THE COLLEGE OF arts & science Celebrating a Century of Great People 1909–2009 FALL 2009 Putting Canada’s North Back on the Map Drama & Art Create a Spectacle One-of-a-Kind Fieldschool Brian Pratt on Victoria Island Geologist Brian Pratt hopes the GEM program (geomapping for energy and minerals) will help put Canada’s North back on the map. An Exceptional Centennial Year dean jo-anne r. dillon As 2009 begins to wind down and I reflect on the past year, I am mindful of the momentum and accomplishments achieved during our centennial year, as well as the challenges addressed. Many of our successes were highly visible. As the College observed its centennial year we held a numerous celebratory events, which culminated with the Alumni of Influence induction ceremony on Oct. 2. The College inducted 100 Alumni of Influence and nearly half were either in attendance themselves or were represented by next of kin. We also had many dignitaries, students, faculty and staff attend this event, which received Dean Dillon with photographer Courtney Milne at Alumni of Influence gala on Oct. 2. remarkably positive feedback and was certainly an (photo: Karee Davidson) exceptional end to the College’s centennial year. However, as with most progress, some advances we made delicate exercise that forced us all to examine our College as a College in 2009 were not without intensive deliberation. activities dispassionately and re-think resource allocations. We were asked by the Provost to review our governance Although difficult, I have been impressed by the leadership, and administrative structure, which has, admittedly, been a vision and willingness by our faculty, staff and students sensitive and difficult process for all involved. However, the to confront this issue and to devise creative solutions. I College voted decisively to remain a unified College with am confident that we will emerge from this exercise even a three divisional structure. This unique structure offers stronger and that we have created new opportunities, which great opportunity for distinctive academic programming otherwise might not have been considered. and research. I am confident that our College will forge an I would like to thank all of our faculty, staff and students even stronger unity and identity both within the U of S for celebrating with the College during the good times and community and on the national and international stages. working collegially through the challenges that inevitably The global economic downturn also meant that our arise. I look forward to continue working with you all in College, like all others at the U of S, was asked to review 2010 as we progress past the challenges of this past year and and adjust its budget. Again, this has been a complex and embark on a new beginning in the College’s second century. Celebrating A Century of Great People Guided by the theme of “Celebrating a Century of Great Peter MacKinnon brought a special message on behalf of People,” the College of Arts & Science hosted a series of the university. centennial year events, culminating with the inaugural Arts The College of Arts & Science will continue to induct & Science Alumni of Influence gala on Oct. 2 at TCU Place. individuals to the Alumni of Influence annually, and More than 400 honoured alumni, family members, nominations are now being accepted. The award recognizes dignitaries, faculty, students and community sponsors the tremendous individual accomplishments of our alumni attended the formal announcement of the 100 throughout their lives and careers, and strongly promotes distinguished alumni at the gala luncheon and awards the value of the Arts or Science degrees our students are ceremony, and the unveiling of the dedicated alumni pursuing today. display that followed on campus. Dean Jo-Anne Dillon To read about each of our distinguished Alumni of delivered the College’s keynote address and President Influence, visit http://artsandscience.usask.ca/alumni_ friends/alumni.php 2 arts & science magazine Northern Exposure by kirk sibbald Brian Pratt with colleagues on Victoria Island. (submitted photo) Geologist hopes GEM program helps of Canada in recent years. He said the Geological Survey of Canada, which was put Canada’s North back on the map. once internationally renowned and has done considerable work in the Arctic, has been starved of funding lately. And After spending 10 days scouring the bedrock of Victoria with the federal government having displayed little interest Island in the western Arctic, geologist Brian Pratt is hopeful in exploring the Arctic’s vast potential since the 1980’s, Pratt that the vast Canadian tundra is finding its way back onto said it comes as little surprise that international territorial the federal government’s radar. disputes have again begun to surface. Pratt, professor of Geology, travelled to Victoria Island this “I also don’t think you can get around the fact that past summer