Garden River author launches 'This is Indian Land' book

NEWS RELEASE

ALGOMA UNIVERSITY

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Algoma University is pleased to announce that Dr. Karl Hele will be launching his newest book, This is Indian Land, on its campus on January 24th at 7:00pm in the Doc Brown Lounge.  

Dr. Karl Hele is a member of the Garden River First Nation and is the Director and Associate Professor in the First Peoples Studies Program at Concordia University. He earned his PhD in History from McGill University.

Hele has published several articles and papers on First Nations issues, including land rights and border issues. He has presented his research around the globe, including in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and in Poland. Hele is also a member of the Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts and Cultures and co-founder of the Centre for the Study of Indigenous Border Issues.

This is Indian Land is a collection of essays, which examines the Sault Ste. Marie region’s Anishinaabe past. Drawing inspiration and its title from Garden River’s CP Rail Bridge with its message, “This is Indian Land”, the book seeks to explore different outcomes of the 1850 Robinson Treaties.

While the sign may literally rest on indigenous land, it speaks to the reality often forgotten by mainstream society that it exists on lands currently or once owned by various First Nations. Contributors include Hele, David McNab, Rhonda Telford, Victor Lytwyn, Peter Krats, David Calverley, Karen Travers, Margot Francis, and Stephanie Pyne. Articles discuss harvesting rights, land rights, the 1850 treaties, water rights, reserve reductions, and more. 

All profits from Hele’s book are being used to support the Aboriginal Issues Press scholarship at the University of Manitoba. 

For more information, please contact Judy Syrette, Director of Anishinaabe Success, at [email protected] or call 705.949.2301, Ext. 4335.

About Algoma University

Algoma University was established in 1965 and is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Algoma University is a small, undergraduate, teaching-focused university that places an emphasis on serving the needs of Northern Ontario. Algoma University offers a wide range of degrees spanning the liberal arts, sciences, and professional disciplines.  As a partner with Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig, Algoma University has a special mission to cultivate cross-cultural learning between Aboriginal populations and other communities. Algoma University also offers satellite programming in Brampton and Timmins. For more information, please visit www.algomau.ca.