It is #IndigenousHistoryMonth and this is the story of Mistahi-maskwa, also known as Big Bear.

Big Bear was born around 1825 near Jackfish Lake in present-day Saskatchewan. His father was a minor chief of 80 Cree-Saulteaux people & a large influence of Big Bear.

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As a young man, Big Bear was a great warrior & he became chief upon his father's death in 1864.
In 1870, he led the Cree into battle at the Battle of Belly River, in present-day Lethbridge, which is the last battle fought between First Nations in Canada.

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In 1876, all the major Plains Cree chiefs had signed Treaty 6 except Big Bear. He attempted to warn them against signing, believing the government would not fulfill its promises.
He was left with no choice but to sign in 1882 due to the starvation of his people.

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During the North-West Resistance, Big Bear had a relatively minor role, and attempted to stop the violence at Duck Lake on March 26, 1885. Nonetheless, he was held responsible by the government.
On July 2, 1885, he surrendered to the NWMP at Fort Carleton.

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Big Bear was sentenced to three years in Stony Mountain Penitentiary. He was released after less than two years due to ill health.
He died on Jan. 17, 1888 at Little Pine Reserve.
While Poundmaker was exonerated of treason in 2019, Big Bear, so far, has not been.

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More from @CraigBaird

Oct 4
On Oct. 4, 1957, the Avro Arrow was unveiled with the intention of it being the RCAF's primary interceptor in the 1960s.
Less than two years later, the program was abruptly cancelled and 14,528 Avro employees were put out of work.
This is the story of the Arrow.

🧵 1/12 A black-and-white aerial view of the Avro Arrow, a delta-winged jet aircraft marked with "RL-201" and a Canadian maple leaf insignia, displayed on a tarmac surrounded by a large crowd of people and a stage with officials, near a building and parked cars.
In the 1950s, with the dawn of the nuclear era, there was a concern that the Soviet Union would attack North America with bombers over the Canadian Arctic.
To deal with this possibility, the RCAF commissioned Avro Canada to build an all-weather nuclear interceptor.

🧵 2/12 A black-and-white photo of the Avro Arrow, a delta-winged jet aircraft marked with "RL-201," flying above the clouds with a clear sky in the background.
It needed to fly higher and faster than any aircraft of its class. With the Arrow contract, Avro quickly expanded and had 20,000 people working for it by 1957. Nine models, one-eighth the size of the finished plane, were tested in rockets over Lake Ontario.

🧵 3/12 A black-and-white photo of a rocket marked with the number "8" being prepared on a launch platform, with several people working around it. One person stands on a scaffold adjusting the rocket, while others on the ground assist, under a partly cloudy sky.
Read 13 tweets
Sep 28
In 1885, Montreal was ravaged by smallpox.
To stem the spread of the disease that had killed thousands so far, public health officials enforced vaccinations. Those that mistrusted the vaccine rioted in the streets.
This is the story of the Montreal Smallpox Riots.

🧵 1/10 An old-fashioned illustration depicting a group of people in a train compartment. A man in a suit is assisting a woman who appears to be unwell, adjusting her clothing or providing aid. Other passengers, including a woman seated and a child standing nearby, observe the scene. The setting includes detailed period clothing and interior design, with luggage and fabric draped around.
On Feb. 28, 1885, George Longley, a conductor with the Grand Trunk Railway, arrived in Montreal feeling sick. After visiting a doctor, he was diagnosed with smallpox. While he survived, the disease quickly began to spread throughout the city, infecting thousands.

🧵 2/10 An old-fashioned illustration of a hospital ward with several beds, each occupied by a patient covered with blankets. Nurses or caregivers in long dresses attend to the patients, with one standing near a table holding medical supplies. The room features large windows allowing natural light, and the scene is rendered in a detailed, cross-hatched style typical of historical engravings.
At first, the City of Montreal did not pay to provide vaccinations to fight the epidemic. In response, Sir William Macdonald donated $25,000 to pay for the vaccines.
Through the spring and summer, the disease killed upwards of 100 people per week in the city.

🧵 3/10 A black-and-white photograph of an elderly man with a bald head and white beard, dressed in a formal suit with a bow tie and vest, posing against a dark background.
Read 11 tweets
Sep 28
Today is British Home Child Day.
This is the annual day that Canada acknowledges and honours the over 100,000 children who were sent from the UK to Canada to work on farms and in homes.
They were separated from siblings and many were abused.
This is their story.

🧵 1/12 The black-and-white photo shows a large group of children and a few adults posing for a group photograph in front of a large industrial building with a "No Smoking" sign. The children, mostly girls, are dressed in coats, scarves, and hats, typical of early 20th-century attire, and are arranged in several rows, with some standing on the building's steps. The setting appears to be outdoors, possibly at a school or institution, with a utilitarian structure in the background.
The Children's Friend Society was founded in London in 1830 to suppress "juvenile vagrancy" through "reformation and emigration". In 1833, 230 children were sent to Toronto and New Brunswick.
It was a few decades before more children were sent to Canada.

🧵2/12 The black-and-white photo depicts a group of children working in a field, harvesting crops. They are dressed in early 20th-century rural attire, including overalls and hats, and are using tools such as sickles and baskets to gather the harvest. The background features an open field with trees and hills under a clear sky.
In the 1860s, philanthropist Annie MacPherson was appalled at the conditions children were forced to work in at factories in London. She decided to help them and believed sending them away from the cities and even Britain was the best option for a better life.

