About

A Brief Canadian History is a multimedia music performance designed to celebrate and promote a deeper awareness of Indigenous and Canadian art, culture and history. This performance brings a fresh focus to the historical importance of the people and events that have shaped our Indigenous and Canadian histories. This performance spotlights uniquely Indigenous and Canadian events and individuals such as,

  • The Iroquois
  • Kateri Tekakwitha
  • The decimation of the buffalo
  • The Taking of the West
  • The Blackfoot
  • Tecumseh
  • Louis Riel
  • The Underground Railway
  • The deported Acadians
  • The Irish Famine
  • The Scottish Highland Clearances (and the subsequent exodus to Canada)
  • The Gold Rush
  • The Chinese and the building of the Trans Canadian Railway
  • The Great Depression
  • WWI John McCrea a poem In Flanders Fields
  • WWII Elsie McGill & women during wartime
  • War Brides
  • The Bluenose
  • Rocket Richard
  • Terry Fox
  • The Oka Crisis
  • Bill 101 and many more individuals and events of our little known history

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The narrative songs, while dealing sensitively with these subjects, illustrate integral aspects of our past, and demonstrate the need to recognize these issues to shape our future.

This uniquely Indigenous-Canadian performance lends itself fully to the school, festival, cultural centre and Embassy network, providing a forum for thought and classroom discussion in the faculties of Indigenous issues, history, music, art, geography, literature, political science and the promotion of Canadian culture. The performance takes the audience on a geographical and cultural sweep across Canada, touching on events that have boldly or subtly helped to distinguish our nation.

The music is the central theme of this performance and it is highlighted through digital projections, both of these elements are used to engage our audiences in the tradition of storytelling. The songs are narratives designed to relate the stories of people, events and places, then to promote discussions during a question period after the performance. This question period is an opportunity for the students and the public to ask about the project. We have provided some suggested topics for discussion in the various faculties that A Brief Canadian History touches. Please consult our online education feature. Liner notes and the lyrics may be downloaded from our website as a teaching tool to explore the themes further in the class room.