Come behind the scenes at the Canadian Museum of History with award-winning novelist Kim Thúy. Hear about meaningful events and remarkable people in Canadian history, culture, and society from museum experts and the people who experienced them. What can objects and stories from the past tell us about who we are today? How will current events be remembered in the future? History is found in the voices of people who lived it, the things they made and used, and the culture and society we share. Discover how objects and stories connect us with our past, present, and future.
https://www.facebook.com/CanMusHistory/
https://www.instagram.com/canmushistory/
https://twitter.com/CanMusHistory
https://www.youtube.com/@CanMusHistory
The Canadian War Museum’s podcast The Long War: Canada in Afghanistan explores the meaning and impact of Canada’s participation in the war in Afghanistan.
Twenty-five years ago, Canada went to war in Afghanistan. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States, Canada joined a coalition to pursue al-Qaeda and unseat the Taliban. Canadians served across Afghanistan, from the rural battlefields of Kandahar to the bustling city of Kabul, until 2014 when Canada ended its presence there.
The consequences of the war in Afghanistan continue to ripple through our politics, the military, and the lives of those who served. The Long War: Canada in Afghanistan tells their stories. We examine why Canada went to war in Afghanistan, what happened there, and the war’s complicated legacy.
Listen on the War Museum website (https://www.warmuseum.ca/dod/podcasts/the-long-war) or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
30 Mar 2025
We Have Always Been Here (Blackfoot language version)
This is a Blackfoot language translation of an episode of Artifactuality from our first season. Western research has long offered theories about Indigenous lands, peoples and histories. Its colonial biases have often diminished and denied the traditions, stories, and even the continued existence of Indigenous Peoples. For the Blackfoot of southwestern Alberta, there is no doubt: their people, stories, songs and ceremonies have always been here.
Curator Gabriel Yanicki talks with Blackfoot Elders and Knowledge Keepers Kent Ayoungman, Velma Crowshoe, Stan Knowlton and Jerry Potts. They discuss tensions between Western and Indigenous worldviews and the changing relationship between archaeology and traditional Indigenous knowledge. Dr. Leroy Little Bear talks about the Blackfoot concept of time and compares it with Western, scientific perspectives.
13 Nov 2024
Donovan Bailey, Olympic Champion: Win or Learn
In 1996, Donovan Bailey became both the world champion and the Olympic gold medallist in the 100-metre race. He became an enduring Canadian sports hero. In this final episode of season 2, Kim Thúy talks with Bailey in front of a live studio audience. They discuss his origins, the hard lessons of discipline, and competition. Hear his surprising thoughts on the connections between winning and losing.
Transcript: https://www.historymuseum.ca/dod/podcasts/transcripts/s02e10
6 Nov 2024
Charlotte Nolin’s Portrait: Representing Two-Spirit Stories
Charlotte Nolin is a Two-Spirit Métis elder who overcame violence and prejudice to become a leader, uplifting and making space for Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Before North America was colonized, many Indigenous peoples recognized a range of genders and sexualities. But European settlers imposed rigid views of gender and forced many trans, queer and gender fluid people to hide their identities. Recently, Charlotte’s portrait by Métis artist JD Hawk was acquired by the Canadian Museum of History. Learn how this artwork helps us recognize the long history and diversity of Indigenous gender and sexual identity.
Transcript: https://www.historymuseum.ca/dod/podcasts/transcripts/s02e09
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “Charlotte Nolin’s Portrait: Representing Two-Spirit Stories”: https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-charlotte-nolin
30 Oct 2024
How Canadian Children’s TV Punches Above its Weight
Chances are your favourite TV show as a kid was made in Canada. Nostalgic shows from the 1980s — Polka Dot Door, Fraggle Rock and Today’s Special — reflect a distinctly Canadian approach that was replicated around the world. Canadian shows offered kids education, respect and inclusion. The classic show Today’s Special embodied these values. And its star, Nerene Virgin, inspired a generation of young viewers.
Transcript: https://www.historymuseum.ca/dod/podcasts/transcripts/s02e08
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “How Canadian Children’s TV Punches Above its Weight”: https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-todays-special/
23 Oct 2024
Forgotten Cemetery: Burial and Rediscovery in Downtown Ottawa
When workers began digging beneath Ottawa’s streets to build a new transit line, they discovered a forgotten 19th century cemetery. History Museum curator Janet Young was called in to help identify the early settlers buried there. Find out how she investigates burials and solves the mysteries of who these people were and how they lived.