as part of the federal government’s GEM (geo- territorial claims require that you have people there,” said mapping for energy and minerals) program. This program Pratt. “If you don’t have boots on the ground, you’re not will receive $100M in funding over five years (2008 to 2013), showing much interest and it become more difficult to stop money that will be directed to Arctic geological mapping in other countries (from laying claim to the region).” order to aid petroleum and mineral exploration efforts. Pratt admits that the GEM program is a step in the right Pratt said he spent much of the expedition searching direction. More funding has also been granted recently to for fossils in the island’s sedimentary rock strata, some of the Geological Survey of Canada, allowing the organization which is about 1 billion years old. The fossils he found will to start rebuilding a staff base that has been steadily help geoscientists determine the age and depositional declining with retirements and losses to the private sector. environments recorded in these rocks. Pratt hopes to return to Victoria Island next year to “If we can provide a detailed appreciation of the surface continue examining the bedrock and identify additional geology there, then oil and mining companies can look projects with other researchers. He said a Masters’ thesis for clues for hydrocarbon accumulation and metallic topic has already been identified, and he hopes to find an mineralization,” Pratt said in explaining the implications of interested student to take it on in the coming months. his work. “There’s huge economic potential up there….These “It’s difficult sometimes finding students who are companies use this kind of information to help guide their motivated enough to stick around for grad school instead exploration efforts.” of entering the workforce right away,” he said. “But it would While the Arctic has been mapped and explored in what be a great adventure. They would get field experience, Pratt called a “first-pass way,” he said little attention and publications, networking opportunities, the chance to even fewer government resources have been devoted to interact with Northern residents, and get paid good money understanding the geology of this immense and frigid region to boot.” fall 3 Ethnohistory Fieldschool Breathes Life into History by kirk sibbald Far removed from classrooms, lectures and textbooks, Keith Carlson says his one-of-a-kind fieldschool reflects, in several ways, the changing face of History. Keith Carlson and students canoeing beside the partially submerged remains of the “Bubble and Squeek”–the last steam ship to ply the Fraser and Harrison Rivers. Carlson, associate professor with the Department of History, “So I thought to myself, ‘Why aren’t History students was first inspired to help launch the Ethnohistory Fieldschool coming out and doing this same sort of thing? Why are they 11 years ago while working with the Stó:lõ Tribal Council, kept in the libraries or archives all the time?’” which represents a cluster of First Nations reserves near After mulling these questions, Carlson approached the Chilliwack, B.C. University of Victoria (UVic), his alma mater, and chiefs in “We would have Anthropology and Archaeology students the Stó:lõ Tribal Council with visions of a unique partnership. coming through to do fieldwork on the reserves, but the His proposal involved graduate students visiting the reserve students were usually asking questions that were more communities to conduct academic research on issues that historical in nature,” explained Carlson. would ultimately benefit the Stó:lõ Nation. 4 arts & science magazine Left: Stó:lõ cultural leader Sonny McHalsie (front right) with UofS and UVic fieldschool students near an archaeological excavation in the Fraser Canyon; Right: Fieldschool students waiting for Spring Salmon to finish cooking at First Salmon ceremony at Sonny McHalsie’s home. (photos submitted) It was, essentially, a win-win proposition, and both sides One student, for example, completed a family biography agreed to give the idea a shot. for two elders, one of whom had spent time both as a Carlson and John Lutz, a History professor from UVic, student and principal in the residential school system. served as the fieldschool’s first co-instructors. They decided Another student studied how the language of politics has to offer the Ethnohistory Fieldschool every second year and, changed in the communities over time, paying particular based on its initial success, everything was kept in place attention to the phrases and metaphors used by chiefs when when Carlson joined the U of S Department of History speaking about issues such as land claims. about eight years ago. Now, however, the instructors aim to “I think this is the direction that History is taking,” said accept an equal number of students from each institution Carlson. “What we do has contemporary implications….