When you think of the North, what comes to mind? Perhaps you picture a polar bear roaming the sea ice or seemingly endless herds of caribou follow ancient migratory pathways on the open tundra. Perhaps peoples of the North and their close relationship with their environment or their assertions of sovereignty over Northern lands come to mind, or the complex political, economic and environmental issues that have routinely made headlines in recent years, such as resource development conflicts or climate change. Whatever your interest in the North, you are invited to come learn, share, and discuss Northern history, ecology, politics, and culture at the Trent Northern Studies Colloquium (NSC) on February 2nd, 2012.
The Trent Northern Studies Colloquium is a one-day event run by students for students, with an emphasis on bringing together students from both the Arts and Sciences to share their knowledge of the North. Trent has a large contingent of undergraduate and graduate students involved in Northern research, and the NSC will feature presentations and posters on a variety of Northern issues. Some presentations will describe the relationships bird and mammal species have with each other, their habitat, and the Northern people who depend on them. Other presentations will explore the importance of Indigenous Knowledge and community-based monitoring in understanding species ecology, informing Northern policy, and ensuring the health of Northerners. There is something to interest everyone at this year’s NSC!
The NSC is an interdisciplinary event, where students, researchers, and professors from all faculties can meet, mingle, and share. Diverse presentations will run in groups of three or four throughout the day, linked by a common theme: Meeting Needs, (Re)Claiming, Flourishing, and Overlapping Spaces. Each session will be followed by the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discourse with the presenters. This year’s daytime event will take place in the Gathering Space on the first floor of Gzowski College, and runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, with light refreshments throughout the day. Registration is not required, and you are free to enter and leave the Gathering Space at your leisure.
In the evening, Udloriak Hanson will be presenting a keynote address. Ms. Hanson speaks nationally and internationally to offer audiences an insight into the realities and concerns of Inuit peoples in Canada. Ms. Hanson is an Inuit advisor working with the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, which is the national organization that represents Inuit peoples living in Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and the Inuvialuit region of the Northwest Territories. She is an expert with a distinguished track record negotiating land claims and the devolution of powers from the federal government to Nunavut. Ms. Hanson is also involved in representing Inuit views on Arctic governance, including working with those involved in the Arctic Council. Most recently, Ms. Hanson has co-chaired the Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program, which works to improve public policy in the circumpolar Arctic. The evening event, including the keynote address and a student poster session, will be held at the Peterborough Public Library on Aylmer Street. The poster session will begin at 6:30 pm, followed by Ms. Hanson’s keynote address beginning at 7:15 pm, and the event will conclude with refreshments at 8:30 pm. The organizing committee and participants in the Northern Studies Colloquium hope to see you on February 2nd for a day of learning and sharing about the North! For more information please visit http://trentnorthern.blogspot.com/ or e-mail us at trentnorthernstudies@gmail.com.
