UNews - Patrick Wilson

Inter-institutional panel affirms commitment to Indigenization and decolonization

trevor.kenney — Fri, 10 May 2024 20:40:27 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty and former students, along with City of Lethbridge and Galt Museum staff, recently presented a panel at the Thinking with and Alongside Critical Indigenous Scholarship Conference at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Oxford. Organized by The Oxford Research Centre on the Humanities (TORCH) and its Critical Indigenous Studies Network, the conference sought to engage Indigenous epistemological and ontological perspectives and the contributions of Indigenous knowledge systems in diverse contexts.

The panel consisted of (top, left to right) Tara Million, Andrea Cuellar, Michelle Hogue, Patrick Wilson, and (bottom, left to right) Ross Kilgour, Camina Weasel Moccasin, Perry Stein.

The panel, Indigenization and Intercultural Collaboration in Municipal and Postsecondary Contexts, was convened by Dr. Patrick Wilson (Modern Languages and Linguistics and Prentice Institute Research Affiliate) and included contributions from Camina Weasel Moccasin (Curator Galt Museum), Perry Stein (Prentice Institute Research Affiliate, BA ’09), Ross Kilgour (City of Lethbridge Senior Community Planner and Prentice Institute Research Affiliate), Tara Million (Indigenous Studies and Prentice Institute Research Affiliate), Dr. Michelle Hogue (Indigenous Studies and Prentice Institute Research Affiliate), and Dr. Andrea Cuéllar (Anthropology and Associate Director of the Prentice Institute).

The panel was organized as a Talking Circle, following Indigenous protocols and ways of sharing knowledge, and consisted of conversations among panelists around four major themes — the TRC Calls to Action in institutional contexts, intercultural collaboration and cross-cultural learning, multiple constructions of Indigeneity and Indigenous identities, and decolonization and Indigenization — as they relate to their work in the City of Lethbridge, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Galt Museum and Archives.

These themes are connected to the ongoing commitment of each panelist to the work of reconciliation, and participation in this conference allowed them to see the relevance of this work in Lethbridge as well as a broader context.

“Reconciliation is not the job of one person, one department, one institution, one community, or even one People; it is an ongoing, collective responsibility,” says Stein. “Participating in this conference allowed us to share the impact of collective action between and across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, City of Lethbridge and Galt Museum & Archives to advance not only conversations about truth and reconciliation, but concrete action and partnerships.”

Presenting this work at a conference hosted at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Oxford provided a unique opportunity to have discussions around reconciliation and decolonization at a place and institution with deep historical roots to colonization and its legacies and contributed to an ongoing conversation for the need to decolonize academic scholarship.

“Presenting this work in the form of a Talking Circle, where we addressed challenging topics with the audience seated in a circle around us bearing witness to our practice, allowed us to deconstruct conventional forms of conference presentations and offer a different model of disseminating knowledge, rooted in Indigenous ways of knowledge transmission,” says Hogue.

The conference also offered the opportunity for Camina Weasel Moccasin, in her role as Indigenous Curator at the Galt Museum and accompanied by other panelists, to initiate conversations with curators at the British Museum in London and the Pitt-Rivers Museum at Oxford around repatriation and rematriation of Blackfoot items of cultural significance held in those museums’ collections.

“The experience was very overwhelming, but also very enriching. I am grateful I had the opportunity to create new, and positive, relationships with museum staff while there,” shares Camina.

Cuéllar summarized the value of the conference and related activities.

“Participation in this conference allowed us to articulate and share the significance of years of interconnected and collaborative work on Indigenization and decolonization, to assess accomplishments and gaps, and to affirm our commitment to continuing this work.

“The museum visits and conversations with curators were very revealing, they prompted us to think about the need of a transnational reconciliation framework, of which repatriation programs could be a piece.”

The next steps for this collaborative work are to initiate a book project and present the panel at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge during the Fall 2024 semester.

Participation in the conference was made possible by financial support from the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge SSHRC Exchange grants (awarded to Wilson and Cuéllar).

The plight of Ecuador’s indigenous peoples

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 20:12:04 +0000

A move by the government of Ecuador to preserve the Amazon rainforest and protect the rights of its inhabitants may ultimately do more harm than good, says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge professor Dr. Patrick Wilson.

