Volume 3: by QJIS

Nยบ 03

Queen's Journal of Indigenous Studies APRIL โ ข 2020

A M U LT I - D I C S C I P L I N A R Y U N D E R G R A D UAT E R E S E A R C H J O U R N A L

letter from the editors The 2019-20 academic year was an exciting, foundational year for the Queen’s Journal of Indigenous Studies. We feel honoured and lucky to be able to thank so many individuals for this year’s final product, specifically, those individuals who took part in editing, writing, and overseeing its completion. Our Editorial Board and Support Staff played an integral role in building the publication from scratch and ensuring the preservation of its integrity and quality. We also hold a deep sense of gratitude towards the Academics Commission of ASUS for supporting the work of our team and this year’s mission statement. We would like to extend our gratitude to the Indigenous community at Queen’s for embracing our mandate and supporting our endeavours. Finally, we extend our thanks to all of the author’s that contributed to this year’s publication, without their passion for Indigenous Studies this publication could not have happened. This year the focus and direction of the journal centered around community building and establishing the right foundations for the future success of Indigenous-focused undergraduate student research on campus. We are proud of the many policy, advocacy and internal changes that were implemented this year, and cannot wait to see the future successes of QJIS.

CO-EDITORSIN-CHIEF RACHEL AGNEW & JASNIT PA B L A

QUEEN'S JOURNAL OF INDIGENOUS STUDIES

MEET THE TEAM Rachel Agnew - CO-Editor-in-chief Rachel is a fourth-year Global Development Student, who aims to reinforce the need for Indigenous research at Queen's and in academic institutions at large. Rachel is passionate about the increased visibility and representation of Indigenous academia at the post-secondary level, and the continued diversification of the boundaries of western academia to include Indigenous ways of knowing. She hopes that the journal can provide a platform for our voices that have historically been ignored in western institutions while promoting inclusivity, awareness, and a greater understanding of Indigenous cultures. Jasnit Pabla - CO-Editor-in-chief Jasnit is a fourth-year political studies student with a minor in History. She hopes to see the journal build a strong foundation and pursue its mandate effectively this year with a committed, passionate team. As a non-Indigenous person, she hopes to pursue the appropriate paths towards allyship by supporting and encouraging Indigenous scholarship and academia. MISKO MCGREGOR - CONTENT AND CONSULTATION COORDINATOR Misko McGregor is an Algonquin-Ojibway member of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, which is a First Nation reserve located near the town of Maniwaki, Quebec. Misko was born in Ottawa, Ontario but was raised for the majority of his life in his home community. During his upbringing he was fully immersed in his traditional culture attending a half day Algonquin language immersion program until eighth grade. Misko currently attends Queen’s University where he is in his third year. HANNAH TOSELLO - CONTENT AND CONSULTATION COORDINATOR Hannah Tosello is a fourth-year Biology major at Queen’s University. She is passionate about the deeply intertwined relationship between Indigenous people and the land of which they reside on. Her studies in biology and the environment have allowed her to explore more ways in which we can protect the natural world. Hannah hopes to pursue a career in environmental assessment while at the same time advocating for Indigenous land rights. Hannah hopes that through the journal, she can learn more about her own culture and engage with others while simultaneously bringing greater attention to Indigenous ways of knowing. LOGAN MARACLE - EDITORIAL BOARD Logan Maracle is a Mohawk member of the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, which is a First Nations reserve located between Belleville and Napanee, Ontario. It took a long time for Logan to connect his people’s culture and language to his identity. Logan values community and traditional pedagogies and philosophies over western paradigms in order to stand tall as a resilient Indigenous man studying in a predominantly Eurocentric institution. He feels honoured to be a part of a phenomenal team and he will strive to enrich the voices of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people through their pieces. MACKENZIE CAMPBELL - EDITORIAL BOARD MacKenzie is a second-year health studies student. As a non-Indigenous person, she strives to support Indigenous individuals and communities by promoting cultural sensitivity and awareness on campus and in academic publications.

CYNTHIA SEDLEZKY - EDITORIAL BOARD Cynthia is a third-year Psychology student with a keen interest in indigenous cultures and knowledge systems. She is happy she has this opportunity to combine her passion for academia and writing with indigenous-related works of art and literature. Through publications of QJIS, as well as QJIS’ annual speaker series, she hopes to increase the frequency at which non-indigenous inhabitants of Turtle Island reflect on their lives as a settlers, as well as the associated privilege and costs. ROSALYN MARTIN - EDITORIAL BOARD Rosalyn is a third-year politics and gender studies student and has recently completed a certificate in law. She is proud to situate her education in anti-racist and sexist ideology and believes in the importance of fostering difficult conversations about race, politics and Indigenous affairs with her friends, family and peers. Rosalyn is passionate about Indigenous representation in politics and hopes that the journal will foster a platform to speak about the importance of inclusion, allyship and action through local, provincial and federal policy. CHELSEA DUNN - EDITORIAL BOARD Chelsea is a fourth-year Political Studies student with a minor in Indigenous Studies. She hopes to see the journal expand the space where Indigenous academia combats the problematic ignorance that produces and maintains colonial systems. As a non-Indigenous person, Chelsea continues to work towards supporting the growth of Indigenous positionality and ways of knowing in academia. In doing this, she hopes to promote the responsibility of non-Indigenous students to critically assess what it means to exist on stolen land. SOPHIA YOUSSIF - EVENTS AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR Sophia is a second year Global Development student who wishes to see the journal reach out to a wide and diverse platform in order to spread indigenous knowledge, culture, and visibility in the pursuit of allyship through awareness and growth. JASMINE ELLIOT - STUDENT LIAISON & EVENTS STAFF Jasmine is a fourth-year history student. As a non-Indigenous person, she is dedicated to broadening the discussion of the issues and hardships that surround the lives of Indigenous peoples, and fostering a milieu of sensitivity and respect within the Queen’s community. She is extremely honoured and excited to be involved with the Journal, to engage with the student body, and to aid in the goal of the publication to amplify Indigenous voices through literature and artistic expression. CORY SCHOLTZ - editorial board and WEB AND MARKETING COORDINATOR Cory is a fourth-year English student. He hopes that the journal will help express the current need for further reconciliation and acknowledgement on Queen’s campus and beyond. As a non-Indigenous person, he also believes that the journal is a catalyst for the increased awareness of contemporary indigenous issues, whilst sustaining the need for an increased visibility of Indigenous culture, language, and ways-of-knowing. He looks forward to the Journal’s publication, and its propensity for a change in perspective within a predominately colonial setting.

QUEEN'S JOURNAL OF INDIGENOUS STUDIES

06.

14.

OHEN:TON KARIWATEHKWEN

LET HUMILIT Y BE THE MEDICINE THAT HEALS THIS NATION

A POEM BY SARAH DURANT.

A REFLECTION BY COURTNEY WYNNE.

08. SITUATING INDIGENOUS / SET TLER RELATIONS IN CANADA AN ESSAY BY CALLIE RENOUF.

16. STICKING IT TO THE MAN AN ESSAY BY TAYLOR T YE ABOUT KINGSTON'S COLONIAL PAST.

CONTENTS

20.

26.

IGNORANCE: WHERE HURT AND ANGER LIE

MAMA I DON'T KNOW A POEM BY MAYSAM ABU KHREI-

A GENERATIONAL POEM BY

BEH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF

COURTNEY WYNNE.

THE MATRIARCH.

22.

30.

THEMES OF INDIGENOUS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPLOITATION AND INDIGENOUS RESISTANCE

MOVING FORWARD: A SELF-REFLEC TION

A BOOK REVIEW OF "MARROW THIEVES" BY CHERIE DIMALINE, BY DANNY MCLAREN.

