You know what the end of May means: it’s once again time for the CHA Annual Meeting! As last year, I have put together a short guide to the CHA, including information on using the app, that will be hosted over on the CHA’s website. I’ll post the link as soon as I have it!
And of course, I’m back again with my top picks! In this post, I’ll go over the panels that I think will be the most popular as well as the ones that I am planning to attend! As I said last year, think of it as a history version of “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego,” only it’s just me, not some super exciting spy. Just remember that these are just my recommendations, and I wish there was a way to attend multiple panels at once.
One final note before I get down to business: if you spot me running around, please don’t be afraid to come and say hi!
Sunday May 27th
Don’t miss this year’s special Sunday panel, “What Will That Get You: Becoming a Historian in a Changing Job and Academic Market!” And no, the fact that I am a discussant here is not the reason you should attend: you should attend because it’s an important topic and some of my favourite historians are presenting!
Monday May 28th
Because the CHA is apparently trying to kill me, my panel with Jessica DeWitt, Jessica Knapp, and Krista McCracken, Panel 12, “Diversifying Narratives: Intersections of Public and Digital History in the 21st Century,” is at 8:30 in the morning. Whyyyyyyy. And to make matters worse, I really want to see Panel 11, “Can You Teach Public History,” which is scheduled at the same time.
At 10:30 there is the CHA Keynote, featuring a talk by A.B. Stonechild on “Misunderstanding Indigenous Spirituality in Mainstream History.” This is absolutely not to be missed!
The 1:30 timeslot is filled with fascinating panels. I’m of course going to be attending Panel 23“Confronting Canada 150 (and beyond) with Art, Activism, and Public History. Um, Erica Violet Lee, Jesse Thistle, Julia Smith, Sean Carleton, and Crystal Fraser? Couldn’t keep me away. Which is why it kills me that Panel 21, “Reflections on the Lost Story Project” is at the same time. As is Panel 26, “Diversity and Motherhood: Debating Family Life in Canada, 1960s-1980s,” with some of my favourite historians, including my former supervisor, Lynne Marks! And so is Panel 28, “Unsettling the Settler Narrative: The Possibilities and Limits of Material Culture in Canadian History.”
At 3:30, I will be participating in the National Council on Public History Speed Networking Event, hosted by Jessica Knapp! This is a great opportunity for aspiring public historians! Although Panel 33, “Orientalisms’ 40th Anniversary” looks great too, as does Panel 34, “Fractured Solidarities: Possibilities and Limits of Women’s Resistance.”
The Lost Stories Film Festival is on at the Shu-Box Theatre at 5:00. And I am super bummed that I will have to miss it, because the Canadian Committee on Women’s History Reception starts at 5:30!
Also, as the lovely Crystal Fraser reminded me, Buffy Saint Marie will be performing solo on Monday night, from 7:00 to 7:30 at the Riddell Centre. I highly recommend seeing her perform, it’s just amazing. More info here.
Tuesday May 29th
I’m once again going to be up early, but I’m still a bit undecided on which panel to attend during the 8:30 slot:
- Panel 41, “Symbols of Canada” also looks great.
- Panel 42, “Indigenous Education in Settler Settings: Interpretations, Responses, and Resistance.”
- Panel 46, “Public Commemoration and Historical Truth in Canadian History.”
We need to work on that cloning machine. Or a time-turner? Please??
I have the same problem again at 10:30.
- Panel 48, “Indigenous Histories and the Canadian Narratives” looks fantastic.
- As does Panel 49, “Hegemony, Freedom, and Failure: Competing Models of Masculinity from Boyhood to Manhood in the Postwar Era.”
- And Panel 52, “Buying In: Marketing, Consumption, and Identity Formation in 20th Century Canada.”
After lunch, there are some more great panels that I can’t choose between, including
- The Poster Session
- Panel 64, “Global Producers, Local Consumers: Doing Commodity History,”
- Panel 65, “Indigenous Political Histories: Indigenizing the Field of Political History,”
- And Panel 68, “Emerging Trends and the Future of Canadian Labour and Working-Class History”
After that we have the CHA Annual Meeting at 3:30, the Prize Ceremony at 5:30, and Cliopalooza at 7:30. If you have to pick one, definitely go to the Prize Ceremony. And if you love dancing, don’t miss Cliopalooza!
Wednesday May 30th
Once again, there are too many awesome panels at 8:30 am. I am probably going to be at Panel 74, “Revisiting the Right to Vote: New Perspectives on Suffrage in Canada” or Panel 76, “Agency in Education and Research.” Or Panel 77: Digital History and the Classroom. GAAAAHHH
At 10:30, I’m pretty sure there will be a big crowds at Panel 82, “A Roundtable on Sarah Carter’s Imperial Plots: Women, Land, and the Spadework of British Colonialism on the Canadian Prairies.” But Panel 86, “Historical Methodology and Public History,” looks really fascinating too!
After lunch, you are of course going to attend the panel that I am chairing, Panel 99, “Subverting Traditional Historiographies: Seeking Diversity in the Archives and Beyond,” also featuring Stephanie Pettigrew? Right? I may forgive you if you attend Panel 98 though, on “Crowdsourcing Commemoration: the Canada’s First World War Series on ActiveHistory.ca.” Maybe.
And ending the day, all the cool people are totally going to the screening of the Pass System, including a Q&A with producer Alex Williams.
That’s all for this week! I hope to see many of you starting on Sunday! And don’t worry, Unwritten Histories will be back soon!
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