U of L researcher Dr. Patrick Wilson reveals potential risks of the South American country’s seemingly pro-Amazon constitutional reforms.

The Chair of the U of L’s Department of Anthropology has been investigating the seemingly progressive constitutional reforms introduced in the South American country in 2008, and their potential impact on indigenous peoples. Essentially, the new constitution aimed to enshrine in law respect for the rights of nature; the principle of Sumak Kawsay, an ancient indigenous concept meaning living in harmony with each other and the environment; and recognition of the land of the Amazonian peoples as circumscribed indigenous territories, or CTIs, which would ostensibly offer them a pathway to autonomous social and economic development.

Fast-forward to 2014: CTIs have not yet become law, meaning indigenous peoples do not have formal control over their lands. At the same time, the national government has allowed the Amazon’s natural resources to be increasingly exploited, and international companies are engaging in more mining, logging and oil exploration. Historically, Wilson says, indigenous peoples united to oppose such extractive activity in the Amazon in general. CTIs would carve up indigenous territories into smaller, more defined units, which could narrow the scope of indigenous protest, and delegitimize the efforts of those protesting against actions falling outside their own CTI. As Wilson asserts, these trends go against the constitutional articles promoting the conservation of nature and the legitimacy of indigenous people’s lands.

“Although these things are inscribed in the constitution, there are no corresponding laws. So people are still trying to figure out exactly how they are going to work, if they’re going to work,” Wilson says. “The contradictions are becoming apparent now. At the same time that [Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa] says, “You know, we need to embrace these principles of the rights of nature,” he’s expanding mining operations, and that disproportionately occurs on indigenous lands.”

Wilson’s interest in the welfare of Amazonian peoples and land dates back to his mid-1990s graduate school research on the subject. Over the last 20 years, he has gained an in-depth understanding of their land rights issues and advocacy efforts, and along the way, has formed close friendships with many of them. His current research is the outcome of his ongoing collaboration with the Quijos Nation, an Ecuadorian Amazonian indigenous nationality of about 15,000 people, and two of the nation’s leaders, Bertilda Alvarado Mamallacta and Gonzalo Alvarado Tanguila, are co-authors with him in his forthcoming research article, “Circuncripciones Territoriales Indígenas and the Politics of Nature in Ecuador’s Amazon.”

The paper discusses issues such as the lack of legal reinforcement behind the country’s new constitution, and how the government’s economic development agenda clashes with its stated aim of protecting indigenous lands. It also looks at a key assumption behind the constitution’s objectives: that indigenous peoples are inherently driven to protect the environment. Wilson says this assumption is driven by the long-perpetuated myth of the noble savage as being intrinsically in harmony with nature, and doesn’t acknowledge the complex realities and economic aspirations of Amazonian indigenous peoples.

“Indigenous peoples do tend to have a special relationship with their natural surroundings and tend to live in greater harmony with nature than other people do; yet, this does not necessarily mean that relationship equates to Western notions of environmentalism,” Wilson says.

When his research publishes, Wilson hopes it will be useful to human rights and environmental NGOs working in the region, and to the indigenous peoples themselves as a tool for self-advocacy. He says shining a light on these issues can offer up useful lessons to the international community, since natural resource harvesting worldwide usually affects marginalized populations.

“Extractive development disproportionately occurs on land of disenfranchised peoples,” Wilson says. “These kinds of things cross national boundaries...so we can reflect on our own practices by looking at what’s going on elsewhere.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recognizes faculty excellence

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:21:16 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge honoured faculty and postdoctoral fellows across campus who received academic research awards of distinction, secured research funding or published their research findings in the last year at Thursday's Celebrating Research Reception in Markin Hall.

The U of L also recognized those who had books published within the last calendar year.

Below is a list of the awards presented.