ART WORK

A PERSONAL ANECDOTE BY MALLORY SUNDAY ABOUT THE PROPENSIT Y OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM, AND HOW TO MOVE PAST IT.

BY MEAGHAN TABOBONDUNG

KARIWATEHKWEN

OHEN:TON 6

QUEEN'S JOURNAL OF INDIGENOUS STUDIES

I know people can be mean, The ones that walk on you. They don’t understand Turtle Island, Like the way that we do. Mother, I am sorry, For all they have done. I am sorry for the harm, That was caused by their ‘fun’. I know the waters are not clear, Yet many need them to be. I know the fish are in danger, Since they are dying in the sea. I know the plants are trying, To keep growing every day. I know our Three Sisters are still here, To feed us in every way. We will still continue, To put our medicine down for you. We know you need our help, We’re doing everything we can do. The animals, they still roam, Loving what remains. Without the trees,

SARAH DURANT

"WORDS BEFORE ALL ELSE"

QUEEN'S JOURNAL OF INDIGENOUS STUDIES

“I S CANAD I AN ENGAGEMENT W I TH I ND I GENOUS PEOP LE I N CANADA SHAP ED BY I ND I FFERENCE , I GNORANCE OR DEN I AL? ”

QUEEN'S JOURNAL OF INDIGENOUS STUDIES

THREE PIVOTAL NOTIONS STRUCTURED BY A COLONIAL STATE: SITUATING INDIGENOUS / SETTLER RELATIONS IN CANADA CALLIE RENOUF

The following paper will interpret how citizens and the state engage with Indigenous people in Canada, and how this is shaped by three primary divisive tactics that operate in tandem with colonial violence: indifference, ignorance, and denial. The question posed in this paper is indicative of some of the most pivotal inquiries that govern the ways in which settler peoples, and Indigenous people(s) interact throughout the Canadian matrix. To address what is at stake in the stated query, the three tactics will be shown as active agents in situating the rift between Indigenous people(s) and settlers in Canada. The aim of this piece is to interpret how these isolating strategies implemented through colonization, all lead back to epistemological counternarratives of the significance of land. The presence of indifference within the contentious relations shared between Indigenous people(s) and the Canadian state is rooted in power imbalances that are thoroughly analyzed by Tuck and Yang. The authors discuss being objective to the colonizing code that governs knowledge, and how refusing this code is embedded within rejecting Imperial impositions of dominant bodies of power. Indifference has infiltrated the collective colonial structure of thought that settler Canadians possess through a process of codes. Settler codes in Canada have derived from the righteous discourse of the settler right to know and therefore control all other land, people(s), and customs. Thus, narratives that are understood by Canadian settler society do not question: “Who gets to know? Who gets known? Where is knowledge kept, and kept legitimated? What knowledge is desirable? Who profits? Who loses/pays/ gives something away? Who is coerced, empowered, appointed to give away knowledge?” (Tuck & Yang, 2014, p. 812). This is because it is always, through disproportionate power imbalances that those who conform to the purest identity of the state often identify with or as the capitalist, white, cis-heteropatriarchal male figure. Ultimately, indifference is embedded in the power of the aforementioned figure, as it is structured in the upholding of the state, while Indigenous and other marginalized Knowledge Systems are perpetually undermined, criminalized, and sidelined. Coulthard and Simpson discuss the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Studies Association (ASA), centring the discussion on the voices of Indigenous

folx that were predominantly and unsurprisingly ignored in the exposure of the event’s outcomes (Coulthard and Simpson 2016, p. 249). The authors highlight that other than the symbolic gestures that opened the conference with regards to open ended land acknowledgements, Indigenous hosts were not called on or consolidated in the events production of proposals, research, or even identified on the conference’s website (ibid, 2016, p. 249). This narrative is one that has been a hindrance on the physical lives, sovereignty, and self-determination of Indigenous people in what is colonially understood as Canada since the dawn of contact. The predominant binary that the authors highlight is embedded within notions of epistemological indifference between a wide range of Indigenous communities and Canadian settler society. Coulthard and Simpson express the relations between the Mississauga Nishnaabeg, the Wendat, and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in the discussion of the ASA as examples to prove Western indifference by representing them as having communal understandings and respect of each other’s styles of governance and sovereignty in maintaining nation to nation ties (ibid, 2016, p. 249). These relations maintain harmonious boundaries as it is described that each nation is dependent on the individual reciprocal relationships their communities have developed with the Great Lakes, and “the diverse plant and animal nations within their territories, the thunderers and rains, and all the physical and spiritual forces that connect them to this place, their place of creation, in an intimate and meaningful way” (ibid, 2016, p. 249). Coulthard and Simpson further the conversation of struggles in solidarity through epistemological indifference by situating the pivotal history of colonialism and the Western paradigms that have created such a large rift between Indigenous folx and settler Canadians at the centre of the issue. Most directly discussed is Marxism, defining the theories that intrinsically critique the exploitative nature of capitalism and how the West universally relies upon these theories to navigate a collective society away from the systems violent pretenses. However, what Coulthard and Simpson analyze is that they are wary about the works ability to deconstruct the Western divides centred in the superiority of the white, heterosexual, masculine, and state-centric identity informed by Marx’s work (ibid, 2016, p. 252). This identity is

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in their own erasure by violently forcing the superiority of a set universal figure into the perceptions and ideologies of Indigenous identities (ibid, 2016, p. 252). Therefore, we see these epistemological differences that interpret the significance of the land in Indigenous livelihoods as adeterminant of health, communal well-being, and a simultaneous tool in protecting the harmony amongst nations, while Eurocentric Western knowledge provides linear hierarchical systems that view the land as dependent on its manipulation by (the capitalist idealized) man. These indifferences are also established by the forceful and violent assimilatory tactics of past and present that push lifestyles of predominantly white settlers towards Indigenous folx. Ultimately, as determined by Scribe, Indigenous people are the original inhabitants of the land as violently claimed now as Canada; however, settler Canadians continue to dismiss the recognition of their sovereignty, governing structures, social systems, and non-hierarchical reciprocal relations to land that pre-existed the territory’s domination (Scribe, p. 2017, 52). These notions of indifference are also met with ignorance on a grand scale, and this ignorance has manifested itself through the colonial narrative that is spread across the minds and structures of what make up the settler colonial state of Canada. Schaefli et al. describe this colonial ignorance as invested within the creation of the structure of the settler colonial state, embedded within the displacement of Indigenous governing systems whilst simultaneously attempting to fully erase distinctions between what mainstream settler culture considers “colony” by instituting assimilatory concepts of metropole (ibid, 2018, p. 477). One could consider these tactics as land assimilation and domination, as they work in tandem with colonial extractivism. The degradation of land and hyper-collection of resources that work together in destroying Indigenous traditional lifeways are structured in Western thought paradigms. These circumstances coincide with historical and contemporary systemic racism that has been brought forth through invasive settler colonial ideologies of “political, economic, and identity ties” used to justify settler belonging to place (Schaefli et al., 2018, p. 477). These narratives that continuously amplify notions of settler belonging, discussed by Schaefli et al. are also relational to the production of knowledge in invader states through the discussion of the term known as the “epistemology of ignorance”. The authors characterize ignorance as a violent tactic used to subdue knowledge systems that work to dismantle the status quo (ibid, 2018, p. 477). In the case of Canada, the strategic perpetuation of ignorance amongst settlers that is used to generate and ensure the rift between settlers and Indigenous

