Basic Folklore and Oral History Interviewing Course starts Jan!

Frances Densmore with Blackfoot chief, Mountain Chief, during a 1916 phonograph recording session for the Bureau of American Ethnology.

Wednesday Nights
7pm-9pm
January 10th - January 31st, 2018

Calling all budding folklorists and armchair historians! This workshop is open to anyone with an interest in local history, culture and folklore, and who wishes to learn more about safeguarding our cultural heritage through the medium of oral histories.

The course will give a background on conducting research interviews in the field. It will provide an overview of the methodology and explore the practical matters of creating, designing, and executing effective oral history research projects, project planning, interview questions, ethical issues, and recording equipment.

Over the four week course, participants will conduct an interview, prepare archival metadata, and work collaboratively to create a finished oral history project.

The workshop will be taught by folklorist Dale Jarvis, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. He has been working for the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador since 1996, and holds a BSc in Anthropology/Archaeology from Trent University, and a MA in Folklore from Memorial University.

Participants will need to bring their own laptop/tablet, all other materials provided. If you have your own digital recording device (tablet, iPhone, mp3 recorder, etc) you are encouraged to bring it, but it is not required.

Workshop fee: $100 (preregistration required, limited to 8 participants)

Location: Newman Building, 1 Springdale Street, St. John’s

Register online at:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/basic-folklore-and-oral-history-interviewing-course-tickets-41107537752

For more information, contact Dale Jarvis at 709-739-1892 x2, or email ich@heritagefoundation.ca

"Down in the Sands: Boyhood Memories of Salmon Cove" Booklet Launch

Please join the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, in partnership with the Salmon Cove Future Development Association, in launching Down in the Sands: Boyhood Memories of Salmon Cove on Tuesday, December 12 at 2:00pm at the Salmon Cove Community Centre (SCPC Fire Department) on Main Road. Copies of the booklet will be available at the event. We hope to see you there!

Download the Architectural Inventory of Heart's Content Heritage District

In late November, the Heritage Foundation staff members travelled to Heart's Content to launch Architectural Inventory: Heart's Content Heritage District. This inventory was conducted by Eddy O'Toole, a past student with the foundation, and myself.

The inventory took months to research and compile; containing architectural inventories of the various pre-confederation properties in the Heart's Content Heritage District, as well as the intangible information that was learned through oral history interviews with older community members.

If you would like to read the inventory, click here to access the PDF.

-Katie Harvey

Heart's Content Cable Station #FolklorePhoto

Photo courtesy Heart's Content Mizzen Heritage Society.

The Cable Station in Heart's Content is an important landmark in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is now a Provincial Historic Site, and a museum which tells the story of the first cable landing that connected North America to Europe. Here is a photo of an unknown man standing in front of the Cable Station with his horse and cart.

-Katie Harvey

#CollectiveMemories Monday - Memories of McMurdo's with Claudia Earle and Nancy Knight

Claudia Earle and Nancy Knight

On October 23, 2017, as part of the Collective Memories project, I interviewed Nancy Knight and Claudia Earle. Nancy attended our Townie Childhood Memory Mug Up with the Marjorie Mews Library and was interested in being interviewed about her memories of growing up in St. John’s. Nancy invited her longtime friend and schoolmate Claudia to join in on the interview. The two discuss growing up in different neighbourhoods in St. John’s, attending Bishop Spencer School, celebrating holidays such as Christmas, Valentine’s, and Easter, and playing children’s games. The pair also describe some of the changes they have seen over the years and remember the shops of downtown St. John’s.

Listen to the clip below to hear more about McMurdo’s Drug Store on Water Street or click here to listen to the full interview on Memorial University’s Digital Archives Initiative.

~Terra Barrett

A Month of Christmas Baking: Lassy Mogs #FoodwaysFriday

Photo courtesy Rock Recipes.

December has begun, and Christmas is in the air. If you're anything like me, you've already started your Christmas baking. I love having a variety of cookies, cakes and baked goods for my guests over the holidays. So, for the month of December I will post various traditional Newfoundland recipes that are sure to please any crowd.

Molasses is a staple in the diet of Newfoundlanders, and lassy is simply short for molasses. The origin of 'mog' is a little less clear. Some people believe it means girl, while others say a mog is a small, slow rising cake. Historically, molasses were used as the main form of sweetener for baked goods in Newfoundland. White sugar was more expensive, and so it was saved for special use or for teatime.

Here is the recipe, which yields a dozen cookies (courtesy of Rock Recipes). You can alter the amount of molasses you use based on how dark you want your cookies to turn out.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 Tbsp powdered ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped dates chopped to the size of raisins
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup toasted pecan pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. First, toast the pecans at 350 degrees F so that they can cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the recipe.I toast whole pecans on a baking sheet for 10-12 minutes tossing them at the half way point. I then cool them and break each one into 2-4 pieces by hand. This little extra effort ensures nice big crunchy bits of pecan in every bite.
3. Sift together the flour, baking soda and spices and set aside.
4. Cream together the butter and brown sugar for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in the egg for another minute or so.
6. Blend in the molasses and vinegar. (The vinegar often occurs in old recipes as a way to boost eh rising action of baking soda.)
7. Fold in the dry ingredients by hand and when almost incorporated fold in the dates, raisins and pecans.
8. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the parchment lined cookie sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 14 minutes and let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Store in airtight containers. These cookies will freeze very well.

Enjoy, and let us know how they turn out!

-Katie Harvey

Granny and Grandad Go Fishing #FolklorePhoto

Granny Wood. Photo courtesy Anthea Tinline. Date unknown.

These photos are of Athea Tinline's granny, Olive Wood, and her granddad, Ralph Wood, who are prepared to go fishing and/or berry picking in Salmon Cove. Ralph is carrying a kettle in anticipation of having a boil up along the way. Do you usually have a boil up when you go fishing or berry picking?

Grandad Wood. Photo courtesy Anthea Tinline. Date unknown.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep092 Greater Vernon Museum and Archives

Gabriel Newman is a storyteller, actor, and educator based in Vernon, British Columbia. For the past fourteen years he has led the historic and paranormal walking tour, Ghost Tours of Vernon. He also created a community based storytelling food project called Social Potluck, which had him trading food for stories in order to create intimate mini community performance projects. His day job is as the Educational Coordinator at the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives where he creates and presents educational programming for students and adults. We talk about the museum, their innovative programming, and the art of straight razor shaving and sharpening scythes!

Download the mp3

Heart's Content Heritage District Community Meeting

Please join The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday, November 22 at 7:00pm at the Heart's Content Town Hall (154 Main Road) for a community meeting.

Meeting will entail:

• A presentation of the Heritage District Inventory and launch of inventory booklet (copies of the inventory booklet will be available at the meeting) 
• Potential new Heritage Structure Designations and information on Restoration Funding
• Next steps to realize the full potential of the Heart's Content Heritage District

All are welcome! If you require more information please contact Jerry (jerry@heritagefoundation.ca) or Katie (Katherine@heritagefoundation.ca) or call 709.739.1892.