Transcript: https://www.historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#S02E07
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “Bone Detective: Mysteries of Those Found Beneath Downtown Ottawa”: https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/bone-detective-introduction/
16 Oct 2024
Woman, Life, Freedom: Canadian Protests and the Uprising in Iran
In 2022, a popular uprising in Iran was inspired by the death of Kurdish student Masa Jini Amini at the hands of the so-called “morality police.” Thousands of Canadians took to the streets in solidarity with Iranian women’s rights and their victimization by state violence. The Canadian Museum of History is documenting this story through the stories of local activists and the poster art they create for demonstrations. Hear about the Museum’s efforts to document unfolding events, the importance of transnational movements and communities to Canadian history, and how Iranian Canadians manage the challenge of watching a crisis unfold from afar.
Transcript: https://www.historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#S02E06
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “Woman, Life, Freedom: Canadian Protests and the Uprising in Iran”: https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-woman-life-freedom
9 Oct 2024
Elizabeth Manley Is Not Apologizing: Body Image and Mental Health in Sports
Figure skater Elizabeth Manley was mercilessly criticized and fat-shamed in the lead-up to the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. She nonetheless persevered and triumphed, winning a silver medal and proving her critics wrong. Hear how she fought back and what she’s doing now to help other athletes rise above similar pressures. Her Olympic team jacket is part of the collection at the Canadian Museum of History. It illustrates the patriotism and fame that comes with elite athletic performance, but her story shows that some sports and athletes are singled out for unfair and harmful treatment.
Transcript: https://www.historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#S02E05
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “Elizabeth Manley Is Not Apologizing: Body Image and Mental Health in Sports”: https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-elizabeth-manley
2 Oct 2024
How Dale King, Montréal Aerobics Legend, Shook up 80s Women’s Fitness
In the ‘80s and ‘90s, Dale King was English Montréal’s most in-demand aerobics instructor. She did this by breaking from the Jane Fonda approach and bringing Black culture, music and dance to the fitness scene. Her surprising advertisements are part of the collection at the Canadian Museum of History. How we move our bodies matters. Learn why we should take aerobics seriously.
Transcript: https://www.historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#S02E04
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “How Dale King, Montréal Aerobics Legend, Shook up 80s Women’s Fitness”: https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-dale-king
25 Sept 2024
Stanley Hunt's Residential School Monument: Bringing Their Spirits Home
Kwaguʼł Master Carver Stanley Hunt created an impressive and moving 18-foot-tall memorial to the children who were victimized by Canada’s residential schools. He was inspired to act when the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Nation released evidence of unmarked graves on the site of the former residential school in Kamloops, B.C. in 2022. Hear Stanley talk about how he turned his anguish into inspiration, the journey of his monument across the country to the Canadian Museum of History, and how art can help people recognize the truth about Canada’s colonial past.
Transcript: https://www.historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#S02E03
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “Stanley Hunt's Residential School Monument: Bringing Their Spirits Home”: https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-stanley-hunt-monument/
18 Sept 2024
Collecting COVID-19 History: Protest, Resistance and Celebration
Ottawa residents were fed up when the 2022 truckers’ protest shut down large parts of the city. Citizens took matters into their own hands, blocking a key intersection in an event that became known as “The Battle of Billings Bridge.” A small bronze plaque with a cheeky message was covertly installed to commemorate it in 2023. But no sooner had it arrived, it disappeared. Its creator has remained anonymous … until now. Learn how a fake history marker made its way to the Canadian Museum of History and why it’s important for the Museum to collect objects related to controversial current events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transcript: https://www.historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#S02E02
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “Collecting COVID-19 History: Protest, Resistance and Celebration”: https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-collecting-covid19-history/
11 Sept 2024
Nav Bhatia, Toronto Raptors Superfan
When you hear the words “museum artifact” you probably don’t picture a bobblehead. Nav Bhatia’s enthusiastic devotion to the Toronto Raptors made him a celebrity — and the first fan inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. Now, he’s been immortalized as a “Superfan” bobblehead doll. The Canadian Museum of History recently acquired a Nav bobblehead for our collection. Hear Nav tell his story and curator Sarah Barnes talk about why fans matter so much to sport history.
