful documentary tells the story of the 1974 occupation of Anicinabe Park in Kenora, where First Nations youth sparked a movement that reached Parliament Hill.

We're proud that Know History had the opportunity to contribute image research to this important film and to support the preservation and sharing of this remarkable story. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew on an incredible year of bringing this history to audiences across Canada.

09/03/2026

We’re hiring! Know History is looking for an Intermediate Designer to join our team. We’re looking for someone with strong design and illustration skills who can bring historical stories to life through engaging digital and print design. Apply through our website: https://secure.collage.co/jobs/know-history/65316