Research Awards: External

Alberta Science and Technology Leadership Foundation (ASTech) Award: Excellence in Science and Technology Public Awareness
Kristy Burke | Conference & Event Services

American Oil Chemists' Society Timothy L. Mounts Award
Roman Przybylski | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Campus Alberta Innovates Program (CAIP) Chairs
Chris Hopkinson | Geography, Terrestrial Ecosystems Remote Sensing
Greg Pyle | Biological Sciences, Aquatic Health

Canada Research Chairs
Louise Barrett | Psychology, Cognition, Evolution and Behaviour, Tier 1
Stacey Wetmore | Chemistry & Biochemistry, Computational Chemistry, Tier 2

Canadian Insolvency Foundation Lloyd Houlden Research Fellowship
Gordon Hunter | Management

Confederation of Alberta Faculty Association (CAFA) Distinguished Academic Award
Trudy Govier | Philosophy

Pat Clifford Award for Early Career Research in Education
Michelle Hogue | First Nations' Transition Program

Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal
Reginald Bibby | Sociology
Peter McCormick | Political Science
Richard Mrazek | Education

World Council for Curriculum & Instruction Distinguished Leadership Award
Peter Heffernan | Education

Research Awards: Internal

Ingrid Speaker Medal for Distinguished Research, Scholarship, or Performance
Joseph Rasmussen | Biological Sciences

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors Research Chair

Igor Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy
Sergio Pellis | Neuroscience

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Scholars
Janice Rahn | Education
Peter Visentin | Music
Judith Whitehead | Anthropology

Research Grants: External

Alberta Advisory Committee for Educational Studies Grant
Noella Piquette | Education
Jennifer Thannhauser | Education

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
Wei Xu | Geography

Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research Grant
(2) Claudia Malacrida | Sociology

Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Mary Kavanagh | Art
Taras Polataiko | Art
Janice Rahn/Michael Campbell | Education/Art Co-Principal Investigators

Alberta Gaming Research Institute Grant
Yale Belanger | Native American Studies
Cheryl Currie | Public Health
Gabriela Novotna | Addictions Counselling
Claudia Steinke | Nursing

Alberta Inflammatory Bowel Disease Grant
Sameer Despande | Management

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Grant
Gerlinde Metz | Neuroscience, Co-Director

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Sustainability Funds
Roy Golsteyn | Biological Sciences
Aaron Gruber | Neuroscience
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy
Paul Vasey | Psychology
Ute Wieden-Kothe | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) Grant
Shawn Bubel | Geography
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies
Jon Doan | Kinesiology & Physical Education
Leanne Elias | New Media
Carmen Mombourquette | Education
Monique Sedgwick | Nursing
David Slomp | Education
(2) Carol Williams | Women & Gender Studies

Alzheimer Society of Canada Grant
Shannon Spenceley | Nursing

American Cancer Society Grant
Raphael Lencucha | Public Health

ATB Financial
Gordon Hunter/Dan Kazakoff | Management

Canada Council for the Arts Grant
Mary Kavanagh | Art
Maria Ng | English

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Grant
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences, Co-applicant

Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
Nadia Rochdi/Karl Staenz | Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre/Geography

Canada Foundation for Innovation Leaders Opportunity Fund Grant
Aaron Gruber | Neuroscience
Paul Hazendonk | Chemistry & Biochemistry
Andrew Iwaniuk | Neuroscience
Hans-Joachim Wieden | Chemistry & Biochemistry

CIHR Emerging Team Grant
Gabriela Novotna | Health Sciences

CIHR Café Scientifique Grant
Penny D'Agnone | Office of Research & Innovation Services

CIHR Operating Grant
Sameer Deshpande | Management, Co-applicant
Judith Kulig | Nursing

CIHR Research Planning Grant
Sameer Desphande | Management, Co-applicant

Canadian Space Agency Contract
Karl Staenz | Geography
(2) David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy

Canadian Wildlife Federation
Richard Mrazek | Education

Department of Defense Contract
Albert Cross | Neuroscience

European Union FP7 Grant
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy, Co-applicant

Grand Challenges in Global Health Grant
Gerlinde Metz | Neuroscience, Co-applicant

Health Canada Grant
Judith Kulig | Health Sciences, Co-applicant

Heritage Canada Grant for Aid to Scholarly Publication
Peter Heffernan | Education

Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction Grant
Judith Kulig | Health Sciences

Max Bell Foundation Award
Noella Piquette | Education, Co-applicant

Monieson Centre, Queen's Business School
Gordon Hunter | Management

National Science Foundation
Jennifer Mather | Psychology, Collaborating Consultant

NSERC Collaborative Research & Training Experience (CREATE) Grant
Robert Sutherland | Neuroscience