Transcript: https://www.historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#S02E01
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “Nav Bhatia, Toronto Raptors Superfan”: https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-nav-bhatia/
4 Sept 2024
Introducing Artifactuality Season 2
Artifactuality returns for Season 2.
12 Jun 2023
Episode 3: We Have Always Been Here
This special episode of Artifactuality features conversations with Blackfoot Elders about the decolonization of archaeology and how the Blackfoot think about history, time and territory. It starts with a tour of the area around Wally's Beach in southwestern Alberta — home to the Siksika, Kainai and Piikani Nations of the Blackfoot Confederacy.
Moving to Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Canadian Museum of History’s Curator of Western Archaeology, Gabriel Yanicki, listens to Blackfoot stories. The stories reflect peoples who have always inhabited this area, as evidenced in bones and other stone tools found scattered across the surface at Wally’s Beach. These objects tell a remarkable story of continuity that predates Blackfoot contact with Europeans a few short centuries ago. Butchered horse and camel bones more than 13,300 years old prove — as evidenced in Blackfoot stories, songs and ceremonies — that they have always been here.
The episode features Piikani Elders Velma Crowshoe, Jerry Potts, and Jacob Potts; Piikani ceremonialist and Siksika traditional knowledge expert, Kent Ayoungman; Stan Knowlton, Head of Cultural Interpretation at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump; and Dr. Leroy Little Bear, Vice-Provost at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta.
LINKS
Transcript
https://historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#3
Canadian Museum of History Blog: We Have Always Been Here
https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-we-have-always-been-here/
CBC article: “Indigenous archaeologist argues humans may have arrived here 130,000 years ago”
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/indigenous-archaeologist-argues-humans-may-have-arrived-here-130-000-years-ago-1.6313892
CBC article: “Students learn to conduct archaeology in respectful way on Siksika reserve”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/siksika-first-nation-archaeology-university-of-calgary-1.6478455
Article on the Blackfoot Confederacy in The Canadian Encyclopedia
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/blackfoot-nation
Blackfeet Nation website
https://blackfeetnation.com
PBS News Hour article on Wally Beach finds: “Prehistoric hunt suggests humans arrived in North America earlier than previously thought”
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/prehistoric-hunt-suggests-humans-arrived-north-america-earlier-previously-thought
Profile of Dr. Leroy Little Bear
https://www.ulethbridge.ca/unews/article/university-lethbridge-appoints-dr-leroy-little-bear-vice-provost-iniskim-indigenous#.Y6Mr4-zMI-R
Foreign Countries podcast featuring Gabriel Yanicki
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-foreign-countries-conversa-106982981/episode/41-latest-research-on-the-peopling-107138494/
RETROactive: Exploring Alberta’s Past website: “Changing Animals: Alberta’s Ice Age Megafauna and Wally’s Beach”
https://albertashistoricplaces.com/2016/07/13/changing-animals-albertas-ice-age-megafauna-and-wallys-beach/
Canadian History Hall: Traditional Stories and Creation Stories
https://www.historymuseum.ca/history-hall/traditional-and-creation-stories/
Canadian History Hall: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
https://www.historymuseum.ca/history-hall/head-smashed-in-buffalo-jump/
12 Jun 2023
Episode 2: Breaking Ice
This episode of Artifactuality features an interview with Elizabeth Cooke-Sumbu, granddaughter of the legendary Frank Cooke, who played in the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes. Elizabeth talks about Frank’s legacy, the racial barriers Black hockey players overcame in the past — and must still overcome today — as well as why more needs to be done to tear down barriers, so that anyone who wants to play, can play.
The episode also includes an interview with Percy Paris, an eighth-generation African Nova Scotian who was part of the first all-Black line in Canadian university hockey in the 1970s. He became a politician and an activist, but never forgot his love for the game.
LINKS
Transcript
https://historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#2
Canadian Museum of History Blog: Breaking Ice
https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-breaking-ice/
Article on the Colored Hockey League in The Canadian Encyclopedia
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/coloured-hockey-league
International Ice Hockey Federation article on the Colored Hockey League
https://www.iihf.com/en/news/19969/celebrating-the-colored-hockey-league
NHL article featuring Percy Paris
https://www.nhl.com/news/saint-marys-university-first-all-black-canada-college-line/c-320925546
12 Jun 2023
Episode 1: The Meaning of Mitsou
Singer, actor, producer, radio host, TV personality, entrepreneur; it seems as though there’s nothing Mitsou can’t do. But before she conquered the world with her global hit, Bye bye mon cowboy, she was a talented Montréal teenager with an iconic style pulled together from her own closet and brought to the world stage.
