International symposium at NU – Challenging Canada 150

Nipissing University is hosting a multi-day international symposium to discuss how the humanities and environmental sciences can come together and revisit how we examine past environments within the context of settler colonialism.

The conference, titled Challenging Canada 150: Settler Colonialism and Critical Environmental Sciences, runs from Tuesday, October 10, to Saturday, October 14. Keynote speeches, workshops, teachings, panel discussions will take place at Nipissing University, Dokis First Nation, Discovery North Bay Museum, and the Capitol Centre in North Bay.

Envisioned and organized by Nipissing faculty members Dr. Kirsten Greer, Canada Research Chair in Global Environmental Histories and Geographies; and Dr. April James, Canada Research Chair in Watershed Analysis and Modelling; with Dr. Alan Lester, professor of Historical Geography at the University of Sussex, the conference is bringing together a an impressive and varied group of indigenous knowledge holders and scholars to consider the meaning of Canada’s 150th anniversary.

Keynote addresses open to the public include:

Scott McLeod, Chief of Nipissing First Nation, will speak about the Lake Nipissing Fishery in his keynote, titled, The Impact of Settler Colonialism on Lake Nipissing, October 10 at 8 p.m. at St. Andrews Church (399 Cassells St.).

Dr. Alan Lester, professor of Historical Geography at the University of Sussex, will speak about Lake Nipissing in the context of the global colonial project in his keynote, titled Snapshots of the British Empire: Governing Everywhere and All at Once, October 10 at 1 p.m. in the Weaver Auditorium (room B200).

Dr. Deborah McGregor, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice, York University, whose keynote address is titled Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Storytelling about the Earth, on October 12 at 9 a.m. in the Nipissing University Theatre (room F213).

Another conference highlight open to the public is the showing of excerpts fromVictoria Lean’s filmAfter the Last River, followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, at the Capitol Centre, on October 14, at 4:30 p.m.

Conference delegates will have enhance their research and analytical skills by attending workshops about ethical research practices, building meaningful partnerships between universities and First Nation communities, and how to safely share indigenous environmental knowledge with outside communities.

Randy Restoule, curator of the new Dokis Museum, will host the group at Dokis First Nation for an entire day devoted to learning about medicines and plants.