Young historian sets sights on creating inclusive history and documenting Franco-Manitoban folklore
Young historian sets sights on creating inclusive history and documenting Franco-Manitoban folklore
Remember and learn from our past and ensure our shared history is representative; that’s the ambition of Alexandra Moreau, a grad student in University of Manitoba’s Faculty of History. She’s examining folklore as a way or preserving Franco-Manitoban culture and has received a scholarship from The Winnipeg Foundation’s Centennial Institute in support of her studies.
“Making history more inclusive, is what draws me to it,” the 26-year-old says of studying history.
Moreau fell in love with history at a young age, thanks to relatable literature. She was about 10-years-old when she began reading the Dear Canada series, which presents Canadian history through the eyes of young women.
“I’ve always been able to imagine myself in that time period and imagine… what it felt like, what it smelled like, what it was like to live without all of the modern amenities.”
Moreau recognizes that if her ethnicity were different, however, she might not have been able see herself so easily in those books. That’s why she believes it is important to ensure history is inclusive.
“We have a very long history of Canadian history being considered European settler history. And now, being a new generation of historians, [we] are having to write that and correct it and say, ‘No it’s not just white European settler history. It’s the history of Indigenous peoples. There is a long history in Canada that predates contact.’”
Even though she was able to picture herself in those stories, part of her own heritage has been challenged and lost due to changing demographics and exclusionary legislation. Moreau’s father is Franco-Manitoban, and the Université de Saint-Boniface graduate closely identifies with this culture.
Prior to 1870, the majority of Manitoba’s population was francophone. This changed quickly with immigration and by 1890 francophones represented just 10 per cent of the population. The Official Language Act of 1890 made English the only official language of Manitoba, which meant services were offered solely in English. All Catholic schools – which were the only ones which offered education in French – were defunded.
“It led to people actually setting up clandestine French schools that were illegal. They were doing it in secret to preserve the language.”
The Act was ruled unconstitutional in 1979 by the Supreme Court of Canada. However, by that time much damage had been done to the French culture in Manitoba, Moreau explains. That’s where her thesis comes in.
“I’ve always been able to imagine myself in that time period and imagine… what it felt like, what it smelled like, what it was like to live without all of the modern amenities.”
Alexandra Moreau, The Winnipeg Foundation Award for Master’s Studies in Canadian or Indigenous History recipient
“I wanted to do something that celebrated this cultural aspect of the Franco-Manitoban community because for a very long time, the community faced a lot of struggles and a lot of threats of having our culture and language disappear entirely.”
Folklore, which can encompass oral traditions, material culture and customs, was how some of that culture was preserved. Moreau’s focus is on oral tradition: how stories are transmitted and preserved through generations.
“Folklore has always been part of my childhood; I was always being told stories by my grandparents or my parents.”
She will conduct interviews with heritage leaders in Francophone communities throughout the province, and aims to submit her thesis by fall.
She also believes it’s important to remember our history – especially when it comes to human rights – which is something that was reinforced during her three years working at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR).
“If you don’t learn from history, humanity’s doomed to repeat it. So especially when it comes to human rights abuses and atrocities, things like the Holocaust and all of these events, if we don’t remember what happened, and we don’t remember how it happened, then if it were to start happening again, you don’t recognize the signs and the symptoms until it’s too late.”
Moreau enjoyed working at the museum, and it was staff at CMHR who recommended she look into the Archival program at U of M. She enjoys the work, and believes the employment prospects will be better upon graduation.
Moreau is the recipient of The Winnipeg Foundation Award for Master’s Studies in Canadian or Indigenous History, valued at $17,500. She received the scholarship based on her thesis proposal, and recommendations from the faculty.
“It’s been a big comfort because I’ve worked since I was 17,” Moreau says. “I worked really long hours throughout my entire undergrad and I always felt because of that, my grades were not as good as they could have been.”
The Winnipeg Foundation Award for Master’s Studies in Canadian or Indigenous History is housed in The Foundation’s brand-new Centennial Institute.
To make a gift to the Centennial Institute or The Winnipeg Foundation Award for Master’s Studies in Canadian or Indigenous History, visit wpgfdn.org/centennialinstitutefund
This story is featured in the Spring 2020 issue of our Working Together magazine. Download or view the full issue on our Publications page.