people(s) remains stagnant, as Indigenous Knowledge Systems and sovereignty are a threat to the autonomy of the invader state. Such notions are directly envisioned through the Kanyen’keha:ka resistance movement known as the Oka Crisis and the articulation of settler opinions on the situation envisioned through Obomsawin’s documentary Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance. Obomsawin’s film documents the ways that the ignorance of settler Canadians is influenced by governmentality and the telling of history from a Eurocentric lens to uphold the solidified, segregational structure of the Canadian state. The Oka Crisis was a creation of blockades that were installed by the Kanehsatà:kehró:non in Oka, Quebec in 1990 on the basis of land defence and protection of a Kanehsatake Mohawk burial ground on traditional land that had been forcefully stolen. The land was up for development to establish 9 more holes to complete an 18-hole golf course initiated by the city of Oka’s mayor. The protest began peacefully as a group of Clan mothers from across the Haudenosaunee Confederacy joined in solidarity to defend the lands until the city’s injunctions to have them removed became too much of a threat. In this, they began to call in Mohawk Warriors, and as the population grew, the “stakes rose” from a municipal situation to national one, and Canadian military operations were called to the scene. Obomsawin’s film documents many contentious interactions between settlers and Indigenous people(s) that occurred because of deeply rooted colonial ignorance. Those most discernible also prove to be the most hostile on behalf of the settlers, whether this be explicit or symbolic. One of the most crucial scenes depicts settlers who were set up outside the Kanehsatake community as Kanehsatà:kehró:no attempted to leave their homes in fear of a military attack. As people passed by, visibly, predominantly white settlers threw rocks at their cars during their escape. One of the rocks hit the chest of a 78-year-old Mohawk man who died from a heart attack later the same day (Obomsawin, 1993). Another violent situation depicts settlers surrounding a lamp post that held a fabricated caricature of a Mohawk warrior who was lit on fire, as everyone chanted the word “savages” around it (Obomsawin, 1993). Through colonial state initiatives, the public is led to understand that the Canadian history of land theft and violence against Indigenous people and their ways of life are of past tense, therefore instilling ideologies of a post-colonial state structure. Crosby and Monaghan highlight that these depictions of the state are entangled in mainstream settler histories that control the narrative of the majority, and therefore enforce the aforementioned ignorant perceptions of post-colonialism. The authors enforce that these thought processes are present due to the country’s

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1867 claim of independence from British and French ties. Although colonizers still exist within Canada today as Canadian settlers, Crosby and Monaghan state that history depicts “this independence from Britain meant a degree of political independence for the settler majority” but, what is not included is that this “did not include self-determination for the colonized population” (ibid, 2012, p. 424). In this, we see settler depictions of Indigenous action and resistance against direct colonial violence such as that of the Oka Crisis as demonized and not attached to what is really a colonial present. In further understanding ignorance, it is also important to note the surveillance of Indigenous people and its mediatisation. The Canadian state’s war against Indigenous people(s) who continue to be stewards of the land, is fueled by the state’s capitalist structure and its need for perpetual capital. However, as consistently noted, in the resistance of Indigenous people in their fight for sovereignty to be understood both as autonomous nations and epistemological entities, the battle is synonymous with the protection of lands from colonial extractivism. In using and mediatizing military force, as the state has done consistently as an attempt to protect its structure, Proulx explains that there has been a terror identity placed on Indigenous individuals and organizations (Proulx, 2014, p. 89). Colonial truths are often hidden from settler society as a tactic in maintaining the division between settlers and Indigenous people(s) to protect the status and anatomy of state; an example would be the exposure of Canada’s Department of National Defense and the Draft Counterinsurgency Manual of 2005. Proulx, depicts that the document targeted grassroots organizations that were considered “radical” Indigenous organizations, labelling them as mass security threats. These strategies did not differentiate organizations such as the Mohawk Warrior Society that participated in the aforementioned Oka Crisis from Hezbollah and the Islamic State, groups recognized by the Canadian government as international terror organizations. Although many of these claims have been physically amended, per se, these statements reveal “the unjustifiable labelling of Indigenous political activists as insurgents'' and the “surveillance of, and military planning against, [I]ndigenous peoples in Canada” (Proulx, 2012, p. 89). By proxy, these realities also contribute to the threatening ignorance of settler society. In navigating these perceptions of ignorance brought forth through colonial narratives, it is

significant to understand, as Coulthard discusses, the binary between Western ideologies of time-oriented understandings and Indigenous place-based understandings (Coulthard, 2010, p. 79). The resistance and resilience of Indigenous people(s) is embedded within a connection to place that is contingent with their ways of knowing. Western notions of ‘development’, continue to threaten Indigenous lands as this discourse is understood by the disproportionate majority of white settlers as the only means for progression. Given this, the Canadian state persists in putting innate Indigenous ontological dependencies of place at risk (Coulthard, 2010, p. 80). The cognizance of land pedagogy is also analyzed by Simpson, as she discusses “Nishnaabewin”, a term used to encompass all teachings and intelligence connected to Anishinaabe lifeways. Simpson thoughtfully denounces the pathway that has led to settler complicity and ignorance by contrasting non-consensual dominating settler knowledge with the importance of consent in participating in Nishnaabewin (Simpson, 2014, p. 15). Domination has been purposefully filtered to go unrecognized by settler Canada, and colonizers are taught to believe they hold a state of place that views Indigenous folx as unworthy of consent. In dismantling this, Simpson explains that Nishnaabeg and other Indigenous Knowledge Systems are obscured and/or incriminated by colonially manipulated delineations, while in reality, holistic Indigenous Knowledge Systems are founded in consent and dependent upon “intimate relationships of reciprocity, humility, honesty and respect with all elements of creation, including plants and animals” (ibid, p. 10). These explanations of indifference and ignorance then lead to the third shaping of relations between Indigenous people(s) and the Canadian state and individual settlers, contextualized as denial. The following context of denial will represent the Canadian state’s rejection to legitimize or acknowledge basic human rights for Indigenous people(s) through the example of the unacknowledged resistances measures initiated by Theresa Spence and individuals from Northern Cree communities in the Treaty 9 region. Simpson discusses her 2014 Keynote The Chief of Two Bodies in a way that exacerbates “the performance of empathetic, remorseful, and fleetingly sorrowful states” in relation to the denial of Indigenous disparities in Canada. What persists as most significant in her speech is her assertion that states do not have to participate in the killing of Indigenous people(s), as their forceful invader perceptions penetrate the minds

"...tactics of indifference, ignorance, and denial are strictly embedded within the most contentious relations in Canada..."

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of settler peoples in Canada and allow citizens to do this for them (Simpson, 2014). Through mainstream media sources, there are significant accounts of colonial thought processes driven by capital significance to state, to deter settler Canadians from the real crises of food, housing, and heath insecurity that are and have been occurring in Attawapiskat during the time of Chief Theresa Spence’s infamous hunger strike of 2013. Rather than focusing on how the degradation of land for colonial benefit has impacted the livelihoods of Indigenous people(s), state tactics follow a pattern of delineating this colonial violence. Mainstream news authors such as Bourbeau have chosen to alienate the misallocation of government funds that had been “donated” to Northern Ontario and Quebec Cree communities by the state during what is articulated as Spence’s time as Chief, therefore criminalizing her (ibid, par. 8, 2014). Or even Kay, who discusses the failure of Spence to partake in a “wholehearted” fast, in the critique of her body during excruciating weeks fighting for sovereignty, and the health of her peoples and their lands (Kay, par. 4, 2013). Mainstream national commentary persists in Simpson’s discourse that resistance movements go unrecognized, or in other words are denied by white Canada, as resilient acts of sovereignty and as refusal to die throughout the constant battle to simply discuss Crown obligations, but are instead viewed as a failure of Indigenous people(s) to follow the colonial objective that was put forth in the expectation of their death (Simpson, 2015 p. 7). Former Prime Minister Harper’s refusal to meet with Spence and all other Indigenous folx that sacrificed themselves in the centre of ongoing death as attempts to gain any form of state recognition enforces the location of the Canadian state’s energy and loyalty. In this, contemporary state implementations of a Reconciliation approach to seemingly express its responsibility to Indigenous people(s) and the injustices they have faced are still justifying the continuation of the status quo that continues to damage the lands and ways of knowing of Indigenous folx (Corntassel, 2009, p. 145). Presently, it is seen that these patterns of assimilation, land theft, and dismissal of Indigenous sovereignty, bodies, and colonial oppression have reconstructed themselves more responsibly in their external form, yet remain structured in the same domination values internally. As dictated by Corntassel, from a state level, the only way for there to be any possible amendment of relations between Indigenous people(s) and settler Canada is embedded within re-storying, truth-telling, and community-centered decolonization efforts focalizing Indigenous voices on a larger scale (ibid, 2009, p. 139). Individually, it seems that it would be most effective to focus on allyship dependent upon engaging in activism and

