Indigenous Presence in St. John’s: A Look at First Light Friendship Centre & Urban Indigenous Peoples

Territory Acknowledgement & Positionality I want to acknowledge that the lands on which I work, study, and live—within the St. John’s area—are situated in the traditional territories of diverse Indigenous groups, including the Beothuk [bee-oth-uck] and Mi’kmaq [mee-gum-maq] on the island of Newfoundland. Further, I acknowledge with respect the diverse histories and cultures in the … [Read more…]

Untold Stories: A Brief Summary of Indigenous Archaeological History in NL

Part Three: Past Arctic & Inuit Archaeological Cultures For this final post in my mini series, I will briefly discuss the Past Arctic Archaeological Cultures and Inuit Archaeological Cultures in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). As noted previously, “Past Arctic” is a term I use to describe what many archaeologists call the “Paleo-Inuit” or “Paleo-Eskimo” Peoples. … [Read more…]

Untold Stories: A Brief Summary of Indigenous Archaeological History in NL

Part Two: First Nations Archaeological Cultures As the name implies, archaeologists believe these groups share similar ancestry to contemporary First Nations in the province today. However, as you will see below, some archaeologists believe in a separation between these groups and contemporary First Nations—though they would still consider these groups related as First Nations people—while … [Read more…]

Untold Stories: A Brief Summary of Indigenous Archaeological History in NL

Part One: Introduction Territory Acknowledgement & Positionality I want to acknowledge that the lands on which I work, study, and live—within the St. John’s area—are situated in the traditional territories of diverse Indigenous groups, including the Beothuk [bee-oth-uck] and Mi’kmaq [mee-gum-maq] on the island of Newfoundland. Further, I acknowledge with respect the diverse histories and … [Read more…]

Accessibility in the Classroom: Universal Design for Learning

Promoting accessibility and flexibility within the classroom can benefit more than just disabled students. Without knowing it, other students may have been subjected to and utilized various learning methods presented in the classroom by their instructors. These methods can range from videos (and live lectures) with closed captioning to lecture notes provided before or after class. Even … [Read more…]

Academics are just people too 

As an undergrad, I idolized my professors and believed they were some of the smartest people I would ever meet. They were experts; they had spent years gaining highly specialized knowledge in their fields and had eloquent, complicated answers to any question thrown at them. I was constantly in awe of the academics around me, … [Read more…]

The University without a Gate

My first sight of a university without a gate was in 2022 when I landed in Canada and visited Memorial University for the first time. The aura and symbolic idea of a gate-less university contrasted sharply with my experience of a typical university in the Global South. For security, border demarcation, and ownership, a fence … [Read more…]

Exploring Indigenous Histories in NL: A Settler Researcher’s Journey and Resources for Learning More

Territory Acknowledgement The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is situated in the traditional territory of various Indigenous groups, and I respectfully acknowledge the diverse histories and cultures of the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Innu, and Inuit who have called this place home since time immemorial. Introduction Before undergraduate studies, I was unaware of the diverse Indigenous history … [Read more…]

All Things Accessibility

Growing up as a disabled person in Newfoundland, I never considered what being disabled genuinely meant until I began thinking about what life after high school should look like for me. Looking that far into the future was a scary endeavour, one that I continue to think about as I navigate through the last few … [Read more…]

Graduate Studies as a Mature Student

Mature students often have the subtle connotation of being luddites. Unable to successfully negotiate the academic world, our pursuits are admirable, but ultimately doomed. At 39, I felt the alienation of a repetitive work environment and the longing for intellectual stimulation and fulfilment. I started by listening to a philosophy podcast (Philosophize This! – It’s … [Read more…]