“We’re Indigenous & Still Here” (WISH): Amplifying Urban Indigenous Stories in Saskatoon and St. John’s through Indigenous-led Partnerships

Brief Overview:

The goal of “We’re Indigenous & Still Here”(WISH) is to use storytelling methodologies to recover and reclaim urban Indigenous histories. Through archival, oral history, and creative research grounded in Indigenous Elder, artist, and community voices, knowledges, and stories, the project explores what reconciliation means for Métis living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and for the urban Indigenous community in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Directly responding to community and scholarly calls, WISH endeavours to show how a wholistic, interdisciplinary research practice centred on Indigenous storytelling can decentre settler narratives of belonging, ownership, and reconciliation, while testing this applied storytelling and narrative methodology in two distinct communities – the cities of Saskatoon and St. John’s.

WISH’s broad Indigenous-led network includes: 3 Indigenous Community Organizations; 1 Indigenous-led arts organization; 2 universities; and a team of over 30 scholars, storytellers, and students. This team seeks to develop a methodology that will significantly fuel and enable reconciliation in other cities as well.

Goals and Outcomes:

Connect the two cities by establishing a robust Indigenous-led network of mentorship, support, and collaboration between WISH community and institutional partner organizations and team members.

Research stories of continued Indigenous presence in these two cities building a public narrative of these places as always having been and continuing to be Indigenous.

Create new stories of urban Indigenous histories and futures by partnering with and supporting contemporary urban Indigenous storytellers and artists.

Amplify both new and researched stories through various forms of public dissemination, including but not limited to exhibits, walking tours, films, and storytelling anthologies, to promote an expansive form of reconciliation that is grounded in Indigenous voices, knowledges, and stories.

Who’s involved:

• Principal Investigator: Kristina Fagan Bidwell, Faculty, English, University of Saskatchewan
• Community Partners:
  • First Light: St. John’s Friendship Centre – Chad Bedard, Justin Campbell
  • Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research – Karon Shmon, David Morin, Darren Prefontaine
  • Gabriel Dumont Local #11 – Senator Nora Cummings, Wilfred Burton
  • Saskatchewan Ânskohk Writers’ Circle Inc. – Rita Bouvier

• University Partners:
  • Rochelle Côté, Faculty, Sociology, Memorial University
  • Michaela Doucette, Indigenous Archivist, Memorial University Libraries
  • Jenna Hunnef, Faculty, English, University of Saskatchewan
  • Jade McDougall, Faculty, Indigenous Studies, University of Saskatchewan
  • Matthew Milner, Adjunct Faculty, History, Grants Facilitation Officer, Memorial University
  • Michelle Porter, Faculty, English, Memorial University
  • Andrea Procter, Adjunct Faculty, Anthropology, Memorial University, Independent Researcher
  • Cheryl Troupe, Faculty, History, University of Saskatchewan
  • Shannon Webb-Campbell, Faculty, English, Lakehead University
• Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows:
  • Olivia Abram, English, University of Saskatchewan
  • Arin Bear, English, University of Saskatchewan
  • Chelsea Belcourt, English, University of Saskatchewan
  • Rhianne Billard, History, University of Saskatchewan
  • Taryn Goff, History, University of Saskatchewan
  • Jared Hogan, Archaeology, Memorial University
  • Jessica Jack, History, University of Saskatchewan
  • Isabelle Loranger, English, University of Saskatchewan
  • Liam Raaflaub-Bencharsky, History, Memorial University
  • Keona Russell, Neuroscience, Memorial University
  • Joshua Smith, SUNTEP, University of Saskatchewan
  • Julia Stryker, History, Memorial University
  • Emilia Terra, Criminology, Memorial University