Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

A Message From Our Director

This Wednesday marks an exciting milestone, as students return to Berkeley for the first time in over a year. Like many of you, we’re still navigating our physical return to campus and what that means for our program. But no matter how the fall shapes up, we’ll still be offering events and programs that create a forum for important Canadian topics, and supporting students engaged in research that promotes a greater understanding of Canada and its people.

As we work through a “return to normalcy” together, we thank you for being a part of our Canadian Studies community and hope to see you in person before too long!

Warmly,

Irene Bloemraad, Program Co-Director

UPCOMING EVENT

Elections Matter: The Politics of Coronavirus in Canada and the United States

September 14 | 12:30 pm | Online | RSVP here

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have wide-ranging consequences on North American politics. The effect of the virus on Joe Biden’s 2020 win remains debated; meanwhile, Justin Trudeau hopes to use the belated success of his vaccine procurement strategy to win his party a parliamentary majority in the September 20 federal elections. How has COVID-19 shaped electoral politics in Canada and the United States as it relates to crucial recent and ongoing policy choices? Political scientist Daniel Béland will address this question while discussing the potential political and policy consequences of the upcoming Canadian elections.

Daniel Béland is James McGill Professor of Political Science at McGill University and director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. His research focuses on public policy, political sociology, and federalism and territorial politics.

This event is cosponsored by the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, and the Berkeley Institute of International Studies.

IN THE NEWS

‘Mind Blowing’ Study Shows Grizzly Bear DNA Maps onto BC Indigenous Language Families

A new genetic survey demonstrates an astonishing link between British Columbia’s coastal bear population and its Native people. As reported in Science, the study, which was supported by local Indigenous councils, shows that coastal grizzlies divide into three distinct populations. But to researchers’ surprise, the populations do not correspond with obvious geographic barriers; instead, they closely align with the region’s three main language families.

Nevertheless, the results make sense to study co-author Jenn Walkus, a member of the Wuikinuxv Nation. Humans and bears have many of the same resource needs, she notes, such clean water or a steady supply of foods like salmon. This would encourage both groups to settle in the same resource-rich regions. She says that the study demonstrates the importance of recognizing interconnectedness as a principle of conservation work, and managing resources with a view to all species.

Image: Michelle Valberg, Science Magazine.

Call for Papers: Annual Conference of the French Association of Canadian Studies

Deadline: September 30, 2021

Seventy years ago, the Report of the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences 1949-1951, headed by Vincent Massey, was published. Called by some “the most important official document in the history of Canadian culture”, the so-called ‘Massey Report’ was both the first investigation of the state of the arts and culture as well as cultural policies in Canada, and the first major plea in favor of a strategic and financial support from the federal government for culture and cultural institutions across the country.

The French Association of Canadian Studies (AFEC) will explore the legacy of the Massey Report at their next conference, scheduled for June 2022. The objectives of the conference will be to take both a retrospective and prospective look at the state of culture and cultural policies in Canada. Proposals for papers with a title (400 words max) and a short biography (100 words) must be submitted by email to the organizing committee by September 30, 2021. Please visit their website for complete information and applications directions.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Exhibit: Kitchen Gizmos & Gadgets from the Kathleen Thompson Hill Culinary Collection

August 27 – November 28 | Napa Valley Museum | Learn more here

Kathleen Thompson Hill, a noted food and wine writer and Canadian Studies board member, has collected nearly 4,000 kitchen utensils as part of what she calls a “quirky obsession.” In a new exhibit at the Napa Valley Museum in Yountville, she highlights kitchens gadgets and gizmos you will not see anywhere else, from the first-ever ice cream scoop to the Toast-o-Lator. Previews for the exhibit begin this Friday, August 27; the exhibit will officially run from September 25 to November 28. Tickets are included with regular museum admission.

Inuit: The Arctic We Want

September 14 | 1 pm ET (11 am PT) | RSVP here

On July 16-19, 2018, delegates from Alaska, Greenland, Canada and Chukotka (Russia) came together for the 13th General Assembly of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC). Under the theme “Inuit – The Arctic We Want,” delegates discussed policies and developed strategies for the 2018-2022 Alaskan Chairmanship of ICC. The event culminated in the adoption of the Utqiagvik Declaration, which serves as a guide for the ICC’s work over the 2018-2022 term and as a reflection of Inuit priorities across Alaska, Greenland, Canada and the Russian Federation. Please join the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute as we welcome ICC leaders to share their perspectives on the Utqiagvik Declaration’s priorities, reflections on their implementation since 2018, and goals for the final year of the Alaskan Chairmanship.

Canadian Studies Program

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