Kaya Weidman

I am currently a professor of History and Social Science at Dawson College in Montreal. I was born in England and moved to Canada when I was eight. I was excited to come to Canada because I had thought it was barren wilderness where my family and I would build a log cabin and fend for ourselves, Swiss Family Robinson style. Although I was somewhat disappointed by the reality of suburban Nova Scotia, I nevertheless stuck to my fantasy and for almost a year would take an axe and chop down a tree most days after school and several on the weekend. I think, perhaps, this connects to my interest in oral history because, as a practice, it searches for the meanings and myths in people's lives, not facts that might constrain their understanding of self or the world. My interest in history and storytelling led me through many forms of media and various university degrees searching for documents where individual lives intersected with broader social, political and cultural events. Having completed Oral History Summer School, I am excited to have oral history as a new practice to introduce to my students and the stories of residents of Hudson to think about as I pursue my own work.