Returning to the Lands of Our Ancestors: Northern Indigenous Women, Resurgence, and Diverse Academic Journeys

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Anita Lafferty
Crystal Gail Fraser
Crystal Wood

Abstract

This is the edited conversation from a panel discussion that took place that took place in So˛ ò˛ mbak’è, Treaty 8 territory, in June 2022. Our panel was part of the in-person conference program for NAISA North: Regional gathering of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA), hosted by Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, and held at the Yellowknife Ski Club.


“Returning to the Lands of Our Ancestors,” brought us together as three Northern Indigenous scholars with diverse backgrounds and experiences in academia, who found common ground in our kinship ties that take us back to our ancestral Lands in the Northwest Territories. The conference was an opportunity to return to our homelands together, carrying the knowledge of our ancestors, looking to be grounded and guided after long absences from the North due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also a chance to collaborate and discuss what resurgence means for us after two years of turning inward and being away. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, a Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, discusses resurgence as “another way of describing [the] flourishment of Indigenous knowledges, laws, languages, and practice” (2017, p.17). This is what our panel intended to do. Together, we shared our experiences as Indigenous scholars, reflected on practices of northern resurgence in our academic lives, and explored ways to ensure our selves, our families, our communities, and our cultures continue to flourish.

Article Details

How to Cite
Lafferty, A., Fraser, C. G., & Wood, C. (2022). Returning to the Lands of Our Ancestors: Northern Indigenous Women, Resurgence, and Diverse Academic Journeys. Xàgots’eèhk’ǫ̀ Journal, 1(1), 37–48. Retrieved from https://xagotseehkojournal.com/index.php/xgsk/article/view/4787
Section
Land