in understanding truth, as well as being an accomplice alongside Indigenous people(s). These conceptions entails a focus on aiding to dismantle violent state structures through initiatives driven by the stakeholders of distinctive communities (Clemens, 2017, par. 4). Ultimately, the previous has depicted the past and present operational tactics of indifference, ignorance, and denial are strictly embedded within the most contentious relations in Canada – those between settlers of the state and Indigenous people(s). The discussion of coding, and mainstream narratives proves that white settler Canada holds the power to expose knowledge, while Indigenous ways of knowing are inherently sidelined, and criminalized. In the discussion of Schaefli et al., and the term the “epistemology of ignorance”, it is envisioned that the state uses the perpetuation of ignorance as a tactic in the division between Indigenous folx who according to Coulthard, and Simpson rely on land pedagogy, and place based understandings of coming to know, and Canadian settlers who rely on time-oriented understandings. In discussing circumstances such as the Oka Crisis, we see the surveillance of Indigenous people as molded in this tactic as the violent and colonially driven reactions of settlers dismiss the significance of land to their lifeways, and critique their acts of resistance for sovereignty in dehumanizing ways. This is also envisioned within the section of denial in the interpretation of Chief Theresa Spence’s hunger strike through the eyes of the predominantly white settler public. As seen, this was widely critiqued on the basis of state capital investment in Indigenous communities as being misallocated during Spence’s time as Chief in her community, and what is interpreted as her disappointing physical figure not disappearing during her acts of resistance against the ongoing death of her people and their lands. This inherently proves that the state of Canada is invested in colonial narratives that devalue the need for the sovereignty of Indigenous people(s) and their lands, whilst also hiding behind false and empty articulations of reconciliation that take the form of reconstructed philosophies of domination. Conclusively, in order to begin processes of ameliorating relations between Indigenous people, the state of Canada and it’s citizens there must be reconstruction of status-quo that centers Indigenous spearheaded decolonization projects embedded in truth-telling, and a reconfiguration of the story that exposes the real histories of Canada. Settlers must also take individual action in being accomplices, and allies to these issues on grounds formulated by Indigenous people(s) to allow for places that are safe, and free from violent colonial rhetoric that acts to destroy the work that Indigenous people have been partaking in since the dawn of invasion.

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LET HUM IL IT Y BE THE MEDIC INE .. . COURTNEY WYNNE

At the beginning of my journey in DEVS 220, I made a choice to be courageous and vulnerable: I shared a poem that gave insight into my personal experiences with my Indigenous heritage and identity. Being an Indigenous woman, I have had many traumatizing experiences consisting of white people (usually males) verbally attacking me or belittling me whenever I spoke out about the injustices my people faced, and continue to face, by settler colonizers. Putting myself in a vulnerable position and knowing the possibility of negative responses I could have encountered was a risk I had to take, but it was also the very reason I needed this course. That moment was my act of resistance against the oppressive ways of our inherently racist, patriarchal society. I will not be silenced out of fear. As my Elders say “we are our ancestors,” meaning that I came into this course with a spirit subjected to 500 years of exploitation and oppression. I came in with Aa spirit that possessed thousands of years of cultural, traditional, and relational Anishinaabe knowledge. I came in with aA spirit havingwith the responsibility to care for generations who have come before and after me. But I also came in with aA spirit havingwith little to no knowledge or understanding of the ways institutional or structural racism work oppression towards Indigenous people nor of the oppressive tactics that are inherent to our patriarchal, capitalist society. My spirit was, and is, lost. How do I begin to help my people when I do not entirely don’t understand myself or, the root cause of this socially-constructed inherent racism, and its complexity? I was excited to take this course to address the unknown. I was even more excited to be taught by an Indigenous professor, ProfessorDr. Bob Lovelace. Disappointingly, on the first day of class, a white woman stood before me. I knew my spirit was going to be neglected of cultural, traditional, and healing teachings, and only the intellectual part of me would be well fed. I was, for the most part, correct. Every class, Professor Rebecca Hall never failed to enlighten me. I learned a great deal from the concept of dis-enfranchisement, that Indigenous peoples are racialized by exclusive classification as it benefits capitalism1. I realized why my status card made me

feel “more Native”. Status is a colonial conception of Indigeneity that can be given or taken away by the state, and it is a tactic to conquer and divide my people. Learning about the many tactics used to assimilate Indigenous peoples into a Western colonized society has been eye-opening and helpful in understanding why myself and so many other Indigenous people struggle with our identity. I will forever be grateful for the gracious teachings from Rebecca Hall and to have met such a strong and virtuous ally. However, the onus is on Queen’s University to recognize the value in hiring an Indigenous professor for an Indigenous course. I will never know what cultural knowledge I may have missed out on by having the course taught by a non-Indigenous person. Although there are many distinct Indigenous tribes, we often share similar teachings including holistic care and humility. But thisThis dominant medicinal knowledgetrend is only valued in the Western, colonized world when it is convenient to settler culture. in the Western, colonized world emphasises that our intellectual and physical knowledge is only valued when it is convenient to settler culture. Colonizers value our knowledge and teachings when it suits them but continually neglect to acknowledge and tend to the spiritual and emotional aspects of Indigenous culture; I see white sage sold commercially or television frames of non-Indigenous people waving it all over their house to rid of ghosts. But if non-Indigenous, especially European settlers, really valued the practice of smudging they would know that our sacred medicines should not be bought, that the purpose is to cleanse ourselves, surroundings, or to release the spirits so they can travel to where they belong. My people value all four aspects that make us who we are, holistically; equally. If we don’t tend to one part, or if one part of us is wounded, it impairs us as a whole. I fear that is what happened in this course. It is unfair and unrealistic that Queen’s University expects a non-Indigenous professor to deliver an Indigenous course that satisfies all four basic principles of Indigenous knowledge and culture; spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical. Putting a non-Indigenous professor as the instructor for an Indigenous course is not only unfair to the students but unfair

