Episodes

• 2021

• Introducing: Telling Our Twisted Histories

  Discovery. Reserve. Savage. After centuries of colonization, some words have the power to hurt us deeply and twist our collective history. Host Kaniehtiio Horn guides listeners through over 70 conversations with people from 15 Indigenous communities sharing their truths about the impact of words on our perspectives, cultures, and lives. Together we will decolonize our histories – and ourselves – one word at a time. More episodes are available at smarturl.it/twistedhistories
  May 31, 2021

  23 min

• S3: Mailbag!

  We did it! We made it to our last episode of the season. Today Falen and Leah sort through the mail and answer your questions about treaties and unceded land; tell the story of a woman named Vivian MacMillan; and dive into the history of Zellers department store. (Remember Zeddy?) *Warning this episode contains descriptions of sexual assault from 7:43 -12:40
  May 12, 2021

  23 min

• S3: Crash Course on animals — only in Canada

  How did an ice age determine what animals and insects are only now found on the land we now call Canada? Leah and Falen go way, way back to find the answers. See also: "Ours To Save," a special report from the Nature Conservancy of Canada and NatureServe Canada. Link: https://bit.ly/33dpT6H
  May 4, 2021

  8 min

• S3: The Indian Pavilion at Expo 67 (Part 2)

  When Expo opened its doors on April 28, 1967, it was a gleaming futuristic spectacle; a chance for Canada to prove itself on the world stage. But one irreverent pavilion was set to tell its own side of the story — complete with truths the visiting public (including the Queen) were not expecting. Today Falen leads Leah on a tour of the “Indians of Canada” pavilion. She also speaks with two hostesses who were there to help make history.
  April 28, 2021

  35 min

• Back in a bit

  A quick update and some historical dating gossip ...
  March 15, 2021

  1 min

• S3: Crash Course on the "Whiskey War"

  Did you know that Canada and Denmark “battled” over a small, barren island in the far north for decades? Among their weapons: Canadian whiskey and Danish schnapps. In today’s crash course, the strange but true story of "a cheeky little spat" known as The Whiskey War.
  March 2, 2021

  8 min

• S3: The Indian Pavilion at Expo 67 (Part 1)

  You may have heard of Expo 67 — Canada's biggest flex during its centennial year — but do you know the fascinating history of the Indian Pavilion? It was separate and distinct from the Canada Pavilion, and it was primed to make that distinction matter. In the first part of a two part episode, Falen takes Leah on a minirail tour around the Expo grounds. (Content warning: clowns.)
  February 16, 2021

  37 min

• S3: Crash Course on Mohawk ironworkers

  For over a century, Mohawk ironworkers have been shaping our skylines. Leah and Falen look into the contributions these workers have made in Canada and beyond, including their crucial role in the aftermath of 9/11.
  January 27, 2021

  11 min

• S3: Project Habakkuk, Jasper’s top secret ice ship

  This is the story of how Geoffrey Pyke, a Jewish inventor from the U.K. came up with one of the most mind-boggling plans to win the war. Namely: to build a ship made out of ice. Code name: Habakkuk. Then, what happened when Canada tried to build a test vessel in secrecy, using the labour of conscientious objectors. With special guest, Erin Brandenburg
  January 13, 2021

  37 min
• 2020

• S3: Crash Course on Canada’s First Mosque

  Al Rashid Mosque — the first mosque in Canada — opened in Edmonton in the late 1930s, but getting it built was no small feat. It happened thanks to the determination of a group of Lebanese Muslim women, led by Hilwie Hamdon, who brought Albertans of all faiths together to help make history.
  December 29, 2020

  9 min

• S3: You should know The Indian Film Crew

  In the late 60s the National Film Board decided it was time that First Nations got to be behind the camera and in charge of how they were seen. Although short lived, the Indian Film Crew would create films that changed how the NFB operated, as well as the face of Indigenous filmmaking in this country.
  December 16, 2020

