They are some of the most shared images connected to the Canadian residential school system. A pair of photos from the late 1800s, taken a few years apart, feature a young Indigenous boy. Often published without his name and with the title "Before and After'' because he is wearing what looks like traditional clothing in one and European clothing in the other. 

Who is this boy? Where is he from and what happened to him after he was taken away from home? We go deep into the archives to piece together the details and find out that not everything in these photos is as it appears. 

With guests Louise BigEagle and Paul Seesequasis.

 *Warning, strong language and content.

To see the pictures of Thomas Moore Keesick and to find the resources mentioned in this episode visit: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada

For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/inappropriate-questions-transcripts-listen-1.6740372

S4: The Boy in the Picture

The Secret Life of Canada is a podcast about the country you know and the stories you don't. Join hosts Leah-Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson as they reveal the beautiful, terrible and weird histories of this land. Season 6 is here! New episodes every second Thursday. 
 Visit us at www.cbc.ca/secretlife for show links, transcripts and more! 
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History

Society & Culture

A curious World War II-era photograph shows an unnamed woman in military uniform kneeling next to a man in a headdress who holds a pipe above her. We dig into the true story behind this photograph and the identity of this mystery woman. 
 For more links and more about this episode visit us at: www.cbc.ca/secretlife 
 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok. 


S6: Crash Course on Private Mary Greyeyes

Comedy has been called one of Canada’s biggest exports. But why exactly is that, and why can’t the country seem to keep our funny people at home? In this episode Leah and Falen look at the roots of comedy in Canada and look into why Canadians are so funny wherever they are in the world. And RIP Just For Laughs? 
 
 For more links and more about this episode visit us at: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada 
 
 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok!

S6: Canadian Comedy

It’s another baking episode! This time Leah and Falen look at why Thunder Bay, Ontario has their own sweet roll that you can't find anywhere else. We find out how these sweet buns with pink frosting came to be and who Persians are named after (spoiler — it strangely has nothing to do with Persian people). 
 For more links and more about this episode visit us at: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada

S6: Crash Course on The Persian

When three young queer men formed an art collective in the late 60s in Toronto named "General Idea", no one expected that they would end up becoming one of the most iconic art collectives of the 20th century. For 25 years Felix, Jorge and AA became internationally known for their edgy, subversive, funny and boundary pushing work. Leah and Falen learn about the early days of the collective [2:11], the time Life magazine tried to sue them [13:17], why they started a ”Miss General Idea” beauty pageant [16:51], and how they ended up creating one of the most indelible images of the AIDS epidemic [25:26]. And then, they’ll hear about the group’s final push to produce a catalog of work before AIDS took the lives of Felix & Jorge in 1994 [30:30]. With special guest AA Bronson. 
 Here are some of the pieces referenced in the episode: 
 Mail Art 
 FILE magazine 
 The Miss General Idea Pageant 
 P is for Poodle 
 IMAGEVIRUS, AIDS 
 Fin De Siècle 
 For more links on General Idea’s work and more about this episode visit us at: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada 
 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

S6: General Idea

Gimli is more than a dwarf in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy series Lord of the Rings, in fact the community in Manitoba is home to the world’s largest Icelandic population outside of Iceland. So how did Canada become home to all these Icelanders, why did they end up living on a reserve and what exactly happens during Islendingadagurinn? 
 Listen to Part 1 of our episode The Mounties Always Get Their Land (referenced in the episode) here. 
 Follow us on social media. We're on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

S4: The Boy in the Picture

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