Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

SPRING 2022 EVENTS CALENDAR

While 2022 is off to a challenging start with a new COVID upsurge, we at Canadian Studies are delighted to share our exciting Spring colloquium line-up, which revolves around new scholarship and practice on Indigeneity and immigration. We’ll hear about museums, cyberspace, Bay Area history, energy autonomy, and new agrarian projects in the Northwest Territories. Do join us!

Panel Discussion: Imagining a New Model for Repatriation of Indigenous Cultural Property: Lessons from Canada and the United States

Tuesday, February 8 | 12:30 pm | Online | RSVP here

How can repatriation be built from mutual respect, cooperation and trust? North American museums and institutions have historically engaged in the collection and categorization of Indigenous cultural property and knowledge without the consent or active involvement of Indigenous people. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was enacted in 1990 to return Native American “cultural items” to lineal descendants and culturally affiliated American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Despite this and further state legislation, many institutions including the University of California, have obfuscated or denied repatriation claims. Across the border, the Canadian government does not currently have legislation addressing the repatriation of Indigenous Ancestors and cultural heritage, but is working to create national support for repatriation through legislation Bill C-391. Some Canadian provinces have passed repatriation acts or provincial museum polices that have facilitated the return of ancestors and belongings. This panel discussion seeks to learn from what is being done in Canada. What is the cultural and nuanced work that builds successful repatriations? How can repatriation and indigenizing the institution from within preserve and strengthen tribal cultural heritage?

Join Canadian Studies affiliate Sabrina Agarwal (Professor of anthropology and chair of the UC Berkeley NAGPRA Advisory Committee) in conversation with Dr. Louis Lesage (Bureau du Nionwentsïo, Huron-Wendat Nation), Lou-Ann Neel (Curator and Acting Head of Indigenous Collections and Repatriation Department, Royal BC Museum), and Michelle Washington (Repatriation Specialist, Royal BC Museum) to explore these questions and hear about their experiences in repatriation.

Image: Kwakwaka’wakw house posts from British Columbia in the Hearst Museum of Anthropology, UC Berkeley.

Hildebrand Graduate Research Showcase

Tuesday, March 15 | 12:30 pm | Moses Hall

Learn about the research Canadian Studies funds through our Edward Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowships, as recipients present short overviews of their projects. This panel will have a special focus on issues of Indigenous resource sovereignty and development in Canada. Participating scholars will be Mindy Price (Environmental Science, Policy, and Management), with her project “New Agrarian Frontiers: Power, Sovereignty, and Public-Nonprofit Partnerships in the Northwest Territories, Canada”, and Aaron Gregory Young (City and Regional Planning), with “Kinship Infrastructures: Indigenous Energy Autonomy and Regulatory Sea Change in Beecher Bay”.

Establishing Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace

Thursday, April 7 | 12:30 pm | Moses Hall

Jason Lewis, founder of Obx Labs, will discuss his work using virtual environments to assist Aboriginal communities in preserving, interpreting and communicating cultural histories. Lewis co-founded and co-directs the Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace research network that is investigating how Aboriginal people can participate in the shaping of our digital media future. He also co-directs the Skins workshop, combining traditional stories and game design at the Kahnawake First Nations’ high school. Professor Lewis teaches design and computational arts at Concordia University in Montreal and holds a University Research Chair in Computational Media and the Indigenous Future Imaginary.

“Practically American”: What a Canadian Schoolteacher’s Fight Against California’s Anti-Alien Laws Reveals About the Boundaries of American Identity

Thursday, April 28 | 12:30 pm | Moses Hall

Brendan Shanahan, a Yale lecturer and former Hildebrand Fellow, explores the case of Katharine Short, a Canadian immigrant to California who challenged an early 20th-century law that banned non-citizens from state employment. Shanahan will discuss what her campaign – and the case overall – shows about the disparate impact of the state’s anti-alien hiring laws, comparing the experiences of favorably portrayed immigrants (like white, middle-class Canadians) vs. less favored non-citizens.

Conference: Implementing Migration Policy: Excavating the Administrative and Bureaucratic Processes Behind Migrant Admissions and Deportation

May 2-3 | UC Berkeley Campus

In a globalized world, one of the most difficult tasks facing governments is how to effectively manage cross-border migration. In recent years, many have highlighted the ways in which elected officials and lobby groups influence the politics that drives immigration policy. However, less attention has been paid to those tasked with carrying out immigration policy, such as bureaucrats who may work in conjunction with non-governmental organizations. With the aim of shedding light on how bureaucratic agencies and civil society organizations influence immigration policy and resettlement, we invite the public to attend a series of conversations exploring the dynamics of implementing immigration policy by showcasing cutting-edge academic research by an international group of leading experts. Further details to come!

Image: Peace Arch Border Crossing between the United States and Canada. David Herrera, Wikimedia Commons.

UC Berkeley Coronavirus Update

Last week, the University announced that all courses would be held online through January 28 due to the current Omicron wave. While this does not directly affect Canadian Studies, we will continue to monitor the situation and ensure our events conform with updated University guidelines. Please double-check all event listings before attending as details may change due to public health directives. All our events will continue to offer a virtual option this semester for those unable to attend in person. For the latest updates on the campus COVID situation, please visit the coronavirus resource hub.

Grant Opportunity: British Library Visiting Fellowships

Application deadline: February 1, 2021

The Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library in London welcomes Canadianists to apply for their 2022 Visiting Fellowship programme. These fellowships are open to academics, postgraduate students, creatives and independent scholars and cover all regions of the Americas.

For those living in North America, the fellowships are worth £3,000 (approximately $4,000 USD) and should enable around a month’s research in London. Due to the popularity of these fellowships, the Centre will focus most of this year’s fellowships on four research themes: sounds and music of the Americas; Americans beyond the Americas; American environments; and religion and spirituality.

For more information about the fellowship programme, please look here. The deadline for applications is 5pm GMT (9:00 pm PT) on Tuesday, 1 February 2022 and the Fellowship needs to be taken by 30 April 2024. For more information about the four themes, please look here.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Moses Hall #2308

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