Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

UPCOMING EVENT

Studying Religious Symbols and Bias in Court Proceedings

November 9 | 12:30 pm | 223 Moses Hall | RSVP here

Canadian Studies Sproul Fellow Nicholas A. R. Fraser will discuss research that examines bias against religious minorities within Canadian judicial procedures. Using original experimental data gathered in collaboration with Colton Fehr (Simon Fraser University), Dr. Fraser will use the example of courtroom oaths as a window into how Canadian cultural expectations can subtly affect an immigrant’s experience of “integration.”

Nicholas A. R. Fraser is a John R. Sproul Research Fellow with the Canadian Studies Program. He is a political scientist specializing in the impact of organizational culture on policy application. He holds M.A.s from the University of British Columbia and Waseda University (Japan), and received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, where he was previously an associate at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

This event will be held in-person at UC Berkeley; however, a live webcast will be available for those who would prefer to attend virtually. Please RSVP for more details.

This event is cosponsored by the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative, the Center for Race and Gender, and the Center for the Study of Law and Society.

IN THE NEWS

New Study Shows Vikings Were Living in Canada Exactly 1,000 Years Ago

For decades, historians have known that the Vikings were the first Europeans to reach the Americas. When a Norse settlement was discovered at L’Anse aux Meadows on the northern coast of Newfoundland in the 1960s, it confirmed that the Norse had settled in northern Canada hundreds of years before Columbus’ first voyage. However, fixing a firm date for the site has proved elusive – until now.

In a study published last week in Nature, scientists used advanced radiocarbon dating on wood fragments recovered from L’Anse aux Meadows to show that the site was inhabited in 1021 – exactly 1,000 years ago. Evidence of metal blades confirms the wood was cut by the settlers, as the native people did not possess this technology. Scientists were then able to use a distinctive growth pattern in the tree rings caused by a solar storm in 993 to precisely date the year the tree was cut.

Nevertheless, many mysteries remain to be explored at the site. The length of the settlement’s habitation and the size of its population remain unclear. It is believed that it was founded by settlers from Greenland, where several Norse colonies existed between the late 900s and an unsolved collapse in the mid-15th century. Debate also persists about the connection between L’Anse aux Meadows and the “Vinland” colony founded by explorer Leif Erikson, believed to be the first European to reach North America.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Beyond Settler Sex and Family: Kim TallBear in Conversation with Marcelo Garzo Montalvo

October 25 | 6:30 pm | Online | Learn more

Kim TallBear, professor and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Environment, Faculty of Native Studies, University of Alberta) will discuss how her work in Indigenous STS recently expanded to a new focus on decolonial and Indigenous sexualities. TallBear is working on a book that interrogates settler-colonial commitments to settlement in place, within disciplines, and within monogamous, state-sanctioned marriage. She considers how expansive indigenous concepts of kin, including with other-than-humans, can serve as a provocation for moving into more sustainable and just relations.

DML Chesterfield Chat: Money Talks: Cross-Border Finances and Your Kids and Teens

October 27 | 4:00 pm | Online | RSVP

Talking to kids and teens about money is always challenging. But when families also have to navigate US-Canada financial and banking challenges, things can get really complicated!

Join DML host (and Canadian Studies board chair) David Stewart and our expert panel as they discuss tips and strategies on how to get your kids comfortable with financial planning and how to unpack some of the technical challenges of moving money across the border to cover budget needs, Canadian university tuition, or other cross-border family needs.

Panelists include Heather Pelant, partner and Certified Financial Planner at Baker Street Advisors; Matt Altro, president & CEO at MCA Cross Border Advisors; and Marlene Atzori, Regional Advisor Cross Border Banking at RBC Bank.

Remembrance Day Ceremony

November 11 | 10:00 am | Petaluma, CA

Join US Branch 25 of the Royal Canadian Legion (representing the San Francisco Bay Area) for their annual Remembrance Day Service from Liberty Cemetery in Petaluma, California. The annual service will be streamed live from the cemetery through Zoom webinar and can be watched by registering here.

Stanford Live Presents: William Prince

November 11 | 7:00 & 9:00 pm | Stanford University | Buy tickets

Enjoy an evening with Manitoba-based Indigenous Canadian folk and country musician William Prince in a special Stanford Live performance cosponsored by the Digital Moose Lounge. A singer-songwriter of magnitude, Prince has earned critical accolades for his synthesis of country and gospel music with acoustic guitar and messages about the human condition.

Please note that all attendees must wear a mask and bring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of attendance.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Moses Hall #2308

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