Writing Activities

• Draft Syllabus

Dr. Robert Henry (Department of Indigenous Studies, USask)

Summary: The project titled Sites of Survivance, was a community-engaged research project with three NGOs located in Saskatoon and Winnipeg. The community partners work closely with individuals who are engaged in street lifestyles and looking to exit them. The data is comprised of life history qualitative interviews with some participants engaging in a modified photovoice data collection exercise. The focus of the papers are to provide a better understanding of survivance as an analytical tool to understand Indigenous street lifestyles. The papers can explore multiple themes such as violence, engagement with social systems (education, child welfare, justice, health), urban Indigenous identity, and resurgence narratives. Using Gerald Vizenor's framework of survivance to examine literary spaces, survivance within the study looks to position Indigenous experiences within settler colonialism, where individuals must utilize specific tools to survive, resist and resurge their notions of self. A survivance framework then is intended to challenge pathologized theories that have constructed Indigenous peoples as victims to colonization, colonialism, and their involvement within street lifestyles. Therefore, survivance challenges positivistic perspectives that focus on Indigenous peoples as lacking morality or education to make proper decisions, and shifts the focus on innovative ways to survive and challenge settler erasure.

Notes: Pre-meeting with Dr. Henry and post-course writing retreat (online or in person, dependant on COVID-19 restrictions).

Dr. Ranjan Datta (Indigenous Studies, Mount Royal University)

Community-led Anti-racist Climate Change and Health Resilience.

Summary: Indigenous people, immigrants, and refugees are world’s largest and fastest-growing climate victims, yet climate change solutions fail to meet their needs. To date, climate change research has primarily focused on technical solutions and physical infrastructure; less is known about how social context and relations affect the capacity of Indigenous, immigrant, and refugee communities to adapt to climate change. The climate change crisis is a significant structural, historical, and ongoing high-risk challenge for many Indigenous, new immigrant, and refugee peoples in many parts of world. Yet, climate change policy often lacks an anti-racist perspective and fails to respond to the needs of these populations. We (Indigenous, immigrants, and refugees Elders, Knowledge-keepers, and scholars) are working for an anti-racist policy and practice guideline to respond to community-led climate change and health resilience.

Notes: If you are interested to contribute to this area, you are welcome to join us. We love to work with you, support you, and co-publish with you. You can reach me at rdatta@mtroyal.ca