nakayâskamohtahitowin: The Act of Introducing Yourself to Someone Else, and Academic Positionality

We enter into relationships when we are teaching and/or learning Indigenous Knowledge. These relationships must be based on the creation of ethical space that weaves together Indigenous and academic values. In Cree communities, one way that relationships are begun, acknowledged, and maintained is through nakayâskamohtahitowin (the act of introducing yourself to someone else). Introducing yourself is an act of wahkohtowin (kinship/relationship) that places you in an interconnected relationship not only to the people in the room but also to the wider world. In academic communities, acknowledging positionality is an integral part of the research process. By acknowledging positionality, the academic demonstrates both their awareness of the social fabric they work within and their ability to engage in reflexive analysis. This presentation will draw on both value systems to discuss how Indigenous Knowledge teaching and learning practices can benefit from explicitly incorporating understandings of and spaces for nakayâskamohtahitowin and positionality.

Presenter/Facilitator Bio

Tara Million

Tara is a member of Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta and has ties to the French homesteading community in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Lethbridge. She is also a doctoral student (ABD) in the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Saskatchewan. Her current research is about developing Occupational Health & Safety policies based on Cree law in order to address lateral violence in the workplace. Her research interests include Indigenous literature, Indigenous law, research methodologies, and paradigm switching. She has an MA specializing in archaeology from the University of Alberta and an MLIS specializing in management from San Jose State University. Tara worked for 12 years as a public library manager in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, and managed an archive in Alberta for 3 years. Tara served for 4 years as the Treasurer for the Library Services for Saskatchewan Aboriginal Peoples committee and was the liaison for LSSAP to the Saskatchewan Multi-Type Library Board. Tara is also actively involved in undertaking traditional experiential learning centered on the ceremonies and protocols involved with being a pipe carrier. She is the proud mother of 2 strong and beautiful young women.

Cost: Free
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/HF5vEHTT7dhkSx9L7

This is part of the Maskwacis Cultural College Microlearning Series and is open to the public.
Contact Manisha Khetarpal by email  mkhetarpal@mccedu.ca or call toll free: 1 866 585 3925