NSERC Discovery Grant
Louise Barrett | Psychology
Sarah Boon | Geography
Howard Cheng | Mathematics & Computer Science
Saurya Das | Physics & Astronomy
Jon Doan | Kinesiology & Physical Education
Cam Goater | Biological Sciences
Bruce McNaughton | Neuroscience
Jackie Rice | Mathematics & Computer Science
Elizabeth Schultz | Biological Sciences
Robert Sutherland | Neuroscience
Soroosh Yazdani | Mathematics & Computer Science

NSERC Research Tools and Instruments Grant
Amir Akbary | Mathematics & Computer Science
Paul Hazendonk | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Shahadat Hossain | Mathematics & Computer Science

SSHRC Aid to Scholarly Journals Grant
Peter Heffernan | Education
Edward Jurkowski | Music

SSHRC Insight Development Grant
Abdie Kazemipur | Sociology, Co-applicant

SSHRC Insight Grant
Harold Jansen | Political Science
Heidi MacDonald | History
Noella Piquette | Education, Co-applicant
Paul Vasey | Psychology

SSHRC Partnership Grant
Yale Belanger | Native American Studies, Co-applicant
Henning Bjornlund | Economics, Co-applicant
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies, Co-applicant
Abdie Kazemipur | Sociology, Co-applicant
Richard Mueller | Economics, Co-applicant
Ivan Townshend | Geography, Co-applicant
Wei Xu | Geography, Co-applicant

SSHRC Public Outreach Grant
Debra Basil | Management

TECTERRA
Wei Xu/Karl Staenz | Geography

Research Grants: Internal

Emmy Droog Research Awards in Health Sciences Grant
Cheryl Currie | Public Health
Ruth Grant Kalischuk | Nursing

Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund Grant
Leanne Elias | New Media
Team: John Usher (Management), Janice Rahn (Education), Michael Campbell (Art) and Cheryl Meheden (Management)
Roy Golsteyn | Biological Sciences
Team: Olga Kovalchuk (Biological Sciences) and David Naylor (Physics & Astronomy)
Josephine Mills | Art
Team: Louise Barrett (Psychology), Lisa Doolittle (Theatre & Drama), Emily Luce (New Media), Bruce MacKay (Liberal Education Program) and Tiffany Muller Myrdahl (Women & Gender Studies)
Nicole Rosen | Modern Languages
Team: Inge Genee (Modern Languages), Robbin Gibb (Neuroscience), Claudia Gonzalez (Kinesiology & Physical Education), Fangfang Li (Psychology) and Noella Piquette (Education)
Carol Williams | Women & Gender Studies
Team: Glenda Bonifacio (Women & Gender Studies), Bonnie Lee (Health Sciences), Linda ManyGuns (Native American Studies) and Patrick Wilson (Anthropology)

Parkland Institute Faculty Research Grant
Claudia Malacrida | Sociology

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community of Research Excellence Development Opportunities (CREDO) Grant
Jerimy Cunningham | Anthropology
Claudia Malacrida | Sociology
Janay Nugent | History
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Internal
Artistic/Creative Grant
Michael Campbell | Art
Dagmar Dahl | Art
Mary Kavanagh | Art

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Internal SSHRC Grant
Michelle Hogue | First Nations' Transition Program
Janay Nugent | History
Kent Peacock | Philosophy
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Research Dissemination Grant
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies
Inge Genee | Modern Languages
Catherine Kingfisher | Anthropology
Janice Newberry | Anthropology
Hillary Rodrigues/John Harding | Religious Studies
Arlan Schultz | Music
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Research Fund Grant
Vishaal Baulkaran/Ebenezer Asem | Finance
Sarah Boon | Geography
Shawn Bubel | Geography
Michael Campbell | Art
Arundhati Dasgupta | Physics & Astronomy
Larry Flanagan | Biological Sciences
Claudia Gonzales/Fangfang Li | Kinesiology & Physical Education/Psychology
Ute Wieden-Kothe | Chemistry & Biochemistry
Jason Laurendeau | Sociology
Raphael Lencucha | Public Health
Hua Li | Mathematics & Computer Science
Heidi MacDonald | History
Kimberly Mair | Sociology
Steve Patitsas/Saurya Das | Physics & Astronomy
Adriana Predoi-Cross | Physics & Astronomy
Drew Rendall | Psychology
Shelley Scott | Theatre & Drama
David Siminovitch/Tony Montina | Physics & Astronomy
D. Andrew Stewart | Music
Mark Walton | Physics & Astronomy
John Zhang | Mathematics & Computer Science

