It is #IndigenousHistoryMonth and this is the story of Kenojuak Ashevak, one of Canada's greatest artists!

Kenojuak Ashevak was born on Oct. 3, 1927 in an Inuit camp on the southern coast of Baffin Island. Her father was a fur trader and she was named for her grandfather.

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Kenojuak said her father could predict the weather & good hunting seasons and make swim at the surface of the water. Sadly, he died in 1933.
When she was 19, Kenojuak married Johnniebo Ashevak.
He became a major supporter of her artistry throughout their marriage.

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In 1950, after testing positive for TB, Kenojuak was forcibly transferred to Quebec City, where she remained for three years.
At the hospital, she began to occupy her time & deal with her loneliness through art.
In 1958, she published her 1st print, Rabbit Eating Seaweed

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She continued to make art and by 1963, was the subject of an NFB documentary. Throughout the 1960s, admiration for her artistry increased throughout Canada.
In 1966, she moved to Cape Dorset, a place that became a hot bed of Inuit artistry thanks to her.

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Kenojuak's art has appeared throughout Canada, including Canada's National Gallery, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Burnaby Art Gallery.
She also created several works to commemorate the creation of Nunavut.
Her first work, Rabbit Eating Seaweed, would sell for $59,000.

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Kenojuak became the 1st Inuit artist inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2001.
She passed away on Jan. 8, 2013.
In 2014, a Google Doodle was released to honour her birthday.
In 2017, her print Owl's Bouquet appeared on the $10 banknote.

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More from @CraigBaird

Mar 4
In 1890, the Tariff Act came into place in the United States. It placed tariffs on imports of up to 50%.
While touted as a way to build American industry, there was also the hope it would force an annexation of Canada. It backfired.
Let's learn more.

🧵1/10 The image is a black-and-white political cartoon depicting a man in a suit standing behind a counter labeled "Republican Platform." He is holding a bottle labeled "Untaxed Whiskey, 20¢ Gal." in one hand and a piece of cloth labeled "War-Taxed Common Cloth, Tariff 84%" in the other. Above the counter, a sign reads, "If you don’t see what you want, ask for it." The cartoon, signed by W.A. Rogers, appears to satirize the Republican Party's economic policies, highlighting the disparity in taxation between luxury items like whiskey and essential goods like...
Put forward by William McKinley, who was a Congressman at that point, the Tariff Act put duties across imports ranging from 38% to 49.5%.
McKinley was called the Napoleon of Protection. While some items had tariffs eliminated, most had tariffs increased.

🧵2/10 The photo is a black-and-white portrait of a man wearing a formal dark suit, white shirt, and bow tie. His hair is neatly combed and parted to the side. He has a serious expression and is seated, with one hand resting on his lap. The background is plain and dark, keeping the focus on his attire and expression, suggesting a historical or official photograph, likely from the late 19th or early 20th century.
One reason for the tariffs was to force the annexation of Canada. The McKinley Tariff declined to make an exception for Canadian products.
It was hoped this would make Canada more reliant on the US market, and push Canadians to become the 45th state.

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Read 11 tweets
Mar 3
On this day in 1920, James Doohan was born in Vancouver.
He became famous for playing Scotty on Star Trek, but before he was chief engineer on a starship he was fighting for Canada in the Second World War.
Let's learn more about that time of his life!

🧵1/12 The photo shows two images side by side. On the left, a man wearing a red Starfleet uniform with a delta shield insignia, associated with the character Scotty from "Star Trek," is depicted in a futuristic setting. On the right, a young man in a military uniform, including a beret with an insignia, is shown outdoors, smiling, with trees in the background.
Doohan was the youngest of four children born to Irish immigrants.
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At the outbreak of the Second World War, Doohan was posted with the 14th (Midland) Field Battery of the Second Canadian Infantry Division. He then transferred to the 13th Field Regiment of the Canadian Third Infantry Division in their 22nd Field Battery.

