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Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History:
News for Educators
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Cabin at the Lucan Area Heritage and Donnelly Museum (Jennifer Pettit). From the website Heaven & Hell on Earth: The Massacre of the “Black” Donnellys. Welcome to the latest edition of the GUMICH Gazette, a thrice-yearly newsletter to help keep educators up to date on news and tips for teaching with historical mysteries. We now offer thirteen mystery websites, along with many learning materials for teaching Canadian history! Be sure to check out the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History (GUMICH) project, based at the University of Victoria, and follow us on social media. 
News – Wreck of HMS Terror Found in ArcticThe second of Sir John Franklin’s long-list ships, the HMS Terror, was found in the Canadian Arctic in early September by the Arctic Research Foundation. Researchers discovered the wreck in the aptly named Terror Bay. After Sammy Kogvik of Gjoa Haven told crew on the research vessel Martin Bergmann that he’d spotted a wooden mast sticking out of the sea ice in Terror Bay about six years ago, the ship made a detour to investigate the area. Parks Canada, which has led the search for Franklin’s ships for decades, confirmed the identity of the wreck after archaeologists had the opportunity to visit it. Though the remains of both the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror have now been found, there are still many mysteries about the Franklin Expedition and what happened to British explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew of 128 men. The Franklin Mystery website, developed by the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History and a number of partners, provides students and the public with one of the largest collections of original documents, maps and images ever assembled about this expedition. The project also offers a variety of learning materials for students and teachers.  "Terror" Showing the Courtyard, and Snow Walls Built Around the Ship (National Maritime Museum, 1837) Download Free Posters
Did you know that you can download free copies of all of our posters? This poster for Klatsassin & the Chilcotin War is just one in a set of unique classroom posters that illustrate each of the mysteries featured on the GUMICH website. See them all here, where you can print the posters for your classroom. Teachers’ Guides
We offer free teachers’ guides for each of the mysteries on our website. The guides include background materials, activity sheets and detailed lesson plans for one or more grade-specific units for elementary or secondary students. Some suggestions are relevant for college and university classes. Just fill in our online registration form available by clicking on Teachers’ Guides and download the guides in PDF format. Teaching Tool – Norse Profiling MysteryQuest Bracteate from Tjurkö, Augerum parish. Blekinge. Statens Historiska Museum # 1453, Stockholm. Inscription in Proto-Norse in Old Futhark runes. If you are studying Vinland and Viking life with your students, our website Where is Vinland? is an invaluable learning tool. Your students can investigate a variety of topics with the Vinland MysteryQuests. MysteryQuest30, a critical thinking challenge designed for students ages 11-14, invites users to help anthropologists interpret a particular piece of Viking writing carved into a rock. This object, called a runestone, tells of the death of a Norse man. Archaeologists and historians have been able to piece together clues about his appearance, living conditions, and general health, but they want help in learning more about Norse society, how Viking politics, trade, and society were structured, and how various groups related to one another. To begin this task, students will learn about runes and runic writing by reading background documents written by historians. Then they will study documents about Viking life to look for information about Norse culture, politics, economics, and society. From their conclusions, students will create a profile that would provide those who found the runestone with a clearer picture of this Norse man’s life, beliefs, customs, religion, and place in society. MysteryQuest Teaching Tool – Was Herbert Norman a Spy?
Norman and friend under internment in Tokyo. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan and Canada were at war. The staff of the Canadian Legation in Tokyo was interned until fall 1942. (University of British Columbia Library, Rare Books and Special Collections). Herbert Norman was one of Canada’s most talented public servants. In 18 years with the Department of External Affairs, he was Canada’s representative in high-level positions in the United States, Japan, New Zealand, Lebanon and Egypt. But was he a spy? MysteryQuest 38, a critical challenge for students 14-16, asks students to determine how likely it is that Herbert Norman was actually involved in spying. To answer this question, they learn more about the man and the political climate during the Cold War. Next, they look for relevant statements in various primary and secondary sources that provide information about Norman's beliefs, character and actions. After evaluating the assembled evidence, students will indicate and defend their conclusion about Norman. Featured Source from The Redpath Mansion Mystery Mrs. J.J. Redpath and child, Montreal, QC, 1871 (McCord Museum) Two members of one of Canada’s wealthiest families died from gunshot wounds on June 13, 1901. Ada Maria Mills Redpath, the 59-year old widow of industrialist John James Redpath, and her 24-year old son Jocelyn Clifford Redpath (“Cliff”) were shot in Ada’s bedroom in the Redpath mansion in Montreal’s affluent Square Mile district. Beyond these facts it is difficult to know what happened. We do know that the investigation was hasty. Apparently the police were not called. A coroner’s investigation was opened, closed, and the bodies were buried within 48 hours of the shots being fired. Who shot whom and why? The following document was written by a family member in 2007. Murder and Mystery in the Redpath Mansion by Amy Linda Redpath, 2007 What really happened on Thursday June 13, 1901? Based on the available evidence, I contend that Clifford, in an agitated state, confronted his mother, shot her in the back of the head, and then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide. Clifford’s motives, however, remain a mystery. In this discussion of the deaths of Ada and Clifford, I hope to provide plausible insight into this tragic event. It is a case where the wonders and complexities of human nature confront each other. Within the Redpath family, there was little speculation, just an impenetrable wall of silence, broken only by an anonymous description: Clifford burst into the house and rushed up the stairway into his mother's bedroom... You can read the rest of the document online, along with many other material pertaining to the mysterious death in the Redpath Mansion. Featured Image from Who Discovered Klondike Gold? LAC PA-193567 What do you think these gold bars would be worth today? This photograph depicts gold bars in Dawson City during the gold rush. You can learn more about the history mystery Who Discovered Klondike Gold? and find many historical photographs on the GUMICH site. Partner News – University of VictoriaMysteries Executive Director Given Governor General’s Award  Women from Canadian history considered for depiction on bank notes. (Bank of Canada) The University of Victoria is very pleased to share the news that Merna Forster, the Executive Director of the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History Project since 2005, has been awarded the 2016 Governor General’s History Award for Popular Media (Pierre Berton Award) for her work promoting women’s history. Merna is the author of 100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces (2004) and 100 More Canadian Heroines (2011), and creator of the website heroines.ca. Most recently, with sustained lobbying and a very effective social media campaign including a petition of more than 73,000 names, she led the successful national campaign to have Canadian women depicted on bank notes. She was subsequently named by the Bank of Canada to the panel of experts reviewing submissions from the public with respect to whom should be featured on Canadian currency; that panel has since made recommendations to the Minister of Finance and Bank of Canada, and the Prime Minister has committed that we will see the result by 2018. Merna is also in high demand as a speaker on women’s history and genealogy, and participated in the campaign that led to a statue of Emily Carr in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. She will be presented her award by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, at Rideau Hall on November 28th.  100 More Canadian Heroines The Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History project has gained its own distinction recently. The project has been named as one of three to the short list for the SSHRC Impact Awards, to honor Canadian research that has had a major impact on Canadian society. The finalist will be announced at a gala event in Ottawa on November 22nd . |
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