Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

News from Berkeley

• Three Cal alumnae propel Canada to historic Olympic finish

News from Canada

• Ojibwe Star Wars dub gives “New Hope” to Indigenous language advocates

Academic Opportunities

• 2024 ACSUS-Enders Graduate Fellowship in Canada-US Relations

External Events

• Concerts in the Redwood Grove: William Prince
• 2nd Annual Silicon Valley Terry Fox Run

NEWS FROM BERKELEY

Three Cal Alumnae Propel Canada to Historic Olympic Finish

The Paris Olympics closed yesterday, and both Canada and Berkeley have a lot to be proud of. Team Canada took home its second-largest ever medal haul at this year’s games, winning nine gold, seven silver, and eleven bronze. But they couldn’t have done it without the work of three talented Cal alumnae, including one athlete who won a coveted gold that helped Canada reach a 12th place global finish.

Camryn Rogers (BA/BS ’22, MA ’24) made history again this Olympics by earning gold in women’s hammer throw. Her victory was not only Canada’s first-ever medal in the event; it was only Canada’s third-ever gold in any women’s athletics event, and its first since 1928. Rogers, a native of British Columbia, is the top-ranked hammer thrower in the world, and was favored going into the event. Her perfomance also ensured Canada took gold in both hammer throw events, after fellow BC native Ethan Katzberg took first place in the men’s event. This is only the third time ever that one country took both medals.

Two other alumnae helped Canada take silver in the women’s eight rowing championships. Caileigh Filmer (Victoria) and Sydney Payne (Toronto), who both rowed for Cal, were part of one of only two Canadian boat teams to qualify for Paris. The medal continues a streak for Canada, which has won a medal in rowing at nine consecutive Olympics since 1992. Both Payne and Filmer are previous medalists, and both competed for Canada in Tokyo 2020. Payne made her debut appearance as part of the women’s eight team that won gold that year, while Filmer took home the bronze in paired rowing.

News from Canada

Ojibwe Star Wars Dub Gives “New Hope” to Indigenous Language Advocates

It’s not often that Manitoba gets the chance to host the premiere of a globally known franchise like Star Wars. But last Thursday, members of Anishinaabe communities gathered in Winnipeg for the world premiere of an Ojibwe language dub of the 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope (or, Star Wars: Anangong Miigaading).

The project is a partnership between the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council, the University of Manitoba, Disney/Lucasfilm, and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, with support from the Canadian government. It is only the second-ever translation of the film into an Indigenous language, after a Navajo translation was completed in 2013. People involved in the project hope that it will show Ojibwe as a modern, living language, and encourage its use and preservation.

As reported by the Globe & Mail, the project owes much to the involvement of one family. Project lead Maeengan Linklater (Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council), who spearheaded the initiative, is a lifelong Star Wars fan: he saw the original film twenty times in theaters. He enlisted the help of his relatives to bring his goal to life. His mother, Pat Ningewance Nadeau, is an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba and served as lead translator for the script. And his son, AJ Muldrew, who plays Luke Skywalker, was destined for the role – his middle name is “Jedi”.

The team spent two years working on the translation, which required the creation of new Ojibwe words to represent terms that have become an everyday part of English, such as “lightsaber” or “the dark side”. The Force, the spiritual power in Star Wars, became “Mamaandaawiziwin”, roughly “the wonderful thing”. With highly variable syllable counts between English and Ojibwe, one translation challenge was making sure each character’s lines didn’t overrun the time of the English dialogue.

Once the script was complete, the project recruited Ojibwe-speaking actors from both Canada and the United States in January. The actors spent ten days in Winnipeg this spring recording their lines, with final processing being done by Lucasfilm in California.

Ojibwe speakers hope that the movie will encourage wider use of their ancestral language. While Ojibwe is Canada’s third most spoken Indigenous language, it is considered severely endangered. One of the greatest difficulties in language preservation is encouraging its use by younger generations. Linklater himself feels profound sadness that he does not speak Ojibwe, despite his mother’s efforts, and he ensured that his son began learning the language when he was ten.

By fusing Ojibwe traditions with popular culture, advocates hope to reach new audiences and encourage pride in Ojibwe culture. Dustin Morrow, who voiced Obi-Wan Kenobi, is a University of Minnesota linguistics PhD student and member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. Morrow learned Ojibwe as a second language, and believes that mass media will be critical to securing the language’s future.

Star Wars is a good vehicle for this philosophy. It has particular thematic resonance for some Indigenous people, who see its story of resistance echo their own struggle against imperialism and colonialism. That symbolism was intentional on the part of creator George Lucas, who has previously stated that the film’s rebel protagonists were inspired by the Viet Cong’s success against superior American forces.

The film will began a limited theatrical release in Winnipeg and select other markets on Saturday; afterwards, it will be available on Disney+.

ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES

2024 ACSUS-Enders Graduate Fellowship in Canada-US Relations

Deadline: August 20, 2024

The ACSUS Awards Committee has announced the reopening of applications for the 2024 ACSUS-Enders Graduate Fellowship in Canada-US Relations. The award includes a US $5,000 grant, and is open to US citizen or permanent resident members who are enrolled in a full-time masters or doctoral program at an institution in the United States. The grant will support thesis or dissertation research related in substantial part to the study of Canada, Canada-US relations, or comparative policies in North America.

The grant will cover the 2024-25 academic year. Application packages should be submitted electronically (by attachment) to info@acsus.org.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Concerts in the Redwood Grove: William Prince

Thurs., Aug. 22 | 5:30 pm | UC Botanical Garden | Buy tickets

Enjoy a magical evening as you experience the music of Canadian First Nations singer-songwriter William Prince under towering redwoods in the Berkeley Hills. Since his debut in 2015, Prince has become one of Canada’s leading folk and country musicians, winning two Juno Awards and three Canadian Folk Music Awards. Guided by a practical yet profound gratitude, his songs convey the power of wonder and humility. With the recent release of his latest album, Stand in Joy, Prince has created a discography that traces his remarkable journey from Peguis First Nation, Manitoba, to playing sold-out shows across continents. A masterclass in skillful simplicity, Prince’s songwriting balances the personal and the universal, offering what’s true for himself in whatever way it is helpful.

2nd Annual Silicon Valley Terry Fox Run

Sun., Sept. 15 | 9:30 am | Palo Alto, CA | Register

Help raise money for cancer research while honoring a Canadian national hero. The Terry Fox Run is an annual international event commemorating cancer activist Terry Fox’s cross-Canada Marathon of Hope. Participants will celebrate his determination and inspiring legacy with a 5K run/walk event at Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto. Be sure to look out for our friends from the Digital Moose Lounge, who will be running as a team!

Funds from the event will be donated to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), a world-leading institution in groundbreaking cancer research and treatment. Donations are welcome from those who cannot participate in the run.

Canadian Studies Program

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