History is Unreal

Theory vs 1879: How a Policy Shaped History

History is an argument, built on the biases of its writers and readers. In episode 5, we begin to look beyond the "why" of history to begin the process of establishing a base chronology of events—the essential starting point for any rigorous historical interpretation. This will allow us to understand better histories and to connect our intrinsic thinking to extrinsic factors (the context of the time). We start with the ‘money in, money out’ logic that transformed the Canadian west. ANI and I bridge the gap between historical theory and Canadian reality.  Using the 1879 National Policy as a critical event and context, we analyze how Canada’s early economic focus viewed the West as a transactional ledger and how related decisions impacted the communities, peoples and infrastructures already in, and arriving to, the West. St. Paul des Métis, in an area later to be northeastern Alberta, acts as our example to begin an illustration of how the context of the time and biases of the writer shift the historian’s interpretation to find better histories to tell. Key Concepts Explored The National Policy (1879) * Protective Tariffs (Implemented in 1879) * Transcontinental Railway (CPR incorporated in 1881) * Western Immigration 1870-1930 (Aggressive recruitment intensified following the policy's adoption) This three-stage Immigrant Survival Strategy contrasts the National Policy and Clifford Sifton’s desire for purely productive, "efficiency-focused" farmers. * A linear progression often seen in successful minority immigrant cultures, these steps move from physical arrival (Grouping), to social connection (Uniting), and finally to the continuous battle to Protect (and struggle - often centered on language use and retention). La Langue C'est la Vie “Tear off the tongue to a man and you take away his life. Tear off the tongue to his race, you kill it…” source: le Patriote de l’Ouest, vol. 1, no 50, 15 feb 1912, 1. Sources & References * Georg Iggers: Historiography in the Twentieth Century: From Scientific Objectivity to the Postmodern Challenge (1997). * Dr. John Fontaine:  * St. Paul des Métis, 1896 to 1909 - the Dual Roles of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. University of Alberta (2009). * Grouper, Unir, Protéger: Elite Strategies and the Formulation of a French-Catholic Identity in Western Canada, 1870-1930. PhD Dissertation, University of Alberta (2019). Connect with the Show * Website: HistoryIsUnreal.ca [https://historyisunreal.ca/] * Support the Research: consider a donation to keep this independent podcast alive; and visit our sponsors, leave a comment on the site. * Subscribe: Available on all major podcast platforms. * Academic Services: https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Ffontaineacademicservices.cafontaineacademicservices.ca [http://fontaineacademicservices.ca] * Follow and subscribe on your favourite podcast host site to ensure you don't miss our upcoming episodes. Music Credits TRACK: VIOLIN CONCERTO IN F MINOR, RV 297 'WINTER' [https://musopen.org/music/14910-the-four-seasons-op-8/] * Composer: Antonio Vivaldi * Performed by: The Modena Chamber Orchestra * Source: Musopen.org [https://musopen.org/] * License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/] TRACK: "IT'S TIME!" [https://www.myinstants.com/en/instant/bruce-buffer-its-time/] * Voice Artist: Bruce Buffer * Source: https://www.myinstants.com/Myinstants.com [http://myinstants.com] * License: Fair Use/Stylistic Commentary [https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html] "History is not factual; it is interpretive, and it is messy. Keep questioning the teller." THE TEAM: Dr. John Fontaine: Host & Executive Producer Dr. Marcia Kim: Podcast/script editor Kaviya Govindaraj: Marketing & Design

