An organization called the Canadian Institute for Historical Education has announced a workshop series in Toronto and online called "Sir John A. Macdonald in Historical Perspective," starting Tuesday October 17 and continuing to November 9. Topics include "Macdonald - The Man," "Macdonald on Indigenous Relations," and "Presentism - or is it 'Generational Chauvinism'?"
Historians participating include Christopher Dummitt, Patrice Dutil, Barbara Messamore, Duncan McDowell, J.R. Miller, and David Wilson.
Many of the speakers are friends of mine (and I would not predict what they may say), but I'm not so much in harmony with the organizing institute. For one thing, I can think of many 'historical perspectives' it might have added to the binary choice "presentism/generational chauvinism"!
In April the National Post described the CIHE as "a new history group that aims to defend Canadians like Macdonald and Dundas." The Dundas referred to is Henry Dundas, the British cabinet minister of the late 18th and early 19th century, who never in his life came closer than about five time zones from Canada. Historical education!