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to the professor, as the university is setting up both parties to fail by ignoring inherent cultural experiences that come with being an Indigenous person. Upon reflection, speaking to my fellow Indigenous friends and my counsellor, I feel that the importance and value of the spiritual and emotional aspects of Indigenous life was a topic that was neglected in class and, in turn, affected other areas in our lives. Speaking from an Indigenous perspective, in every class, I learned a great deal, but I was also re-traumatized, and every class I left full of anger, hurt, and sorrow. I felt that the professor of my Indigenous course was unable to relate to the Indigenous experience. This discouraged me from speaking with my professor about my feelings, because, generally speaking, white people don’t have the experience or perspective that comes with racial oppression. There were days I refused to go to class, because I didn’t have the emotional capacity to be consumed by anger and hopelessness. As expressed in poetry I’ve written, it is my people’s culture, traditions, and ways of life that heal and bring me peace. Professor Rebecca Hall notably said - with humility - on the first day of class, there are limitations that the class will inherently face while she, a white person, is teaching an Indigenous course. While I applaud her acknowledgement, the circumstances do not change. One of those limitations included exposing students to potentially traumatic events while offering no ways to help us heal from them. Being able to process these emotions is a valued and inherent part of Indigenous culture, and I felt I was unable to properly examine the emotions I was left with after each class. My point here is not in singling out Professor Hall, she did what she could, but she or any other non-Indigenous professor are simply not capable of delivering what an Indigenous scholar with lived Indigenous experience, a strong connection to their land through culture and language, can deliver to me and those in DEVS 220. At the beginning of this course, I knew my responsibility as an Indigenous person was to help heal my people. But how? Do I become a physician, practicing western and traditional medicine, so my people are that much less neglected in terms of healthcare and spiritual healing? Do I pursue law after undergrad to

challenge the government that deliberately discriminates against my peoples? Do I teach, so that future Indigenous students have a leader they can seek advice and guidance, and so that non-Indigenous people can be educated accurately abouton Indigenous peoples and their own roles in the settler colonial project? Is attending a colonial institution beneficial or harmful? Where I situated myself in Indigenoussettler relations at the beginning of this course and at the end has not changed. When an Indigenous person decides to express and embrace their heritage, they are not only connecting with their culture but are also taking on the responsibility to advocate for Indigenous people’s rights in a social climate that is inherently oppressive. The Indigenous agenda will continue to be to learn our traditional ways so that we can help our people find their spirits, to heal in order to heal others. I’m trying to figure out where I situate myself within this agenda and within Indigenoussettler relationships and, as I stated before, I hoped to have come out of this course with greater insight. I have been gifted (more accurately, had the financial means to) the knowledge and resources that can and will help me decolonize deconstruct this society so my people can live in peace and prosperity. As everyone agreed upon in class, there cannot be true truth, healing, and reconciliation until there is a drastic regime shift between descendants of settler colonizers, settlers, people of colour inPOC of Canada, and Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island.3 Indigenous people may only heal when the socially constructed ideas surrounding Indigenous people are deconstructed, and the inherent oppression that we face as members of this society no longer exists. When the government stops hiding behind “treaties” as a way to legitimize the stealing of our land, when Indigenous cultures and languages are is recognized equally within the identity of this country, when our voices rise up to overpower the voice of oppression and institutionalized racism, then Canada (Turtle Island) can take real steps towards truth and reconciliation. Let humility be the medicine that heals this nation.

. . .THAT HEALS TH IS NATI ON. QUEEN'S JOURNAL OF INDIGENOUS STUDIES

STI CK ING IT TO THE MAN: ADRESS I NG THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF K INGSTON TAYLOR TYE

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Kataro’kwi, or Kinsgton, is a place of rich history, but just what story is this city choosing to represent? This region has been inhabited by Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, the Kanien'kehá:ka and the Mishizaagig in particular for centuries. The Huron and the Wendat were here even centuries before them. Situated on waterways that are conducive to travel such as (what are now called) the St. Lawrence and Cataraqui Rivers, and Lake Ontario, this region has always been a convenient space for gathering, trading and ceremony. The French were the first to settle here, building Fort Frontenac, which was later taken over by the British. After the American Revolution, what is now known as Kingston was purchased from the Mississaugas through The Crawford Purchase in 1784. The land was then granted to European settlers loyal to the crown, known as Loyalists, and displacement of the Indigenous population accelerated. Touring around town and glancing over the government issued plaques of historical details, it might be easy to feel a sense of Canadian pride or nostalgia, perhaps even inspiration. Taking a closer look, though,whose history are these plaques leaving out? What is really being said in the purposefully excluded details and why? When doing a “scavenger hunt” in City Park last month with a class, I was inspired by the plaques in the park, choosing to “read between the lines”. By looking at specific word choices, grammar tenses and what the writers of these plaques often chose to omit - usually Indigenous or female factoids - I felt a revelation about the history of the city of Kingston chooses to portray: the history of the white male colonist. I wanted to find an approach that brought the Indigenous history of this region, Kataro’kwi, out into the public in a way that disrupted these primarily colonial frameworks of history.

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Indigenous representation. “Otaes” says their work is “education by any means necessary” (Instagram). I was motivated by this mandate and thus the idea of creating informative, disrupting, counter-colonial didactic stickers to paste around Kingston was set forth. I found that the biggest challenge when creating these stickers, was to find a singular focus for the content. As an Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe woman) I chose themes for the stickers that I hoped would properly represent my fellow Indigenous community members as well as generate educational dialogue for a settler and visitor audience. These themes include: lack of acknowledgement of Indigenous presence, what it means to be a “treaty person”, Indigenous youth suicide rates, parks as colonial products, the

an elderly man had stopped to read a sign in which I was posting a sticker that acknowledged the fact that the word “colonizer” had been discolored in attempts to erase the term from the biography of a person of apparent local importance. The man asked me why the sticker I was posting had anything to do with the sign. I explained to him the purpose of my project was to bring to light the regional Indigenous history and the damage done by colonization. He brushed off his apparent discomfort by explaining a project on local architecture he had done in the past and suggested our work was similar. I simply wished him a good day in hopes that perhaps his engagement with this encounter was more internal. The second response I received was much more aggressive. I had posted 18

I drew inspiration from the Instagram account “@ ndn.o” whose author goes by the pseudonym “Otaes”. This account labels itself as a history restoration project. Based in the United States, the author works within various communities by tagging public locations such as trains, phone booths and street signs with statistics and facts about the Indigenous population of America. These facts are meant to expose the ‘truths’ many are ignorant of due to the colonial lens of history that is forced upon the North American population. The author chooses to remain anonymous because their work is considered to be vandalism, although the messages being promoted are educational and crucial, it is still dangerous. Despite anonymity, they are nonetheless a ruthless guerilla for

creation of the Belle Park totem pole and Kingston Penitentiary as a colonial institution. Creating the stickers was not the main objective of this project; rather half of the work. I would often be working on them with my friends or family close by and would ask for their opinion on the design of the sticker. This became a prime opportunity for education as they often had questions about the content of my stickers. This is the whole goal of such a project; not the stickers themselves, but the dialogue they create for their audience, whether internally or with others. When posting the stickers around town, I found this phenomenon of conversation to be replicated in conversation with strangers as well. I had two conversations with some local men about the work I was doing. One was fairly benevolent and pleasant:

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a sticker on a plaque outside of city hall which pointed out the missing acknowledgment of Indigenous presence. The man, who happened to be in military uniform, seemed to be quite offended by my temporary defacement of public property. He said bluntly, “well of course we know they were here first, they just didn’t fight hard enough”. This comment really rattled me, and it was then that I realized just how heavy the burden of truthful and sometimes controversial education can be. I posted one more sticker and went back home, feeling exhausted. Throughout the day, I had been posting a documentary-style video series of the placement of these stickers on my Instagram page. After coming home, I received around fifteen messages supporting and encouraging the work I was doing around town. I was in shock! I thought that these stickers would be seen as such a minuscule act, but t4he responses I received encouraged me that I was doing much more than what was at surface level. Many of these messages called what I had done “important and necessary work” and encouraged me to keep going. What was even more impactful was the amount of support from others, who recognized that taking on this sort of work was emotionally exhausting and that I shouldn’t have to bear it alone. None of the messages I received were critical. I felt overwhelmed with a sense of true community and support when a few of my friends even offered to help me distribute stickers around campus.

