Acknowledgements and Thanks

This book is one outcome of a larger project called Settler Colonialism in Canada: Perspectives, Comparisons, and Cases, which is led by Drs. Emily Grafton (U Regina), David MacDonald (Guelph), and Jérôme Melançon (U Regina).

This collection of work was presented at a virtual graduate student symposium, Settler Colonialism in Canada: Reliving the Past, Opening New Paths, hosted by the University of Regina, Saskatchewan in October 2022. We thank every student for their involvement in the virtual symposium and/or chapter submission: Janice Feng, Leonard Halladay, Neil Kohlmann, Christian Labrecque, Keara Lighting, Kathleen Mah, Sherjan Maybanting, Kate Motluk, Cleo Nguyen, Kaitlyn Pothier, Callie Parisien, Kathryn Reinders, and Sanchari Sur. We thank Dr. David MacDonald for his role as panel chair and Ibukun-Oluwa Fasunhan, Alyssa Parker, and Hannah Tait for their support as Research Assistants. We also thank the faculty mentors for the support they provided to the student participants.

This book is published through the University of Regina’s Open Education and Publishing Program (OEP Program). We thank Dr. Nilgün Önder, Isaac Mulolani, and Shuana Niessen for the program access, training, and support offered by the OEP office.

This collection of work, Settler Colonialism in Canada: Reliving the Past, Opening New Paths, was compiled by Drs. Grafton and Melançon with the support of two graduate students, Ibukun-Oluwa Fasunhan and Alyssa Parker. Ibukun and Alyssa were mentored as editors by Grafton and Melançon. The process was one of many conversations based on honest learning, collaboration, and humour. We thank and acknowledge the valuable role of the mentee co-editors, Ibukun and Alyssa, and the mentor co-editors, Emily and Jérôme.

In addition to this edited collection, several resources are available as outcomes of the project Settler Colonialism in Canada: Perspectives, Comparisons, and Cases. This project began with a living land acknowledgement, aiming to go beyond the traditional and static colonial acknowledgement that typically reinforces settler dominance. The organising team conducted four virtual talks before the conference to offer an innovative approach to engaging with a land acknowledgement. These talks introduced the intentions and perspectives of the project, aiming to spark discussions and foster authentic learning on the lands we now call Canada. We believe that this innovative approach has the potential to inspire change and foster a deeper understanding of our shared history and responsibilities. Before delving into the collection at hand, we encourage you to listen to the online resource Being Together: A Living Land Acknowledgement for oskana kâ-asastêki/Regina (2022). The talks were arranged by Drs. Emily Grafton and Jérôme Melançon, and the resource is built by Melançon through the OEPP at the University of Regina.

The Settler Colonialism in Canada project has received contributions from many financial contributors. We would like to express our gratitude to each partner for their contributions to the operations and successes of the project:

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Connections Grant
• The Gabriel Dumont Institute (Regina, Saskatchewan)
• mâmawêyatitân centre (Regina, Saskatchewan)
• First Nations University of Canada (Regina, Saskatchewan)
• The Complex Sovereignties Project (University of Guelph, Ontario)
• The University of Regina, through:
  • The Humanities Research Institute
  • The Office of Indigenous Engagement
  • The Indigenous Advisory Circle
  • The Community Engagement and Research Centre
  • The Open Educational Resource Publishing Program
  • La Cité universitaire francophone
  • The Reconciliation Action Committee
  • University of Regina Press
  • The Faculty of Arts