🧵3/12 The black-and-white photo shows a formal portrait of a woman, identified as Annie Macpherson, dressed in Victorian-era clothing with a high-collared dress adorned with a floral brooch. Her hair is styled neatly and pulled back. Below the image, there is handwritten text that reads, "Yours very faithfully, Annie Macpherson."
Read 13 tweets
Sep 22
On Sept. 22, 1994, a show debuted on CTV featuring a street-wise Chicago cop and a Mountie on the trail of the man who killed his father.
The critically-acclaimed hit reshaped Canadian television and made a star out of Paul Gross.
This is the story of Due South.

🧵 1/14 Sepia-toned promotional still from the TV series Due South, showing two men seated inside a rusted metal shipping container with open doors. On the left, a bald man in a gray pinstripe suit, white shirt, and red dotted tie sits with hands clasped, looking pensive. On the right, a man in a red Royal Canadian Mounted Police uniform with gold buttons and shoulder epaulets holds a beige cowboy hat on his knee, glancing sideways with a subtle smile, a wristwatch visible on his arm. Faded labels and chains hang on the container walls, with dim light filtering from outside.
The idea for Due South came from one of the biggest movies of the 1980s. In 1986, Crocodile Dundee debuted and was a massive hit. Robert Lantos, chair of Alliance Communications, saw that success and spoke with CBS President Jeff Sagansky about creating a similar show.

🧵 2/14 Color promotional still from the film Crocodile Dundee, showing actor Paul Hogan as Mick Dundee grinning confidently while seated on a muddy riverbank, one arm draped over the massive open jaws of a snarling saltwater crocodile with visible sharp teeth and scaly skin. He wears a wide-brimmed cork hat, sleeveless tan leather vest with multiple pockets over bare chest, beaded necklace, leather wristbands, khaki cargo pants, and rugged boots. The background features shallow blue-green water with lily pads, lush green overhanging foliage, and misty tropical haze.
Lantos wanted something involving a stereotypical Canadian working with Chicago Police. Sagansky liked the idea and took it to Paul Haggis and told him to make a series about a Mountie or trapper, or something Canadian like that. From there, Due South was born.

🧵 3/14 Color promotional still from a film featuring a man in a red Royal Canadian Mounted Police uniform with gold accents and a wide-brimmed Stetson hat, raising his right hand in a gesture while standing outdoors. His uniform includes a black leather strap across the chest and gold insignia on the shoulder. The background shows a blurred outdoor setting with green trees and a stone wall under a soft, golden-hour light.
Read 13 tweets
Sep 11
It was one of the most psychedelic, bizarre and beloved Canadian children's shows ever made.
Structured like a sketch comedy show around the comedic genius of Billy Van, it is well remembered even to this day.
This is the story of The Hilarious House of Frightenstein!

🧵 1/19 A colorful poster for "The Frightenstein Frightmare," featuring a collage of various monster and character faces, including a prominent green-faced figure with fangs, a werewolf, a Frankenstein-like figure, a superhero, and other eerie and whimsical characters, with the title in bold yellow and red text at the bottom.
The story begins with Riff Markowitz, who was working for CHCH-TV in Hamilton in the late-1960s. He wanted to produce new shows for the station.
To come up with ideas, he held a brainstorming and spaghetti party at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto.

🧵2/19 A person with white hair, wearing a light-colored tuxedo with a black bow tie and a white pocket square, holds a microphone and a book or paper while standing on a stage with a dark, cloudy background and floral decorations.
From that session, the idea of a children's show set in a vampire's castle emerged. The show would blend surreal humour and psychedelics.
The main character would be Count Frightenstein, the 13th son of Count Dracula who preferred pizza to blood.

🧵3/19 A black-and-white photo featuring a person dressed as a vampire with a dark cape, bow tie, and exaggerated makeup, raising one hand with a pointed gesture and smiling widely, set against a stone-walled background, with another person in a costume facing them.
Read 20 tweets
Sep 11
Lorne Greene was many things through his life. He was an inventor, an acting teacher, a celebrated broadcaster, a singer and, of course, a great actor.
He may have been most famous as Ben Cartwright on Bonanza, but he was so much more than that.
This is his story.

🧵 1/16 Lorne Greene, wearing a cowboy hat, tan vest, and gray shirt, sits relaxed in a wooden folding chair on a grassy outdoor setting, with a smile and hands resting on the chair arms.
Lorne Greene was born Lyon Himan Green to Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. His mother called him Chaim. It is unknown when he added the 'e' to his last name.
It was as a drama instructor at Camp Arowhon in Algonquin Park that he developed his love of acting.

🧵2/16 Lorne Greene, a tall and lanky teenager at age 16, leans casually against a vintage car with one foot on the running board, wearing a white shirt, light-colored pants, and a jacket, with a building in the background, from his private collection.
After attending Queen's University, Greene looked to become a radio broadcaster. He was hired by the CBC and became the principal newsreader for CBC National News. This earned him the nickname of The Voice of Canada and made him known across the country.

🧵3/16 Lorne Greene, a man in a white shirt and tie with suspenders, sits at a desk with papers and a microphone, appearing to be in a radio studio, with a focused expression as he holds a hand to his ear.
Read 17 tweets

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