Many of the stickers near Queen’s campus are made possible by their kind efforts and I can’t thank them enough. There were some discussions held with my family following the project that challenged my opinion of the colonial history; but over all these conversations were of a curious nature which led to education and awareness of various Indigenous issues of both the past and present. As stated before, dialogue is the goal. Without curiosity and the desire to learn, there is no room for discussion. I am grateful that some of those who engaged with the stickers, including family members of mine, have gone on to research and read up on current issues to become more informed of the present social and

political intersectionalities affecting the Indiegnous population. Through this small project I have learned so much. I have opened my eyes to the biases represented in the history that our governmental systems have chosen to exhibit and have decided to use a more critical lens when engaging with such information. I have learned that when dealing with history that is uncomfortable, especially to settlers, responses may not be pleasant or empathetic. It is when dealing with such responses, that it is important to remember that there is a strong community that is also engaging with this important work and that they are there for support. This work is burdensome, but it is not carried alone. For example, at Queen’s, there is an avid display of kinship, education and support through the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre. The march that was held in response to the racist and homophobic threat posted in a dormitory’s designated ‘safe space’ this past fall showed solidarity with Indigenous and LGBTQTS+ students. The cultural awareness workshop series held at the University also promotes cultural sensitivity and respect. Four Directions holds events for both self-identifying Indigenous students and non-Indigenous students that include drumming, beading and sharing circles, sacred fires, feasts, and full moon ceremonies to promote healing and healthy lifestyles through traditional teachings. These are just a few of the examples of support within the Queen’s community. As a future educator, I felt really empowered by this project knowing that something as simple as didactic stickers could generate conversation and education, which in turn could stand to promote a more informed and inclusive history. I would have liked to make more stickers because there is so much more I would like to say. I would have liked to make “personalized” stickers for plaques in town commemorating colonizers to highlight the damaging acts of colonial violence perpetuated. I would have also liked to make this project a virtual treasure hunt where a hashtag could be created to encourage folks to seek out stickers around town then post their findings on social media. There is opportunity in the unfinished. There is still more work to be done.

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IGNORANCE: WHERE HURT

COURTNE

“Ignorance is bliss” To an Indigenous person, it’s offensive without a miss. But it’s okay, the white man doesn’t know, How dare we let our emotions show. What the white man doesn’t know? Let me give you the memo, It won’t all rhyme, it’s hard to make my sorrows flow. Sitting on my grandmother’s bed, To young me she said, “They were bad people who did bad things. They fed us rotten food and wouldn’t let me talk to my brothers. When you’re older, I will tell you more.” That time never came, Death rang. Sitting at my dining room table. I read what my grandmother wasn’t able. The historic heroes: They deceived my people, They took advantage of my people, They stole from my people, They killed my people, They separated my people, They abused my people, They tried to take identity away from my people.

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HURT AND ANGER LIE

EY WYNNE

Historic heroes? More like historic zeros… In my eyes. “Why are the Indigenous languages disappearing?” “Why don’t you know the history of your people?” “Why are so many Natives addicts?” “Why are there few people in the Indigenous communities leading by example?” The white man asked, Pray my anger be masked. We are the ones to be blamed? You should be ashamed. My favourite yet, “Those Natives get so much money from the government.” The white men fret. Let me break it down for you, Into something you can chew, Maybe this will be the breakthrough. The wealth of the “Americas” comes from the extraction of the land, The land the white man stole from my ancestors’ hands. But it’s okay, the white man doesn’t know, How dare we let our emotions show. “Ignorance is bliss”, To an Indigenous person, it’s offensive without a miss.

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THE MARROW TH I E V ES BY CHE RI E D IMAL I NE: THEMES OF IN DI GENOUS AND ENV I RONMENTAL EX P LO ITATI ON , AND I ND I GENOUS RES I STANCE

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline is a dystopian, survival novel written for young adult readers. The story takes place in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic Canada, in which environmental degradation has led to mass disease, death, and depression, and the vast majority of the population has lost the ability to dream (Dimaline 2017:25-26). This is not figurative: in the future Métis writer Dimaline imagines for our world, climate disaster and sickness have stolen settlers’ ability to dream. What begins as desperate attempts to appropriate aspects of Indigenous culture(s) which settlers believe are capable of curing their dreamlessness turns into a system modelled after residential schools. Indigenous people are hunted and abducted by government truancy officers to have their bone marrow harvested for rich, white settler Canadians to use as medicine to return their dreams (ibid.). The novel follows Frenchie, a sixteen-year-old Métis boy who has lost his family to these post-apocalyptic residential schools and the bone-marrow extraction process. The narrative begins with Frenchie being rescued by a small found-family of other Indigenous people. The group survives by hiding in the woods from government truancy officers, nicknamed ‘Recruiters’ by Frenchie and the rest of the group (ibid.). The bulk of the novel explores the journey taken by this group of nine as they venture north, away from the residential schools and cities which are crawling with Recruiters. Throughout their travels, the novel details how the group survives in the woods, both physically, through hunting techniques taught to them by their leader Miigwaans (also referred to as Miig), and emotionally, through their sense of community and the cultural lessons taught by both Miig and Minerva, the group’s elder (ibid.). Using the content presented in The Marrow Thieves and drawing on work from Indigenous scholars Bonita Lawrence, Jeff Corntassel, and Cheryl Bryce, this essay will discuss the ways in which Cherie Dimaline explores the themes of Indigenous resistance, resilience, and resurgence in the face of colonial violence in her novel. In particular, this essay will examine The Marrow Thieves in relation to colonial exploitation of the natural environment, exploring the concept of Indigenous relationships with the land. The process of colonialism has been and continues to be one of exploitation. In The Marrow Thieves, this exploitation is two-fold, including both the exploitation of the Earth’s natural resources and land and the exploitation of Indigenous bodies. The future described in the novel depicts predicted effects of climate change, in which full cities have

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sunken into the ocean and the once fresh-water of the Great Lakes has become too polluted to drink (Dimaline 2017:24). When Miig tells the group about their history during a weekly practice of knowledge sharing that Frenchie refers to as ‘Story,’ he explains, “the earth was broken. Too much taking for too damn long, so she finally broke” (ibid:85). From this piece of dialogue, along with other information available from the story, one can surmise that the earth has reached an environmental breaking point as a direct result of the over-extraction of natural resources and pollution. Miig also explains that the vast amounts of once-fresh water in Canada were polluted and are no longer safe to drink, the government sought out clean water from the few available sources left: the rivers and lakes on Indigenous reservation land (ibid:24). In order to access this water, Indigenous communities were forcibly removed from and dispossessed of their land, displaced by the government (ibid.). Miig explains this further, saying, “our lands were filled with water companies and corporate investors” (ibid:89). Here, it is clear that in the future in which The Marrow Thieves takes place, Indigenous peoples have lost control over their reservation lands, are being forcibly relocated, and have no say in the regulation of the natural resources that exist on their lands. Bonita Lawrence speaks on this topic in her essay Aboriginal Titled and the Comprehensive Claims Process, where she discusses the 1995 Inherent Right To Self-Governance Policy created by the Federal Government of Canada (2011:125-126). This policy established that Indigenous people in Canada have the right to govern their own communities regarding issues that are “internal to their communities, integral to their unique cultures, identities, languages, and institutions, and with respect to their special relationship to their land and resources” (Lawrence 2011:126). This policy, however, is specifically written to only extend the power of self-governance to issues deemed to be ‘internal’ to Indigenous communities and therefore does not consider Indigenous rights to the land- or the funds directly coming from the land. As a result, this policy does not recognize the universal nature of Indigenous relationships to the land and therefore does not grant Indigenous individuals and communities the power of self-governance over issues involving the use of the land or its resources by the government (ibid:126). This is the same issue explored in The Marrow Thieves, as Indigenous communities were not the ones to ruin the Earth’s natural resources, but rather this was the fault of highly wasteful and harmful corporate production and consumption,

