Xàgots’eèhk’ǫ̀ Journal is a collaborative project led by partners from Aurora College, Hotıì ts'eeda: NWT SPOR Support Unit, and Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning.

Xàgots’eèhk’ǫ̀ Journal is a space for exchanging stories, research, philosophy, and art, and unify Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, knowledge holders, community members, and artists regardless of regional or disciplinary boundaries.

This new, Northern-based open access journal publishes work in multiple genres on topics important to Northerners, and aims to share, strengthen, and celebrate Northern peoples’ relationships to land, language, culture, and way of life.

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 Licence that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal. 

 

About the Logo

In 2020, Xàgots’eèhk’ǫ̀ Journal invited northerners to submit logo designs for the journal. The selected design was created by Aidan Cartwright, a teacher and resident of Yellowknife, in collaboration with his wife Simone Tielesh.

The overlaid sticks are the foundation of the fire, representing collaboration and cooperation between distinct entities with a common purpose. (LAND)

The two flames of the fire are representative of learners, scholars, youth, and Elders. The one with greater knowledge is the larger flame and the learner or student is the smaller flame. Eventually the smaller flame becomes the larger flame through experience, an example of the cycle of learning and knowledge-sharing. (CULTURE)

The rings of light emanating from the fire are representative of what comes from knowledge sharing – stories, research, philosophy, and art. (WAYS OF LIVING)

 

Acknowledgement and Appreciation of Funder by Dr. Pertice Moffitt

It is with deep appreciation that we acknowledge funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for a Connection Grant enabling the development and creation of the Xagotseehko Journal. The Principal Applicant is Pertice Moffitt along with Co-Applicants: Jessica Dutton, Kerry Lynn Durnford, Kim Lemky, Perez Oyugi, Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox, and John B. Zoe. The institutions supporting the grant are Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, Hotıì ts'eeda, Aurora College, and the Government of the Northwest Territories.  The grant was for the year January to December, 2021 but the pandemic influenced a decision to request an extension which was granted for an additional year to December 2022.  In the summary of our proposal, we described the process as an initiative to provide the Northern territories and circumpolar regions with a knowledge translation platform for Indigenous and Non-Indigenous scholars, students and faculty to disseminate narratives, Indigenous and Western research, theory and reviews. We have already benefited so much from the learning process of creating such a unique journal.

I would like to list here just a few outcomes we have achieved. We were able to support and mentor Janat Ibrahimi, a graduate student from the University of Alberta, in the position of Outreach Coordinator. She coordinated stakeholder workshops that provided rich dialogue from interested participants, connected with communications to develop videos about the journal, a web-site to house submissions, a contest with local artists to create a logo, and organized meetings with sub-committees such as the Editorial Committee.  Janat demonstrated an ongoing leadership and commitment towards the journal. We congratulate her on successful application to pursue a PhD.  

Another outcome is the creation of a process of relational review for the journal that will evolve with each issue to a distinct ontology in its relevance for Northerners and originality of publication review. As we launch this issue, the conceptual basis for the relational process is inclusivity, respect, connection and feedback through a conversational and written exchange, and meaning making through storying of language, culture and land.  In addition, we have outlined a process (a dedicated position) to sustain the journal at Aurora College.  

Also, I would like to acknowledge Sara Komarnisky for her role at Aurora Research Institute to keep the journal alive through many processes in its development, as a member of the Editorial Committee, and agreeing along with Lois Edge to be Co-Editors for the inaugural issue of the journal.

Mashi Cho - to all Northerners who have made the journal a reality!