Post-Doctoral Fellow Awards Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Postgraduate Fellowship
Ben Clark | Neuroscience
Corinne Montes-Rodriquez | Neuroscience
Jake Ormond | Neuroscience
Ivan Skelin | Neuroscience
Aaron Wilber | Neuroscience

Canadian Space Agency Space Science Enhancement Award Postdoctoral Fellowship
Matthijs Van Der Wiel | Physics & Astronomy

CIHR Fellowship
Hendrik Steenland | Neuroscience

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship (Short-Term) for North American and European Researchers
Noelle Gunst | Psychology

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Research Support Allowance (Short-Term) for North American and European Researchers
Noelle Gunst | Psychology

Book Awards 2013 recipients

M. Gordon Hunter & Dan Kazakoff (authors): Small Business: Journey to Success

Shawn Bubel, James McMurchy & Duncan Lloyd (authors): Record In Stone: Familiar Projectile Points From Alberta

Jean-Baptiste Leca, Michael A. Huffman & Paul Vasey (editors): The Monkeys of Smokey Mountain

Sarah Glassford & Amy Shaw (editors): A Sisterhood of Suffering and Service: Women and Girls of Canada and Newfoundland during the First World War

Geoffrey Hale (author): So Near Yet So Far: The Public and Hidden Worlds of Canada-U.S. Relations

Aaron Taylor (editor): Theorizing Film Acting

Marc R. Roussel (author): A Life Scientist's Guide to Physical Chemistry

Glena Tibe Bonifacio (editor): Feminism and Migration: Cross-cultural Engagements

Robert J. Williams, Robert T. Wood & Jonathan Parke (editors): The Routledge International Handbook of Internet Gambling

Arundhati Dasgupta (editor): Recent Research in Quantum Gravity

John S. Harding (editor): Studying Buddhism in Practice

Yale D. Belanger (editor): First Nations Gaming in Canada

Yongjian Bao & Wenlong Yuan (authors): The Contrarian Way of Crisis Management

Keith Roscoe & Rick Mrazek (authors): Developing Scientific Literacy: Ideas and Strategies for Planning, Assessment, and Instruction

Blythe Shepard & Lorna Martin (authors): Supervision of Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Handbook for Canadian Certified Supervisors and Applicants

Margaret A. Winzer & Kas Mazurek (editors): International Practices in Special Education: Debates and Challenges

Judith C. Kulig & Allison M. Williams (editors): Health in Rural Canada

Olga Kovalchuk & Igor Kovalchuk (authors) Epigenetics in Health and Disease

IRDF - Investigating the effectiveness of social programs

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:19:02 +0000

Established by the Vice-President Research, the Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund (IRDF) is a one-time non-renewable research fund that will provide the foundation for developing the next generation of interdisciplinary concentrations of research excellence at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. The General Faculties Council Research Committee reviewed applications for IRDF funding and three proposals received support (up to $100,000 each over two years). This is one of three projects funded in 2012.

The title of their project might be long, but five ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers are hoping their work leads to more concise ways in which disadvantaged groups, in particular women, can benefit from having input into, and influence over, social programs designed to assist them.

The research team, comprised of Dr. Carol Williams and Dr. Glenda Bonifacio of the department of Women and Gender Studies, Dr. Patrick Wilson of the Department of Anthropology, Dr. Bonnie Lee of the Faculty of Health Sciences (addictions counselling) and Linda Many Guns of the department of Native American Studies recently received nearly $100,000 from the U of L Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund (IRDF) to explore a project entitled Creative Appropriations: Identities, Communities, and Development in Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary Perspectives.

Dr. Carol Williams, left, with Dr. Glenda Bonifacio.

Simply put, the researchers are looking at how their target groups have been constructed by the state, appropriate the policies and programs directed at them by government or social agencies and how their particular cultural and lived experiences challenge these constructions to demonstrate alternative models of civic engagement.

The project, suggests Lee, "may shed light on how government policies and non-government organizations (NGOs) can be better positioned to promote more inclusive and vibrant communities."

"This multi-faceted research project will allow us to better understand the possible implications of state and NGO programs for minority populations, and may help us to question the cultural and ideological impulses driving the design of certain projects," says Williams.

