University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2018-01-26 Sqwélqwel: A Storybasket of the International Indigenous Studies Program at the University of Calgary Fry, Monique Renee Fry, M. R. (2018). Sqwélqwel: A Storybasket of the International Indigenous Studies Program at the University of Calgary (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/5453 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/106372 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Sqwélqwel: A Storybasket of the International Indigenous Studies Program at the University of Calgary by Monique Renée Fry A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN CULTURE AND SOCIETY CALGARY, ALBERTA JANUARY, 2018 © Monique Renée Fry 2018 Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................. iv Dedication .............................................................................................................................. vi List of Tables ......................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... viii We always start with Ceremony: The Introduction ................................................................. 1 Ceremony in Indigenous research ..................................................................................................... 3 Offering Sacred Medicine ................................................................................................................. 6 Finding the right tree ........................................................................................................................ 9 Story Basket Design ........................................................................................................................ 11 Shxwth’a:lhtel – cedar strips for baskets ........................................................................................ 12 Leq’a:lqel – to go on a long journey ................................................................................................ 14 Lhí:lt – to weave it .......................................................................................................................... 15 Lhí:m – to pick berries .................................................................................................................... 16 Lhít’els – to give, potlatch giving .................................................................................................... 17 The story of Indigenous studies programs in Canada: The literature review ........................... 20 Indigenous studies programs in Canada ......................................................................................... 24 The future of Indigenous Studies programs .................................................................................... 38 Shxwth’a:lhtel - Harvesting The Cedar: Ceremony and Indigenous Theoretical Framework .... 42 Ceremony ...................................................................................................................................... 45 Ontology ........................................................................................................................................ 46 Axiology ......................................................................................................................................... 50 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 54 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 56 Lhí:lt - Weaving the Basket: Methods .................................................................................... 58 My Storywork ................................................................................................................................ 63 Lhí:m - Picking Berries: Findings & Analysis ............................................................................ 83 The University of Alberta ................................................................................................................ 83 The University of Lethbridge .......................................................................................................... 88 The Creation Story of the International Indigenous Studies Program .............................................. 90 Framing the Program’s Rationale ................................................................................................... 92 Operational challenges ................................................................................................................. 110 Personnel ..................................................................................................................................... 119 Directors .......................................................................................................................................... 119 Sessional Instructors ........................................................................................................................ 123 Students ........................................................................................................................................... 135 Indigenous Community Support ................................................................................................... 140 Current Context ............................................................................................................................ 142 i Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 146 Lhít:els – Potlach Give Away: Conclusion ............................................................................. 147 Locally Developed Indigenous Studies Curriculum ........................................................................ 148 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 151 1. Deeper Indigenous community support ................................................................................. 152 2. Priority in the Indigenous Strategy ......................................................................................... 152 3. Autonomy to use Indigenous ways of teaching and learning ................................................. 153 4. Creation of a Distinct Department .......................................................................................... 154 5. Creation of a Graduate Degree Program ................................................................................ 155 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................ 156 Appendix A .......................................................................................................................... 161 Appendix B .......................................................................................................................... 163 Appendix C .......................................................................................................................... 164 Appendix D ......................................................................................................................... 169 Appendix E .......................................................................................................................... 170 ii Abstract This storybasket contains a Creation Story of the International Indigenous Studies Program at the University of Calgary. Using Indigenous research theories and methods in my own constructed research framework, I have gathered knowledge to determine how the program has endured within a system that has privileged western knowledge and western ways of teaching and learning. As a methodological intervention I have privileged Indigenous ways of knowing, research, and voices to decolonize all entry points of the thesis. Systemic and institutional racism has been the defining barrier that has impacted the growth of the International Indigenous Studies Program. Through it all, there have been some successes due in part to the passionate sessional instructors, courageous students, and relationships that put the holistic needs of learners at the center. In my Give Away (Conclusion) I have offered recommendations that would support the program’s development in the short and long terms. Above all, the need for deeper Indigenous community relationships