100 Years: The Historical Legacy of The Beaver

One hundred years of history. A century of storytelling. In October 2020, Canada’s History-The Beaver magazine will mark its 100th year of publication with a special collector’s issue showcasing a century’s worth of stories and photographs from the magazine’s vast archival collection.

At the same time, the special issue will examine The Beaver’s complicated legacy of colonialism when it comes to its historical portrayal of Indigenous peoples.

“With this special issue, we have worked with Indigenous writers and historians to share important new perspectives on the legacy of The Beaver,” said Canada’s History magazine Editor-in-Chief Mark Collin Reid. “In the early decades of The Beaver, Indigenous peoples were too often pushed to the margins of the magazine. The Beaver offered a window on the North — but one that was skewed by the lens of colonialism. With this special issue, we have worked to bring Indigenous stories to the fore.”

With the 100th-anniversary issue, Canada’s History Society hopes to encourage important conversations about the historical depictions of Indigenous peoples both in general and within the pages of The Beaver.

The special issue also marks an important milestone for The Beaver, which was “retired” as a brand in 2010. Beginning in October 2021, Canada’s History Society will relaunch The Beaver as an annual supplement to be published within Canada’s History magazine. The supplement edition of The Beaver will feature Indigenous stories and storytellers and explore the history of the North and the fur trade-era through an Indigenous lens.

The 100th-anniversary issue features articles and images that explore the cultures and traditions of Indigenous peoples; showcase the historical diversity of northern wildlife and landscapes; and illustrate the profound societal changes that occurred in the region in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.