ICS Seminar Series - Dr Corrinne Sullivan, Dr Carolyn Smith, Dr Sibyl Diver and Dr Jessica Weir

Date: Thursday, 20 May 2021
Time: 11.30am–1pm
Venue: The seminar will be hosted as a Hybrid event and will be held in person at WSU Parramatta South Campus, as well as online via Zoom. Please RSVP to email yan.wang@westernsydney.edu.au by 5:00pm Wednesday, 19 May, noting if you will be attending in person or via zoom.

So you care about Indigenous scholars?

Presenters:  Dr Corrinne Sullivan, Dr Carolyn Smith, Dr Sibyl Diver and Dr Jessica Weir

Chair: Associate Professor Karen Soldatic

ABSTRACT

The violences experienced by Indigenous scholars within the academy are predominately unnoticed, misunderstood, downplayed and, or, tokenised by their colleagues, and yet Indigenous scholars persist as leaders with the academy, in part to leverage these powerful places for positive change. To support a more just academy, and celebrate and demonstrate Indigenous peoples’ ongoing survival, resistance and resurgence, in February 2020 we came together to create four comic-art posters that promote anti-racist alternatives to an extractive academy. Through the posters we critique extractivism, the lack of recognition of Indigenous leadership, and the cumulative effects of daily microaggressions for Indigenous scholars.

From the outset we chose to work across the differences in our situated positions as Indigenous and allied scholars from North America and Australia, and establish mutually supportive roles, while centring Indigenous voices and leadership in the collaboration. Indigenous collaborators generously shared their experiences of extractive and abusive encounters as vignettes, and, together with graphic artists, our allied collaborators contributed as accomplices to create posters rich with humour, irony, and vividly teachable moments. Our motivation is to secure a more respectful academy that can learn how to appropriately centre Indigenous voices. Come along and hear about the practical steps you can take that do not involve taking a minute of an Indigenous scholar’s time.

The posters are free to download and share:www.adastracomix.com

So you care about Indigenous scholars? Seminar from Institute for Culture & Society on Vimeo.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Corrinne Sullivan is an Aboriginal scholar from the Wiradjuri Nation in Central-West New South Wales. She is the Associate Dean (Indigenous Education) and a senior lecturer in Geography at Western Sydney University.

Dr Carolyn Smith is the Du Luuk Youth Program Coordinator at the Northern California Indian Development Council, and a traditional basketweaver and artist. She is a member of the UC Berkeley Native American Advisory Council, the California Indian Studies Scholar Association, board member for the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, and co-founder of the High Ground Arts Center.

Dr Sibyl Diver is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist. She teaches environmental justice at Stanford University, and does community-engaged research on Indigenous water governance focusing on Pacific Northwest salmon watersheds.

Dr Jessica Weir is a human geographer at Western Sydney University who tracks how social and ecological justice relate, often with the mentorship of Indigenous colleagues, friends and leaders.