It was truly an honour to be able to take my first-ever trip to the territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt) and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples, to participate in Learning Together: Connecting Researchers Examining Colonial Injustices and Inheritances at their Universities.
This multi-day workshop was hosted by the University of Victoria’s Colonial Injustices and Contemporary Realities (CICR) working group, and supported by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
As part of the weekend of activities I participated in a panel discussion with former Co-Chair of what was then Ryerson University’s Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win/ Standing Strong Task Force, Dr. Catherine Ellis, CICR affiliated graduate student Emma Bowick and Shaelyn Wabegijig of B’Maakonigan. Together we discussed the work of TMU’s task force, the renaming of the university and decommemoration of Egerton Ryerson, how institutions and grassroots memory practitioners can work together, and the challenges faced by organizations and individuals developing or undertaking reparative, anti-colonial, and decolonizing initiatives.
In particular I shared my experiences as the author of the Let’s Rename Dundas Street petition, and its ensuing public history, and memory activism campaign, as well as reflected on my work as a Research Assistant for the Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win/Standing Strong Task Force.
I am particularly grateful for everyone who shared their knowledge as part of this event, and for the chance to share mine with all of you.
Special thanks to Babak, and Jodi, and Betty White for showing me around!
