First Nations people have been fighting to protect their lands since first contact. From resistance to dispossession and displacement from our traditional territories, to contemporary struggles to protect the little bits of reserved lands we have left, the fight against settler state incursions continues. Until recently, Indigenous oral histories were deemed “hearsay” and not allowed as evidence in litigation. Now courts are struggling to understand the nature of oral narratives, how to evaluate them, the procedures associated with them, and the weight they should be given. This workshop will explore the role that Indigenous oral histories play in land claims cases from the perspective of a land claims researcher.

Winona Wheeler is an Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at University of Saskatchewan, and a member of Fisher River Cree Nation.

BLOG REFLECTIONS:

WHOSE LAND? by Susan Garrity

Oral History Education: Facilitating Intergenerational Learning by Max Peterson

WATCH VIDEO

These events are open to all. For more information or if we can make any of these events more accessible to you please contact Rebecca McGilveray at rlm2203@columbia.edu.