Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 4-13-2021 2:00 PM Changing the narrative from the inside: A look at how strength and narrative based service delivery can function as a space of resistance for Indigenous women Jennifer Elgie, The University of Western Ontario Supervisor: Shuey, K., The University of Western Ontario A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Sociology © Jennifer Elgie 2021 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Recommended Citation Elgie, Jennifer, "Changing the narrative from the inside: A look at how strength and narrative based service delivery can function as a space of resistance for Indigenous women" (2021). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 7752. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/7752 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This research focuses on the narrative surrounding Indigenous women by examining different knowledge sources – news stories and life stories, as they transpire within different knowledge spaces – non-Indigenous newspapers, the London Free Press and the Globe and Mail, and an Indigenous service delivery organization called Positive Voice. Drawing on an Indigenous aligned feminist mixed-methodological approach, this research had three main objectives: 1) to document and critically analyze the current mainstream narrative surrounding Indigenous women; 2) to understand the narratives Indigenous women share themselves in order to bring meaning to their experiences, from their own voices; and 3) to understand how service delivery might act as a thread between these diverging sources of representation. Methods included a critical thematic narrative analysis of 289 newspaper articles, 15 in-depth interviews with Positive Voice participants and other persons involved with the program, and a brief examination of program material. Several overarching findings were identified. First, the narratives surrounding Indigenous women and the mainstream news spaces that produce them continue to reflect non-Indigenous and Western cultural memories of Indigeneity. Second, although the narratives that interview participants shared in some ways reflected these Western cultural memories, they were shared within a context of change and strength. In particular, the Positive Voice women’s life stories reflected self-reflection and insight, with Positive Voice representing a transition in how the women understood and approached themselves and their narratives. Finally, it became clear that Positive Voice functioned as a space of resistance and disruption to mainstream narratives and dominant knowledge processes. In conclusion, Positive Voice became a space for challenging mainstream narratives and for exploring personal identity through sharing, listening, and teaching within a comfortable and safe space. Keywords Indigenous Service Delivery, Cultural Memory, Narrative Analysis, Storytelling, Knowledge Space, Indigenous Representation, Indigenous Women ii Summary for Lay Audience Working with an urban Indigenous program called Positive Voice, this research examines the stories that surround Indigenous women. It focuses on the stories that are told about Indigenous women in two mainstream newspapers– the London Free Press and the Globe and Mail, and the stories that Indigenous women tell about themselves and Indigenous women generally. It stemmed from the understanding that mainstream representation of Indigenous women tends to be negative. This research has three main objectives: 1) to document and critically analyze the current mainstream narrative surrounding Indigenous women; 2) to understand the narratives Indigenous women share from their own voices; and 3) to illustrate the role of service delivery within these representations. I analyzed 289 newspaper articles, conducted 15 interviews with Positive Voice participants and other persons involved with the program, and examined program material. Several overarching findings were identified. First, the newspapers tend to produce non-Indigenous representations of Indigenous women and people generally. Second, when given the opportunity, Indigenous women’s stories illustrate strength, change, and insights towards their experiences. Finally, Positive Voice as a program challenged common sense ideas surrounding processes of knowledge production and representation by becoming a safe and relevant space for urban Indigenous women. In conclusion, Positive Voice became a space for challenging mainstream narratives and for exploring personal identity through sharing, listening, and teaching within a comfortable and safe space. iii Acknowledgments and Dedication First and foremost, I would first like to acknowledge and extent my deepest gratitude to the women of Positive Voice and those involved in the Positive Voice program that generously and openly shared their stories and knowledges with me. I would also like to thank my past and present supervisors. The completion of my dissertation would not have been possible without your support and belief in me. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with you both. Finally, I would like to acknowledge and thank my partner, my family, and my friends that have inspired and supported me throughout this long and often challenging project. I am forever grateful to you all. Dedicated to Ruth Elgie who first showed me storytelling as a relational and life giving experience. iv Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Summary for Lay Audience ............................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments and Dedication .................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... x List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... x List of Stories ...................................................................................................................... x List of Appendices ........................................................................................................... xiii Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Positive Voice at Nokee Kwe ................................................................................. 2 1.2 Situating the Researcher ......................................................................................... 7 1.3 Terminology and Naming ....................................................................................... 9 1.4 Chapter Overview ................................................................................................. 13 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 16 2 Western Spaces, Cultural Memory, and Indigenous Women ...................................... 16 2.1 Indigenous Peoples and Western Spaces .............................................................. 19 2.1.1 ‘Othering’ as Cultural Memory ................................................................ 19 2.1.2 The ‘Indian’ and ‘Told-to’ Narratives ...................................................... 21 2.1.3 Durability of Western Cultural Spaces ..................................................... 25 2.2 Discursive Violence of Contemporary Western Spaces ....................................... 31 2.2.1 ‘Common Sense’ as a Form of Violence .................................................. 31 2.2.2 Absence of Indigeneity in Western Spaces ............................................... 33 2.2.3 Contemporary Homogenization of Indigenous Peoples ........................... 35 v 2.3 Gendered Spaces and Violence ............................................................................. 41 2.3.1 Gender as a Mechanism of Control .......................................................... 41 2.3.2 Violence Against Indigenous Women ...................................................... 47 Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 59 3 Newsprint, Service Delivery, and Storytelling ............................................................ 59 3.1 Newsprint and Violence Against Indigenous Women .......................................... 59 3.1.1 Newsprint and Meaning Construction ...................................................... 60 3.1.2 A Complex History of Indigenous Visibility/Invisibility ......................... 63 3.1.3 The use of Violence Templates ................................................................. 70 3.2 Service Delivery