Wilson notes the results may, "allow us to see the ways in which minority women, in this case, navigate sometimes hostile policy environments and therefore our results may allow for better design and planning of those policies and programs themselves. Better yet, it may encourage a shift in the control of a project's design and implementation back to local communities and stakeholders."

The local communities and stakeholders aren't just from one particular group. The researchers will be talking with indigenous women involved in food sovereignty projects in Ecuador, women and women's organizations in First Nations communities in Canada and the United States and racialized immigrant women in Canada.

Very little comparative scholarship on the circumstances of racialized immigrant and indigenous women currently exists.

Through a combination of research methods, they hope to gain a clearer picture of some of the challenges or barriers women face in developing cultural or other programming, how they worked creatively to overcome them and how they engaged in 'creative appropriation' to make projects work better.

"An agency might give a group funds, or design a social program for one specific purpose," says Williams.

The group, in turn, might use the money for that stated purpose, or creatively expand the bounds of the agency's funding or program parameters. Williams says that sometimes those groups who work creatively to help their constituents can find themselves 'de-funded' if they stray too far from the stated plan set out by the group or governing organization overseeing the project.

"We are hoping to collect information which can contribute to a new way of policy-making for organizations that allows for, as we're calling it, the 'creative appropriation' of a program design or funding process to make it their own, and possibly more effective."

This story first appeared in the May issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Campus culture helps Stein find himself

trevor.kenney — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 23:23:00 +0000

For many of us, attending university is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. For alumnus Perry Stein (BA'09 Great Distinction), attending the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was more like writing an entire book.

"I grew up in the suburbs of Calgary and felt like an introverted student in high school. I didn't want to be that anymore. Going to school somewhere else gives you an opportunity to somewhat re-define who you are," says Stein. "At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, I didn't want to be just a student who showed up for classes and then went home. I wanted to be involved in things, get the most out of my degree and have a really meaningful experience."

Intrigued by the diversity he remembered seeing when he went to school in downtown Calgary, Stein initially enrolled in international management at the
U of L. However, his excellent marks in another discipline garnered attention and soon led him elsewhere.

Alumnus Perry Stein threw himself into an active student lifestyle and redefined his future.

"After taking a couple of geography classes, I actually got a letter from someone in the geography department telling me I should consider geography," says Stein. "I took a bunch of courses in urban geography and loved it, so I added a second major: urban and regional studies."

He excelled in his new line of study, culminating with him winning the 2009 Urban and Regional Studies Prize, one of two awards generously donated by the Alberta Professional Planners Institute (formerly the Alberta Association, Canadian Institute of Planners). It is awarded annually to the graduating urban and regional studies student with the highest cumulative grade point average.

Stein's personal redefinition was not limited to his academic performance at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Walking down the hall one day, Stein saw a poster advertising a one-month new media course in Romania. Another world was about to open.

"I never really thought about travel before, but I was interested in expanding my horizons. Going to Romania was an incredible experience. It led me to everything I have done since," says Stein. "I think it is really good for students to go outside their comfort zone and be thrown into a different culture, and to challenge some of the stereotypes that they carry around with them. It forces them to realize that the way of life in North America is not the only way of life and that what they think is best, isn't always best for everyone."

While in Romania, Stein learned he was accepted to a six-month cultural exchange program in Chile, through the Faculty of Management. His Chilean courses, offered in Spanish, focused on urban social geography and international management. One of the highlights of the exchange was a social work class that allowed him to take groups of marginalized children on field trips through their own city.

"Chile was awesome. It was probably one of the greatest opportunities I have ever had," says Stein. "I still have contact with a lot of the friends I made there. Working and playing with the kids was an incredible experience."

When he returned from Chile, Stein switched to a single major in urban and regional studies. He did several independent studies with Dr. Patrick Wilson that led to another exchange, this time to the Ecuadorian Amazon and to Quito Ecuador. Wilson introduced Stein to LPIRG (Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group), who later funded further exchange trips for Stein, including one to Cuba. He eventually became a board member of LPIRG, organizing events and presenting documentaries on campus.

Stein, who will complete a master's degree in Latin American Studies in December, along with a certificate in development and sustainability studies at Simon Fraser ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, believes that the opportunities he had at the U of L changed his life dramatically.