allowed by government compliance and by exploitative global systems of power (Dimaline 2017:24-25). However, it is Indigenous people who must now pay the price for the environmental degradation enacted by colonialism and capitalism by losing access to their lands, the cultural and spiritual connections that exist between them and their lands, and, as will be explored further in this essay, their lives (ibid.). The second type of exploitation explored in the novel is that of Indigenous people themselves, as well as their bodies and their cultures. In The Marrow Thieves, the settler population of Canada first attempts to remedy their dreamlessness by turning to the appropriation of Indigenous ceremonies, as Indigenous people had retained the ability to dream when all others had lost it (Dimaline 2017:18-19). A story told by Miig, in which he says “our way of life was being commoditized,” tells us that companies appropriated aspects of Indigenous spirituality and culture to be sold as a cure (Dimaline 2017:89). This commodification of Indigenous life worsened when the government began to siphon the dreams out of the bone marrow of Indigenous individuals to be bottled and sold as medicine (ibid.). This escalated the commodification of Indigenous ways of life to the annihilation of actual Indigenous lives (ibid.). Characters make specific reference to Indigenous bodies being treated as products that can be bought and sold multiple times throughout the novel. Frenchie’s dad tells him that “[the government] don’t think of us as humans, just commodities,”, which is demonstrated when a pair of men attempt to turn the group of main characters in to the government for a monetary reward (ibid:203). When viewed in relation to environmentalism and the land, the extraction of dreams from Indigenous people’s bodies, as well as companies attempting to profit off of the sale of their traditional ways of life, can be seen as a metaphor for the appropriation and the accompanying environmental degradation of the land for the sake of profit, as Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing are so closely tied to relationships with the land (Bryce and Corntassel 2011:234). Presently, companies and government bodies extract resources from the land and continue to harm the natural environment through large-scale infrastructure development in an attempt to turn a profit. These profits are then funnelled back into corporations and the Canadian government, which are themselves colonial institutions (Bryce and Corntassel 2011:234) Despite the fact that this wealth is being earned from the resources available from appropriated Indigenous lands, none of it is given back to

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Indigenous communities, which are impoverished and kept impoverished by the colonial system that denies Indigenous peoples full rights to their land (Lawrence 2011:126-127). Through this process, the Canadian government directly exploits Indigenous people, keeping communities unequally developed, while reaping the monetary benefits of the land. The Marrow Thieves additionally references the cultural harm that environmental degradation causes to Indigenous groups. The Marrow Thieves additionally references the cultural harm that environmental degradation causes to Indigenous groups. As discussed by Corntassel and Bryce, environmental degradation threatens the cultural practices of Indigenous people that are based on healthy, sustainable relationships with the land (2011:234). These include land-based and water-based practices such as hunting, fishing, farming, and gathering natural medicines, which are disrupted by the clear-cutting of forests, the pollution of lakes and rivers, and the dwindling populations of plants and animals (Bryce and Corntassel 2011:234). However, it is through these cultural practices that the characters of The Marrow Thieves maintain their connections to the land, and demonstrate Indigenous resistance and resurgence. It is colonial exploitation that jeopardizes the environment and the relationships that Indigenous groups have with the land. This contributes to an increased sense of disconnect and distance between Indigenous people and the land (Bryce and Corntassel 2011:234) This creates modern (or, for the case of The Marrow Thieves, a future) Indigenous ways of being that remain based around a healthy place-based existence (ibid.) In The Marrow Thieves, this knowledge and the cultural practices that surround it are essential to both the physical and cultural survival of the group. The characters depend on the cultural knowledge of hunting, fishing, and navigating that is passed down to them by Miig to evade capture by the Recruiters and feed their small community (Dimaline 2017:33-36). Through these practices, the characters reclaim their Indigenous identities, their connections to the land, and engage in Indigenous resistance that is not founded in government-awarded rights (Bryce and Corntassel 2011:236; Dimaline 2017:33-36). By operating outside of systems of government recognition, such as Self-Governance policy, Indigenous people are not limited to working within the confines of the colonial systems that continues to produce the dynamics of colonial power that Indigenous activists and resistance workers advocate to dismantle (Bryce and Corntassel 2011:236.). And, in

the world of The Marrow Thieves, where Indigenous people have been stripped of their rights and are reduced to commodities in the eyes of the government, resistance outside of the colonial governmental system is the only form of resistance (Dimaline 2017:89-90). Instead, the characters in the novel practice their culture and spirituality in ways that align with the principles of sustainable self-determination, which are sustainable for a number of reasons (Bryce and Corntassel 2011:236) They are environmentally sustainable, as they rely on Indigenous cultural practices based on reciprocal relationships with the land, as opposed to the harmful ways in which colonizers exploit the land (ibid.). They are also culturally sustainable, as they involve the teaching of cultural knowledge and practices to future generations (ibid.). Frenchie and the other members of his group utilize sustainable self-determination as a pathway to their own cultural resurgence. The adults in the group take time out of each week to teach the kids words from their language, relay their oral history, and engage in specific cultural practices at multiple times throughout the book, such as smudging, smoking tobacco, and hunting (Dimaline 2017). And, much like Indigenous people in present-day Canada, by practicing their culture in the midst of colonial violence, the characters of The Marrow Thieves are actively resisting oppression, and working to revitalize their culture and their own identities, by continuing to partake in and pass on their culture, their ways of life, and their knowledge. The Marrow Thieves is a story about indigenous resistance and cultural resurgence as it relates to relationships with the land. Over the course of the novel, members of Frenchieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group maintain their Indigenous identities and continue to learn important cultural practices and histories, despite being unable to fully live their place-based existence while on the run. Through these teachings, Frenchie and his community are able to survive in the wilderness both physically, by hunting for food, and culturally, and through maintaining the relationships between themselves and the land. In this way, The Marrow Thieves displays Indigenous sustainable self-determination, a practice of cultural resurgence that is based on passing down community and cultural learning to future generations and of protecting and giving back to the environment, as it shows the importance of Indigenous relationships with the land and exemplifies Indigenous resistance based around the land.

" I ND I GENOUS P EO P LE ARE NOT LIMITED TO WORKING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE COLONIAL S Y STEMS "

DANNY MCLAREN

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MAMA I DON'T KNOW This is a personal spokenword piece dedicated to my mother. The piece is an ode to her sacrifices as a single mother, her journey as a Palestinian-Syrian refugee, in addition to my own feelings of displacement as a Muslim Palestinian-Syrian of colour dwelling in the lands of Turtle Island. The piece strives to make space for the pain that comes with being a child of diaspora, in addition to recognizing one’s loss of cultural knowledge, familial connections, mother tongue, and connection to a mother-land one cannot visit due to the occupation. The piece explores how coming to know about one’s roots and histories in relation to one’s homeland, is a form of resistance to the erasure of a people - in this case – the Palestinian people. The feelings encapsulated within the piece, whether it be of rage, hope or desperation, are driven by the love one has for one’s faith, matriarchal connections and people.

MAYSAM ABU KHREIBEH

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Mama I wrote about you I wrote about you in school I made a comic book about you I told my teachers My classmates With pride, I looked them dead in the eye And said Mama survived a mass bombing on her refugee camp when she was only 13 years old We're almost 13 What in the world have we experienced? Honour mama Kiss mama's feet Pray for her For heaven is located under her feet Her hard working feet Feet that walked over broken bombshells Toes that touched the dust of war Heels split by the displacement of generations through tayta and jido Syria and Palestine Permanence in a temporary mokheyem3, a temporary place of refuge But the site of another war Extensions of the hate the blood the darkness shed from home To the foreign place of Canada Mama tell me please Is it possible to build a true home in Canada a home on native land?

