Indigenous
Society
Telling the whole story
Yale historian Ned Blackhawk, BA’92, believes that too many accounts of U.S. history pay little attention to the pivotal role that the country’s Native Americans played in that history. His recent book, The Rediscovery of America, winner of the U.S. National Book Award for Nonfiction, serves as a corrective.
Culture
Creating culturally appropriate architecture for the North
Award-winning architect Alain Fournier has worked on dozens of projects for Indigenous communities in the North, creating distinctive buildings and structures that reflect the communities they serve. (Cet article est disponible en français.)
People
A voice for her home, a voice for her people
Élisabeth St-Gelais, BMus’21, has recently been receiving a lot of attention, winning McGill’s Wirth Vocal Prize and a grand prize at the Canadian Music Competition. The young Innu soprano from Saguenay says her Indigenous heritage supplies the foundation for her art.
On Campus
Remembering, reckoning, and reconciling
Like many of its peer institutions, McGill is reexamining some of the thornier aspects of its long history. The University is also embarking on a number of new initiatives aimed at making McGill a more welcoming place for members of the Black and Indigenous communities.
People
Sharing a vibrant culture through dance
Margaret Grenier, BSc’97, won one of Canada’s top prizes for the performing arts for her work with the Dancers of Damelahamid, an Indigenous dance company that uses song and a unique form of masked dance to share First Nations’ cultural traditions.
People
New Indigenous services minister determined to see progress
Marc Miller, BCL’01, LLB’01, made Parliamentary history in 2017 by delivering a statement in Mohawk in the House of Commons. As Canada’s new Indigenous services minister, he says he is “laser-focused on outcomes.”
On Campus
A big boost for Indigenous education
Thanks to a $1.25-million (U.S.) grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, McGill’s Indigenous Studies and Community Engagement Initiative is taking a major step forward.
Culture
Celebrating the diversity of Indigenous music
There is a lot more to Indigenous music than hand-drums and Jarrett Martineau, BA’06, is playing a key role in showcasing the wide range of contemporary Indigenous music that is currently being created.
On Campus
The road to reconciliation
Prompted by the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, McGill is planning to almost triple the number of Indigenous students who attend the University.