Historical Bias: Why Our Sources Mislead Us

In episode 4, this hands-on workshop (and last theory episode for a bit), Dr. John and ANI start to transition from theory to talking about actual Canadian historical events. We explore the Positionality Audit—a tool for uncovering the hidden lenses that shape our understanding of the past. Using the War of 1812 as an example, we demonstrate how personal "Positionality" and ‘bias’ can transform the same historical events into entirely different stories. The Workshop Challenge This session is meant to explore your own biases of the histories you have all been told toward the histories you should instead search for and tell. * Download the Worksheet: Visit HistoryIsUnreal.ca [https://historyisunreal.ca] for the Bias Elevator Speech Worksheet PDF. * Follow Along: Pause the audio during the "Workshop elevator" music to complete your own audit. Key Terms & Definitions * Positionality Audit: The process of identifying how your geography, upbringing, and "Success Nodes" influence your historical interpretation. * The War of 1812 Case Study: An analysis of how one’s national identity bias changes historical ‘facts’. * History from Below (Social History): A focus on the lived experiences of everyday people and marginalized groups rather than just elite leaders/grand narratives. * Success Nodes: A linear model of history that connects "victories" into a clean line of progress, often erasing the "messy" reality of those who lost/those in the field. Sources & References * E.H. Carr: What is History? [https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cambridge.org%2Fcore%2Fbooks%2Fwhat-is-history%2F0F8299834873132D56209581A83E2D6A](1961). The foundational "Fishmonger" analogy for historian bias. * Marc Bloch: The Historian's Craft [https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fhistorianscraft0000bloc_r8i5]. Exploring how the "Present" influences our view of the "Past." * The War of 1812 (CHA): The War of 1812: Shared Victory? [https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fcha-shc.ca%2Fteaching-resources%2Fthe-war-of-1812-shared-victory] * George Iggers: Historiography in the Twentieth Century [https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ca%2Fbooks%2Fedition%2FHistoriography_in_the_Twentieth_Century%2FXmU6P-0M27sC]. Connect with the Show * Website: HistoryIsUnreal.ca [https://historyisunreal.ca/] * Support the Research: consider a donation to keep this independent podcast alive; and visit our sponsors, leave a comment on the site. * Subscribe: Available on all major podcast platforms. * Academic Services: https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Ffontaineacademicservices.cafontaineacademicservices.ca [http://fontaineacademicservices.ca] * Follow and subscribe on your favourite podcast host site to ensure you don't miss our upcoming episodes. Music Credits TRACK: VIOLIN CONCERTO IN F MINOR, RV 297 'WINTER' [https://musopen.org/music/14910-the-four-seasons-op-8/] * Composer: Antonio Vivaldi * Performed by: The Modena Chamber Orchestra * Source: Musopen.org [https://musopen.org/] * License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/] Workshop Interlude: The NASA Elevator Source: traaacks! [https://www.traaacks.com] Attribution: Music by traaacks! - https://www.traaacks.com [https://www.traaacks.com] "History is not factual; it is interpretive, and it is messy. Keep questioning the teller." THE TEAM: Dr. John Fontaine: Host & Executive Producer Dr. Marcia Kim: Podcast/script editor Kaviya Govindaraj: Marketing & Design

The Grand Narrative Myth: Why We Love Simple Stories

Host: Dr. John Fontaine AI Co-Host: ANI (Artificial Narrow Intelligence) In episode 3, Dr. John and ANI tackle the "Positionality Paradox." If every historian is biased by their own surroundings, how can we ever reach a "better" history? We move away from History from Above—the grand narratives of elites and winners—and dive into History from Below. Using the analogy of E.H. Carr’s fishmonger, we explore why the "Chef" (the historian) matters more than the "Fish" (the stories we have been told). We also trace the roots of biased history back to the 5th Century BCE to see how the "Success Node" model has been used for over 2,000 years. KEY TERMS & DEFINITIONS * Positionality: The social and political context that creates the lens through which we view the world. In history, it is the "baggage" a researcher carries that influences which stories they tell and how they tell them. * History from Above: Historical narratives focused on elites, leaders, and "Great Men." These stories often create a Grand Narrative to justify the status quo or national development. * History from Below (Social History): A field of history—gaining massive momentum in the 1960s—that focuses on the lived experiences of everyday people, marginalized groups, and "small" daily decisions rather than state policy. * Success Nodes: A linear model of history that connects "victories" (won wars, acquired land) into a clean line of progress, often ignoring the "messy" reality or the "lost" perspectives of the time. * Hagiography: Traditionally the writing of the lives of saints; in a modern sense, it refers to biography or history that is uncritical and treats its subject as flawless or heroic. THE "CHEF & THE FISH" FRAMEWORK "The facts are like fish on a fishmonger’s slab. The historian collects them, takes them home, and cooks them in whatever style they prefer." — E.H. Carr Dr. John argues that to find "Better History," we must audit the Chef, and start with ourselves. Our personal biases are the recipe. If we do not acknowledge our own positionality, we can not hope to then understand our past—we are just "cooking" the facts to fit our present needs. SOURCES & REFERENCES * E.H. Carr: What is History? (1961). The foundational text for the "Fishmonger" analogy. * George Iggers: Historiography in the Twentieth Century. (Concept: The Prison of Context). * Herodotus & Thucydides (5th Century BCE): The "Elite Source Code." * Reference: A.R. Burn, The Pelican History of Greece. * Reference: James Romm, The Landmark Herodotus. * Marc Bloch: The Historian's Craft. (Concept: Understanding the "Present" to understand the "Past"). * Social History Revolution (1960s): The shift from political/military (History from Above) to the history of common people and daily life (History from below). HOMEWORK: THE THREE FOUNDATIONAL QUESTIONS In preparation for the Episode 4 Workshop, Dr. John challenges you to answer these three questions to begin considering what your own biases may be: 1. What do you believe? (Pick something fundamental: Free will? Progress? An Afterlife?) 2. What current-day "storms" are affecting your vision? (Political, economic, or social pressures). 3. Whose side are you on? (Who do you truly protect—a nation, a family, a group?) CONNECT WITH THE SHOW * Website: HistoryIsUnreal.ca [https://historyisunreal.ca] * Support the Research: consider a donation to keep this independent podcast alive; and visit our sponsors, leave a comment on the site. * Subscribe: Available on all major podcast platforms. * Academic Services: fontaineacademicservices.ca [https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Ffontaineacademicservices.ca] * Follow and subscribe to ensure you don't miss our upcoming episodes. MUSIC CREDITS * Track: Violin Concerto in F minor, RV 297 'Winter' (The Four Seasons) * Composer: Antonio Vivaldi * Performed by: The Modena Chamber Orchestra * Source: Musopen.org [https://musopen.org] * License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/] "History is not factual; it is interpretive, and it is messy. Keep questioning the teller."

