CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The theme for this issue has evolved as the Northwest Territories comes to grips with the experiences of wildfire evacuations and floods over the past few years, as well as ongoing systemic inequities in our context. Originally announced as Living Well, the theme has expanded, and contributions exploring Surviving and Thriving in the North are welcomed.

A conversation about living well in the North needs to understand how Northerners have and continue to survive and build meaningful lives in the face of past, present and future crises. Whether the challenges be local, national or on a global scale, the effects are being felt in the North. Resilience provides a strength-based lens to explore ideas and knowledge about how to survive and thrive in the North, while acknowledging the challenges. In this frame, contributions that explore all aspects of what it means to live well, to survive challenges, and to thrive in the North are encouraged.

Xàgots’eèhk’ǫ̀ accepts submissions from across regions, disciplines, languages and genres. Scholars, artists, researchers, youth, community members, Elders and Knowledge Holders are invited to submit original work. This can be research papers and academic work, but can also include literature reviews, essays, photo essays, conference reports, stories, oral storytelling, creative works, interviews, biographies, art and more.

The journal utilizes a relational-review model, where the rigour of peer review is inclusive of Northern Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing as well as scientific and academic knowledge. To do this, reviewers are experts from the academy as well as the community, and can include Elders, Traditional Knowledge Holders, artists and more, as best suits the piece being reviewed.

The Spring/Summer edition is co-edited by Dr. Jessica Dutton, Manager, Learning Health Systems, Community, Culture and Innovation with the GNWT Department of Health and Social Services and Dr. Candice Lys, Co-Founder and Executive Director of FOXY/SMASH. Dr. Dutton and Dr. Lys are both Research Associates at Aurora College.

“This has been a hard year for so many Northerners.  However, there are so many stories of making it through difficult times, moments of light in darkness and glimmers of hope and perseverance to share with others.  We invite Northerners to pass on knowledge and experiences of surviving and guidance for others on thriving through adversity, as we all find a way forward.”

• Candice Lys, Research Associate, Aurora College

“When we were deciding on the theme for this edition, we felt compelled to ask ‘are we living well?’ Is it reasonable to expect people to be living well in our current climate of consecutive large-scale crises? By centering the reality of survival and resilience, we hope to encourage a fulsome, honest, and hopeful discussion about living well in the North that acknowledges the challenges and celebrates the achievements of Northern people and communities.”

• Jessica Dutton, Research Associate, Aurora College

 

Quick facts

• Xàgots’eèhk’ǫ̀ Journal publishes work in any NWT official language.
• Submissions will be accepted in any artistic, audio visual, or written format that can be shared in a digital web-based forum.
• Collaborative and co-authored submissions between scholarly and community worlds and Indigenous and Western knowledge systems are encouraged.
• If you need support developing your submission, please get in touch with us! We are able to offer writing and editing help as well as conducting interviews, transcribing conversations, etc. for those who are more comfortable with oral storytelling.

The Deadline for proposals for this edition is Feb 1, 2024.