Mitsou talks about her early days in Montréal, the people who helped and inspired her along the way, and how Hollywood disappointment turned into an amazing reinvention.
LINKS
Transcript
https://historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#1
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “The Meaning of Mitsou”
https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-meaning-of-mitsou/
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “Behind the Scenes, featuring Mitsou Gélinas”
https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/behind-the-scenes-mitsou-gelinas/
Canadian Museum of History Blog: “Popular music in the Museum’s collection”
https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/popular-music-integral-to-the-museums-music-collection/
Canadian Museum of History — Collection Objects
https://www.historymuseum.ca/collections/?type=all&q1=all%3A%3A_contains%3A%3Amitsou&sort=title&order=asc&view=grid&size=24&page=1
Mitsou Magazine
https://mitsoumagazine.com/en/
Article on Mitsou in The Canadian Encyclopedia https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mitsou-emc# (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mitsou-emc)
MuchMusic panel discussion: “Madonna & Mitsou — A Question of Taste (1991)”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xBO_m678_E
Mitsou Magazine: “Bye Bye and Beyond”
https://mitsoumagazine.com/en/news/mitsou-bye-bye-and-beyond/
12 Jun 2023
Episode 4: Hearts of Freedom
Between 1975 and 1985, 100,000 refugees from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam arrived in Canada, making it the largest refugee resettlement in Canada since the Second World War. In this episode of Artifactuality, we take a look at the stories of two individuals: Stephanie Stobbe, lead curator and researcher for the Hearts of Freedom project, and Kim Thúy, host of the show, reading from her autobiographical novel, Ru.
LINKS
Transcript
https://historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#4
Hearts of Freedom website
https://heartsoffreedom.org/
Kim Thúy’s website
https://en.kimthuy.ca/
Canadian Museum of History Blog: Hearts of Freedom
https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-hearts-of-freedom/
Article on Kim Thúy in The Canadian Encyclopedia
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/kim-thuy
More about Stephanie Stobbe
https://mscollege.ca/about/faculty/497
12 Jun 2023
Episode 5: The Prince of Plastic
Karim Rashid is one of the most famous industrial designers in the world. In this episode of Artifactuality, he explores his early influences, including his family’s journey from Egypt to Europe to Montréal during Expo 67, and his adolescence in the Toronto suburbs.
Rashid is perhaps most famous for designing the iconic Garbo wastepaper basket for Umbra. The sleek, curved and utilitarian design is emblematic of his aesthetic, which often involves bright moldable materials such as plastic.
During his career, Rashid has designed everything from vacuum cleaners and sofas, to lamps and bottles, for companies including Hugo Boss, Kenzo, Method Home, Tommy Hifiger, and Issey Miyake, all with his trademark elegant curves, smooth surfaces, and colourful palette. The Garbo and the smaller Garbini are both part of the national collection at the Canadian Museum of History.
LINKS
Transcript
https://historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#5
Canadian Museum of History Blog: Prince of Plastic
https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/artifactuality-prince-of-plastic/
Karim Rashid website
http://www.karimrashid.com/
Article on #tide Ocean Material website: “Karim Rashid presents futuristic furniture collection”
https://www.tide.earth/en/news/karim-rashid/
Interview on the Architonic website: “Material Tendencies: Karim Rashid”
https://www.architonic.com/en/story/anita-hackethal-material-tendencies-karim-rashid/7001340
Article on Karim Rashid in The Canadian Encyclopedia
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/karim-rashid
23 May 2023
Introducing Artifactuality
Imagine a museum of the future, made up entirely of the stories we tell each other. Which stories would resonate with you? Which ones will last? And which will go on to shape how we live our lives, now and in the future?
Introducing Artifactuality, a podcast series featuring remarkable stories generously shared with the Canadian Museum of History. Hosted by acclaimed novelist Kim Thuy, each episode is an audio time capsule of a part of Canadian history told in the voices of the people who lived it.
The series is produced by Antica Productions and Makwa Creative. French versioning by Power of Babel.
Transcript: https://historymuseum.ca/podcast/transcripts/#trailer
Reach and audience
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YouTube views
3,644,970
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 66 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
85
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
32
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