UPEI Multidisciplinary Graduate Research Conference explores “Different ways of knowing”
Two prominent Canadian aboriginal women will be the keynote and plenary speakers of the second annual UPEI Multidisciplinary Graduate Research Conference (UMGRC) held from August 11-13 at UPEI. Last year’s conference included more than 70 presentations from graduate researchers from across the country. This year’s edition, working under the theme, “Different ways of knowing,” offers graduate students a rare opportunity to share interdisciplinary research and gain valuable skills and networking opportunities.
Keynote speaker: Rebecca Thomas
“Do you see what I see? Can you? Contemporary world-view and perspective through the eyes of an indigenous poet and scholar,” by Rebecca Thomas, August 12, 9 am, Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Don and Marion McDougall Hall.
Rebecca Thomas is a Mi'kmaw woman living in Dartmouth Nova Scotia. She is the daughter of a residential school survivor whose family is rooted in Lennox Island First Nation, Prince Edward Island. Rebecca is outspoken when it comes to confronting aboriginal stereotypes, as well as educating her colleagues and the general public about cultural safety and integrity. Through her work as coordinator for Aboriginal Student Services at the Nova Scotia Community College, and also as a Slam Poet, Rebecca encourages people to think before they speak. Having captained the Nova Scotia Slam poetry team for the third year in a row, she was able to bring her voice, along with three other Nova Scotians, to the national stage. Having been named HRM's most recent poet laureate, most of her work focuses on the relationships between Canada's First Peoples, their relationship with the federal government, and how First Nations' people are perceived publicly. Rebecca is on a lifelong journey to promote understanding and empathy for indigenous people and marginalized communities.
Plenary Speaker: Julie Bull
“Research is Relational: From Principles to Practice in Reconciliation,” by Julie Bull, August 12, 4 pm, Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium, Don and Marion McDougall Hall.
Julie Bull is an award-winning researcher of mixed Inuit descent and is a member of NunatuKavut, Labrador. She teaches in the Aboriginal Studies Program at the University of Toronto, the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria, and is an invited lecturer and speaker at many events throughout Canada and around the world. Julie is active in both academic and grassroots indigenous initiatives and sits on national committees working in the area of indigenous health research and research ethics, such as the Secretariat on Responsible Conduct of Research. She remains connected to her home community in Labrador by sitting on the NunatuKavut Community Council Research Advisory Committee and continuing to facilitate relationships between that community and academic researchers. She is also a mentor in the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership program at the Coady International Institute at St. FX University. Julie was instrumental in bringing together the first annual Connecting Aboriginal Cultures workshops in 2008 and the opening of the Mawi’omi Aboriginal Student Centre at UPEI.
Presentations at UMGRC will be compiled into a peer-reviewed publication, available after the conference. For more information on the conference workshops and schedule, visit the UMGRC website.
The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and St. Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.