  43 min

• Introducing: Unreserved

  Unreserved is the radio space for Indigenous community, culture, and conversation. Falen, your host for the current season takes you straight into the Indigenous stories of this land, from Halifax to Haida Gwaii, from Shamattawa to Ottawa, introducing you to the storytellers, culture leaders, and community shakers from First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities across the country. This episode, Mayflower 400: A deep dive into American Thanksgiving explores the merchant ship that was carrying more than 100 people, seeking a new world.
  November 28, 2020

  54 min

• S3: Crash Course on Trees

  When did the Apple tree arrive in Canada and why do some trees in B.C live over a thousand years? A quick peek into some of the history kept by our land’s oldest living knowledge keepers — trees.
  November 25, 2020

  12 min

• S3: The Mounties Always Get Their Land (Part 2)

  In 1919 almost half the working population of Winnipeg walked off the job in the largest strike in Canadian history. The events that followed led to the creation of a new police force called the R.C.M.P. In part two, we continue to learn about early policing in Canada and why the R.C.M.P are not our country’s only police force. We connect the dots from past to the present to find out why many Black and Indigenous communities still have a distrust of the police. We’ll talk about the concept of the “Carceral State,” continue our journey into old Mountie films and make way too many references to the TV show Law & Order and the Mission Impossible franchise. Then, with the help of guests, Sonya Ballantyne, a filmmaker and writer from Manitoba, and Toronto artist and activist Syrus Marcus Ware, we’ll learn about the grim history of “starlight tours” as well as the modern day abolitionist movement. *This episode contains strong language and content.
  November 11, 2020

  49 min

• S3: Crash Course on British Home Children

  Over 100,000 “home children” were sent from the U.K. to Canada to work as labourers, from 1869 through to the 1940s. We find out who they were and what happened once they arrived here. Plus, Alan Dilworth tells us the story of his grandfather, Tom Selby, who arrived in Canada at the age of 8.
  October 6, 2020

  17 min

• S3: The Mounties Always Get Their Land (Part 1)

  The Mountie is one Canada’s most enduring symbols. Found on souvenirs from keychains to dish towels, our national police force are icons to the rest of the world. Weird, right? In this episode, we try to figure out how this happened and talk about: the image of the Mountie in early Hollywood, what Irish and Indian resistance to British rule has to do with it, and why young Canada felt a greater need for policing in the West. With the help of Dr. Winona Wheeler, we dive into the early years of the North-West Mounted Police (precursor to the RCMP) and look at their complex relationship with Indigenous people that, for better or worse, continues to this day. *Warning, strong language and content.
  September 16, 2020

  45 min

• S3: Crash Course on L. M. Montgomery (a.k.a. Maud without an E)

  Today we look into the life of Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery, creator of iconic characters like Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon. The lesser-known story is that of the writer herself, who had many struggles within her own life, especially with her mental health. Today we are going to talk about that.
  August 19, 2020

  19 min

• S3: Kanesatake 300 Years Later (Part 2)

  On July 11 1990, the so-called Oka Crisis erupted near the small resort town of Oka. The 78 day conflict between the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk Nation) the Quebec provincial police (Sûreté du Québec) and the Canadian Army would go on to change the course of history. In this second part of a two part episode, Falen and Leah go beyond the sensational photos and headlines to find out what happened during 78 days of resistance at Kanesatake.
  August 5, 2020

  53 min

• S3: Crash Course on Superheroes!

  From Captain Newfoundland to Shaman and Alpha Flight, what can some of the most iconic Indigenous and Canadian Superheroes tell us about our history? Turns out, quite a lot.
  July 15, 2020

  21 min

• S3: Kanesatake 300 Years Later (Part 1)

  Anniversaries can be a strange thing in Canada, depending on who you are and which side you're watching from. It's been 30 years since an event you may know as the Oka crisis; but that's not where the story begins for this podcast. In this first part of a two part episode, Leah and Falen look at the 300 year lead up to the “crisis” on Mohawk land.
  June 24, 2020

  34 min