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“This Is What I Wish You Knew”: Mi’kmaq Identity and History at the Museum of Natural History in Kjipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Here in Nova Scotia, I think many of us take advantage of our history. We grow up sitting through history classes that we write off as boring. Or maybe we dismiss Canadian history as a whole, chalking ourselves up as uninteresting in comparison to our American neighbours. Yet this is untrue. No history is plain and lifeless. And though I am happy to share with you my passion for the history of this province and actively prove to you that Nova Scotian and Canadian history is anything but uneventful, there is also a darker side of this conversation. How our disinterest in our own histories not only comes from a…
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7 Nova Scotian Virtual Tours and Exhibits You Should Visit
Though March Break is quickly approaching, there’s no doubt that this year will be vastly different than those in the past. Barely over a year since Nova Scotia and the rest of the world entered lockdown, museums and public history has changed drastically too. Many museums nowadays feature part of their collection or exhibits online for viewers to experience. Virtual tours are becoming more popular. And with that development, we can experience an array of history from our homes. But have you been wondering which museums in Nova Scotia offer virtual tours? Or where can you visit virtually to feel as though you’re immersed in an exhibit? And are there…
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What Two Years of On and Off Blogging has Taught Me
On November 6th, 2018 I published my first blog post. I was new to blogging, but it was something I had knew I needed to pursue. Though I love academic writing, I missed the freedom and fun of putting pen to paper in a more creative style. From the beginning, I craved blogging about local historic sites and tucked away treasures. Museums skirting cities or historic villages in seemingly the middle of nowhere. Backroom displays and temporary exhibitions. Blogging was the perfect opportunity to combine my love of writing and history. I yearned to share these adventures not only because I find them fascinating, but to help boost these off…
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The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
The throwback continues! During Christmas break of 2019, I traveled to North Carolina. The trip included visiting two state museums. In the morning, my partner and I explored the North Carolina Museum of History. After breaking for lunch, we headed next door to the North Carolina Musuem of Natural Sciences. That’s right, I toured two museums IN ONE DAY. Jam packed with history, we visited the North Carolina Museum of History in the morning. By the time my partner and I finished up at the North Carolina Museum of History and grabbed a bite to eat, our day of museum hopping was only half done. We still had the North…
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The Mills Brothers Holiday Village at the Museum of Natural History
Tis the season for eggnog, tree decorating and toasts around the warmth of the fireplace. Or perhaps more realistically, shoveling snow off the doorstep and frantically running to the post office with your handwritten cards before the business day’s end. Regardless of the stresses that gift shopping and cooking can bring, this time of year is generally filled with delightful decorations and the excitement of holidays that are just around the corner. If you’re like me, when you think of holiday decorations, you think of driving by lavishly decked out houses in Halifax’s South End or walking down the city’s streets to look at the amazingly lit up tree in…
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The North Carolina Museum of History
This post is a bit of a throwback! Join me as I share my story of traveling to North Carolina over the December holiday break of 2019. I visited two state museums during my stay. This blog post focuses on the first. The day after Christmas I boarded a plane for my first solo international flight. After dating my partner for over a year, I was headed on my first visit to his home state: North Carolina. He had spent the holidays with his family and I was excited to meet them. I got up in the wee hours of the morning to start my journey at the Halifax Stanfield…
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“Egyptian Mummies & Eternal Life” at the Museum of Natural History
There’s many things that one might expect to see in Nova Scotian museums. Models of old schooners, cookbooks from generations ago, furnishings of the rich and poor or weaponry that predates confederation. Typical maritimer artifacts and histories. I can ensure you that I never expected to see a mummy in Nova Scotia. No, I’m not referring to the one that insists you call once a week or will always make your favourite meal when you visit, but the thousands of years old one that died halfway across the world. Yes, I’m talking about Egyptian mummies. You may wonder “What could mummies possibly be doing in Nova Scotia?”. Well, the Museum…
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Pre-History Trip: Fundy Geological Museum
The first part of our day was spent at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, exploring the museum and rocky beach. Once we left Joggins, we headed over to the Fundy Geological Museum. The Fundy Geological Museum, though also focusing on the geological past of Nova Scotia, has a larger focus on dinosaurs! Only about a half an hour drive from the cliffs, we arrived by mid-afternoon. Eldon’s Dinosaur Statue While parking, we (myself, my boyfriend, and a friend) were greeted by a statue that I had seen before. It was a green dinosaur, clearly looking as though it has lived a long life. I first encountered the dinosaur about ten years…
My name is Kirby and I’m a 20-something year old with an M.A. in History. Needless to say, history is a huge passion of mine.