The AI Mirror: How Tech Rewrites History

Title: The AI Mirror: Reflecting Our Bias in Telling Canadian History Host: Dr. John Fontaine Co-Host: ANI (Artificial Narrow Intelligence) Is history a collection of facts, or just a "sophisticated mirror" of whoever is holding the pen? In episode 2, Dr. John Fontaine and his AI co-host (ANI) begin to deconstruct the "Grand Narrative" of Canadian history through the lens of historiography. By using ANI as a control group, they reveal how 19th-century nation-building created a "vanishing race" strategy regarding Indigenous peoples and how modern AI datasets, if left unchecked, continue these biases through present day. Key Concepts Explored  * The Control Group: Why an AI co-host is the perfect tool to expose the "average of the arguments" found in Western datasets.  * Context of the Past: Understanding why 19th-century historians prioritized narratives that justified railways and resource extraction over Indigenous sovereignty.  * Context of the Present: How our current values (Indigenous Rights and Sovereignty) can conflict with historical nomenclature.  * The Grand Narrative: Identifying the "big, tidy stories" used to argue that Canadians have somehow evolved from our past selves.  Connect with Us  * Canadian Hub: historyisunreal.ca [https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fhistoryisunreal.ca] | historyisunreal.com [https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fhistoryisunreal.com]   * website: historyisunreal.ca [https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fhistoryisunreal.ca] | fontaineacademicservices.ca [https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Ffontaineacademicservices.ca]   Follow and subscribe to ensure you don't miss our upcoming episodes.   Music Credits:   * Track: Violin Concerto in F minor, RV 297 'Winter' (The Four Seasons)   * Composer: Antonio Vivaldi   * Performed by: The Modena Chamber Orchestra   * Source: Musopen.org [https://musopen.org/music/14910-the-four-seasons-op-8/]  * License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/]

Jacques Cartier: Rethinking the Facts We're Told

"History, Canada’s history in particular, is very interesting; but it is not factual.” Welcome to the first episode of History is Unreal. Dr. John Fontaine and ANI (Artificial Narrow Intelligence) introduce Canadian historiography through the lens of a famous Canadian explorer, Jacques Cartier. The exercise begins with learning how and why Cartier was portrayed the way he was in our past versus how we should be portraying him today. The core mission of the show; that the history we learned is based on the biases of the writer and the context of the present (and the past). In episode 1, we learn why Cartier is the topic for this episode; based on the biases of what the historian (Dr. Fontaine in this instance) want to write about, or better, podcast about. This podcast is a search for a better understanding of our history, interpretations critical for Canadian post-secondary students, researchers, and lifelong learners if they strive to understand master the narratives that shape our past and present world. With ANI as a unique digital co-host, we apply a historiographical mindset to this podcast that will empower all students of Canadian history to move from a reactive struggle in simply memorizing dates and players to a proactive and deep understanding of Canada’s history. Stay Connected with the Project:  * Primary Hub: historyisunreal.ca [https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fhistoryisunreal.ca&sa=E&source=gmail]  * Academic Services: fontaineacademicservices.ca [https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Ffontaineacademicservices.ca]  Follow and subscribe now to ensure you don’t miss our upcoming episodes.  Music Credits:  * Track: Violin Concerto in F minor, RV 297 'Winter' (The Four Seasons) [https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fmusopen.org%2Fmusic%2F14910-the-four-seasons-op-8%2F&sa=E&source=gmail]  * Composer: Antonio Vivaldi  * Performed by: The Modena Chamber Orchestra  * Source: Musopen.org [https://musopen.org/]  * License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/]