Balancing a single parent life Mama you carried Four hard headed kids on your back All alone I asked the audience that day to honour their guardians as a tribute to you, Mama Our heads Our heads were stubborn Our heads harder than the helmets meant to protect IDF soldiers From the resilience and strength of the rock The weapon of the intifada Mama Where did jido leave his rock? Did he take it with him to the temporary place of refuge? Or did he bury it under decades of blood in the once fertile land back home? Mama I want to honour you Mama I want to honour you so bad it hurts my heart knowing that I can't teach my kids the mother tongue you sung to me on nights I was scared, the language that tayta used to wipe your tears, the words that you could use to share your own story Mama it hurts that I have never seen it You have never seen it Mama itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in our blood The olives The lemons The dirt The skies Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in our blood but why - why can't I see it?

Mama I spoke about you I spoke about you in a poem A poem I presented proudly in front of 1000 people Mama it made my teacher cry Cry because she felt my love for you My honour for the name you gave me Maysam Abu Khreibeh The name you carried on your back Like you carried me once

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Time goes on You're forgetting We're losing They're winning this is what they wanted Exile Exile Exile Dirty Arabs Go back to your country

But our land is your land Your land is my land No No No Mama we're losing I can't see I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t taste All I ever wanted was to embrace the olive tree But they stripped it from its roots Disembodied Disembodied Lost Its taste Its home Its stability Mama what's you without history? Misplaced I find myself retracing crumbs of knowledge in distant lands Lands where the white man stole from the "Dirty Indian" centuries before he stole from me Mama I act because of you Mama I do I scramble I ask questions - ashamed I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know But I don't blame you For the loss The grief I feel for something I never had Mama I act because of you I move I talk I sing I dance I continue because of you Mama I want to learn more for you I want to share with you all that they stole from us I want to dig into every archive, every library, every shelf, every book,

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into the depths of each page Each word I want to speak for every life they took, And every step Jido took, and every tree that fell, and every key that was stolen, and every child that was taken in the midst of the night, and every land succession, and every bomb on the mokheyem, and every Athan that was silenced Impossible silence I want each word that I unearth from the land to fly fly and hit them hard Hard like a bullet Hard enough to shatter the rock solid wall of apartheid that they have carried in their hearts and minds to ignore our cries As people, people continue to die Mama I breathe for you For the essence of resilience you transpire in all the breaths youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve shared with me Story is our resistance We are in a place of exile Separated by generations Separated by language Separated by culture But I swear on my life I will know every tale every legend every tear that was shed I will know, Mama I will know

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MOVING FORWARD: A SELF-REFLECTION MALLORY SUNDAY

On the morning of October 10, 2019, I woke up at 9:00 am to prepare for my 10:00 class. I remember waking up, getting out of bed, and admiring the sunshine that had flooded my room. I still had that excitement that all first-years have in the beginning months of school. I was just about to start getting dressed when I checked my phone and saw that I had a notification from a group chat that was comprised of my floormates. I was surprised they were all up at 9 am, so I glanced through the messages. I was confused at first, but after scrolling to the top of that chat I saw it. The note. The one that threatened my floor, my friends, and me. Shocked was an understatement. I felt like I was still asleeping and that this was only a nightmare. I hastily got dressed, a thousand thoughts and emotions ran through my mind. I was confused, angry, scared, and hurt. Who could have written something so vile, and why? I went straight to my floor’s common room, it was our safe space that we all liked to hang out in. I was met with several of my friends and my Dons. I’d been told the note had been torn up, but there were still pictures of it. I realized that I was the only one from my LLC in the room. The note had not only attacked members of the Creative Arts LLC, which was comprised of about 32 people, but the Indigenous and Allies LLC, which was made up of only 10 people. One being me. I was the only one from a reservation on my floor. That being said, the note felt more personal. I had attended a high school off of my reservation, one where the Native student population

only comprised about 15 percent of the students total population. In my naivety, I thought that I had left all of the racism and small-mindedness back in high school. I chose the Indigenous and Allies LLC because I wanted a sense of community and I wanted to meet others who were like me. After reading the note, I realized how naive I was. I felt so stupid for getting my hopes up, and I was devastated that the idea I had for my floor was shattered. I noticed that the people in the common room could tell what was going through my mind. Being an indigenous student is one thing, but being threatened because you’re an indigenous student is another. I hugged my friends while tears fell, and amidst my sadness and anger I said: “I thought I left this shit back in high school.” I hated crying in front of people, so I said I was leaving for class and ran off. That wasn’t a lie though, I did have a class. The only problem is that I wouldn’t be attending it that day or the second class that I had that day. The class that I was going to was on the other side of campus, and I was determined to keep my composure and deal with the note afterward. However, halfway to the building, I couldn’t contain myself, and so I sat on a bench, put my hood up, and sobbed. I felt robbed of the safety and sense of community that I felt at Queen’s. I hated that the people who wrote the note not only threatened my friends but also my Indigeneity. I grew up as a Roman Catholic. I was baptized and made my First Communion and Confirmation. There are those on my reservation who still attend Longhouse and follow traditional teachings, and I felt that those

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people were “more Native” than me. I felt as though I was betraying indigenous people by believing in a religion that was introduced by colonizers. That being said, I felt as though I was betraying my family, who are devout in their belief in God. I felt as if I was between two worlds, and the shame was overbearing. I was ashamed to not know my culture and I was ashamed that my questioning Catholicism made me a bad Catholic. On the one hand, I was distraught that the authors of the note had made racist remarks against me and my floor. But on the other hand, I felt as though I wasn’t allowed to be upset because I wasn’t indigenous enough. A few weeks after the note I noticed I was still struggling with its effects. I wasn’t going to classes and my anxiety had skyrocketed, and I was angry that the note had caused this. I was angry because this was exactly what the authors of the note wanted, and it felt like people were moving on but I wasn’t. I felt very alone and overwhelmed, even though I knew I had friends and resources to turn to. About two weeks after the note first appeared, I sought out an indigenous counselor at Four Directions. I had never been to counseling before and while I was nervous, I knew I was tired of bottling up my emotions. I was grateful to talk to someone who could relate on a cultural level and help me understand why I felt the way I did. It took a few sessions and a lot of tears and anxiety attacks, but I was finally able to work out my anger, sadness, and anxiety. It has now been over 3 months since I read the note, and in those 3 months, I have heard many rumors and false claims about it. This

event made me face the reality that there are ignorant people in this world who will stop at nothing to bring others down. However, this event brought me closer with my floormates, and it made me realize the power we have together. When the Queen’s March Against Hate was organized, I realized the support that we have on campus. But even now, 3 months after the incident, the authors of the note have still not been found. This is unfair to not only me but to the other students in my building and on campus. We should not be living with and attending school with these people, as they do not represent the values of Queen’s University. I am appalled that more has not been done to find these people, and I am appalled that the promises that the University made to us in regard to better security have not been fulfilled. In order to move forward, more has to be done. We can’t let this be swept under the rug. As I’ve had time to reflect on who I was at the beginning of the year to now, I noticed that this was the first time I was confronted about my insecurities about my identity. It was a very jarring experience, and while it hindered by happiness for quite some time, I needed to decipher who I am. Because if not now, then when? I always thought that I needed to conform to one of my identities - indigenous or catholic - but with the help of my counselor, I was able to question why I felt the need to choose just one. I never thought to try to embrace both. It’s going to be a long journey, but I am determined to make the best of it and move forward.

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