"My time at the U of L really prepared me for graduate school. I learned how to create research proposals and apply for funding; I learned how a non-profit research organization works," says Stein. "I would encourage all students to get involved in issues that you are passionate about. Get involved in activities on campus, find interesting projects and get involved in research. There are so many opportunities out there and if they aren't in your area of interest, create them."

GET THE FACTS

· Stein played a role in establishing the Student Speaker Challenge in conjunction with the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs.

· Stein obtained more than $70,000 in scholarships and research grants while at the U of L, including the SSHRC Bombardier Graduate scholarship, which was worth $17,500.

· He has travelled to more than 20 countries to participate in fieldwork, including Chile, Ecuadorian Amazon, Quito Ecuador, Cuba and Mexico.

· Stein's passion for urban social issues has him looking at a career in government. "I would like to work in the area of sustainable community development and make a difference in municipal government," he says. "I also plan on completing my PhD in the near future."

· Stein won the 2009 Urban and Regional Studies Award as presented by the Alberta Professional Planners Institute.

For a look at the full issue of the November Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Mamachas del Ring plays tonight

trevor.kenney — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 17:24:53 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Latin American Film series kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 22 with the 2009 film, Mamachas del Ring.

This 2009 Betty M. Park directorial debut tells the captivating story of Carmen Rosa, The Champion, and other women who take the world of Bolivian wrestling by storm, forming their own league and launching a women's professional wrestling tour.

Dr. Patrick Wilson of the U of L's Department of Anthropology leads a discussion session following the film.

The Wednesday showing is at 7 p.m. in the Lethbridge Public Library's theatre gallery. Admission is free.

The Latin American Film Series is supported by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President's Office, and by the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences.

Amnesty International's Neve highlights Global Justice Week

trevor.kenney — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:15:25 +0000

Battling for human rights has been a lifelong commitment for Amnesty International's Alex Neve. The insight he's gained from being on the front lines of that battle will form the basis of the lecture he'll deliver to a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge audience during Global Justice Week, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.

Neve will cap the week with his lecture, Economic Insecurity, National Insecurity: Don't Lose Sight of Human Rights. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU), in collaboration with the Graduate Students' Association (GSA) and Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG), is hosting the three-day event. Neve's talk is Friday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m. in PE250.

"The purpose is to raise awareness of the fact that we live in an unjust world," says Alex Massé, ULSU VP Academic and organizer of the event. "It's so students living here, in the richest part of the world, don't take their position for granted."

Within the last year, economic uncertainty has been on the minds of many, from governments to average citizens. Neve, the Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada since 2000 and member of the organization since 1985, says that can't take away our focus from human rights.

"The message I want to convey is that we live in insecure times," Neve says. "We live in times of economic insecurity, especially in the last year."

Because of this, human rights often get pushed to the back burner in times of economic distress. Amnesty International is trying to put human rights back into the forefront.

Neve, who holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, a Bachelor of Laws Degree and a Master of Law Degree in International Human Rights Law, believes that security of any sort should be grounded in human rights.

Amnesty International has long advocated for fair trials to ensure justice, the proper handling of prisoners in Afghanistan, as well as improvements to Immigration Security Certificates (a legal mechanism used by the Government of Canada to detain and deport non-citizens). According to Neve, there are currently five Security Certificate cases in Canada in which Amnesty International is involved in various ways.

On the economic front, Amnesty International launched the "Demand Dignity" campaign, which looks at human rights violations that lead to and deepen poverty. This is a worldwide campaign that was launched in May. Neve explains that we don't often look at human rights in terms of poverty.

Amnesty International also highlights the plight of Indigenous people in Canada, particularly with regard to women's issues and the role of the economy in deepening poverty.

While Neve's presentation highlights Global Justice Week, a variety of other events will be taking place, including a talk by Joshua Key, author of The Deserter's Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away From the War in Iraq.

Events begin Wednesday afternoon as U of L professors take the podium at Galileo's Gallery, beginning at 3 p.m. Dr. Kent Peacock of the Philosophy Department presents, Justice in a Hungry World; Dr. Patrick Wilson of the Anthropology Department presents, Fair Trade and Global Economic Injustice: Opportunities and Obstacles; and Bruce MacKay of Liberal Education presents, Genocide: Never Again or Always.

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