🧵3/12 The black-and-white photograph depicts a young man standing outdoors in a military uniform. He is wearing a peaked cap with an insignia, a belted jacket with epaulets, and trousers. His hands are on his hips, exuding a confident posture. The background features a rural landscape with bare trees and open ground, suggesting it was taken in late autumn or winter. The overall tone of the image is historical, likely from the mid-20th century, given the style of the uniform and the photographic quality.
Read 13 tweets
Feb 24
On this day in 1986, Tommy Douglas died.
Considered one of the most important Canadians of the 20th century, he served as premier of Saskatchewan, led the federal NDP, and was instrumental in the creation of Medicare in Canada.
Let's explore his life :)

🧵1/16 The black-and-white photograph depicts a man in a suit and tie, wearing glasses, with a serious expression. The image has a classic, mid-20th-century style, suggesting it could be a formal portrait from that era.
Tommy Douglas was born on Oct. 20, 1904 in Scotland. When he was seven, the family moved to Winnipeg. Around this time, he injured his knee and Osteomyelitis set in. He went through various operations and doctors stated he would lose the leg.

🧵2/16 This black-and-white photograph shows a man in a pinstripe suit, vest, and patterned tie, with his hands in his pockets. He has a calm expression and neatly combed hair, exuding a confident, dapper appearance typical of mid-20th-century formal portraits.
Thankfully, an orthopedic surgeon agreed to treat Douglas for free if his medical students could observe. This free medical care greatly influenced Douglas later in life.
In 1919, he saw the government's violent response to squash the Winnipeg General Strike.

🧵3/16 This black-and-white photograph depicts a young man in a suit and tie, with a pocket square, and neatly combed hair. He has a serious expression and the image has a classic, early-to-mid-20th-century style, suggesting a formal portrait.
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Feb 21
Tonight in Maple Creek, SK, two hockey teams are going to take to the ice to continue a four-decade tradition.
It is a hockey game between the Nekaneet First Nation and local ranchers.
Let's learn more about The Battle of the Little Big Puck!

📸Anthony Janzen

🧵1/7 The photo shows two individuals shaking hands on an ice rink. One person is dressed in traditional Indigenous regalia, including a colorful feathered headdress and red outfit, while the other wears a hockey uniform with a blue jersey and furry chaps, holding a hockey stick. Spectators and signs, including one for "Maple Creek, SK," are visible in the background, indicating a cultural or community hockey event.
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They began to joke with each other as to who could ride the toughest horses, rope a steer the quickest and more.
Eventually, the conversation turned to hockey and who would defeat who on the ice. Soon, they decided to determine who was indeed the best.

📸Katie Willis

🧵3/7 The photo shows two individuals sitting in a locker room, both wearing hockey gear and traditional Indigenous attire. One person wears a purple shirt, black shorts, red socks, and a feathered headdress, while the other is in a tan fringed jacket, black helmet, and similar hockey gear. They are smiling, surrounded by hockey sticks, clothing, and equipment, with the name "Kate Willis" credited at the bottom.
Read 8 tweets
Feb 19
On this day in 1942, German tanks and soldiers marched through Winnipeg. The mayor, premier and Lt. Governor were arrested. The city was renamed Himmlerstadt, books were burned and the swastika flag flew around the city.
This is the story of Winnipeg's If Day.

🧵1/14 The photo is a black-and-white image of a military parade in an urban setting, likely from the mid-20th century. It shows several small tanks or armored vehicles driving down a city street, with soldiers in helmets riding in them. The street is lined with multi-story buildings, vintage cars, and streetcars, suggesting a historical context, possibly during World War II.
During the Second World War, Victory Bond Campaigns were held to raise money for the war effort. Civilians could buy the bonds, which matured in 2.5, six or 14 years. In total, 10 Victory Bond campaigns were held during the war.

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On Feb. 16, 1942, the second Victory Loan campaign began and Manitoba decided to go all out.
Organizers came up with the idea of showing residents what would happen if Canada lost the war and Germany invaded.
Thus the idea of If Day was created.

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Feb 19
On this day in 1991, The Tragically Hip released their second studio album Road Apples.
It became their first #1 album in Canada, produced several hit songs and is remembered as one of the best albums of the 1990s to this day.
Let's learn more about it!

🧵1/12 The photo shows the album cover for "Road Apples" by The Tragically Hip. The cover features a red background with the band name "THE TRAGICALLY HIP" and the album title "ROAD APPLES" spelled out in black and white letter tiles, respectively. In the center, there is a rectangular image of a horse standing in a field with trailers or mobile homes and mountains in the background.
The band released their first album Up to Here in 1989. The album did well, selling 100,000 copies in its first year in Canada and reached #13.
The Hip then toured through Canada and the United States from 1989 to 1990 before beginning work on their next album.

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Read 13 tweets

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