Métis journal believed first of its kind in Canada

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This article was published 06/10/2023 (702 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A group of Métis scholars is redefining what an academic journal is, with the launch of a new open-access publication that will print articles, artwork and knowledge in all of its forms — as long as they are made both by and for members of their community.

Pawaatamihk, named after a phrase that loosely translates from Michif and Ininimowin to “a group of people dreaming,” is believed to be the first nation-specific journal in Canada.

“We’ve all, at different times, felt pressure in the academy to conform to western worldviews and fitting our research into the academy, and we wanted a place where we could be publishing (and lifting) Métis voices,” said co-editor Lucy Fowler, an assistant professor of education at the University of Manitoba.

Fowler’s research has been turned down in the past by journal editors who have cited concerns that they do not have access to a Métis academic who can complete the peer-review process. Pawaatamihk contributors will never run into that problem.

The series will be published on a semi-annual basis, with the help of Métis authors, reviewers, graphic designers and copy editors. Its content is free to access online, and will be printed in the future.

Fowler is one of six founders who sit on the circle of editors, all of whom are Métis women and work at a Canadian university located in or west of Winnipeg.

Last week the academics celebrated the release of their inaugural edition, which focuses on themes of cultural vitality and resurgence. It includes 19 pieces and contains traditional academic articles, as well as photography, community stories, self-reflections and a book review.

“It’s not for a line on our CVs,” said Jennifer Markides, a University of Calgary-based scholar, card-carrying member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and an academic on the editing team. “It’s for the communities that have cared for us. It’s for the communities that support our work and partner with us on research, and do all those things.”

Markides said the creators want Métis individuals to see themselves and their stories represented in the journal, which is the product of countless hours of volunteer work.

Fowler said they did not want academic knowledge to be “the be-all, end-all,” so the group put out a call for grassroots submissions. Whether it is during brainstorming sessions or editing and providing feedback to authors, relationship-building is a priority for the editors, she said.

“We want to create an academic space that is built on reciprocity and care,” added Fowler, who is Red River Métis. “It’s a different way of doing academia.”

Contributors are required to submit a biography and “community connection statement,” meaning proof of citizenship with a recognized governing body or otherwise, to verify their Métis ancestry.

Critics who argue rigor is compromised in relational research carried out by Indigenous scholars fail to understand the unique responsibilities these individuals have to one another, said Lindsay DuPré, a co-editor who is an assistant teaching professor at the University of Victoria and is completing her PhD at the University of British Columbia.

DuPré said she feels incredibly fortunate to be in academia at a time when there is a strong base of Métis scholars, many of whom she calls “academic aunties and cousins.”

In her scholarly work, DuPré said she considers her family, including her four-year-old son, key collaborators.

“I’m committed to better respecting the intergenerational nature of Métis knowledge systems and particularly the important role children play,” she said. “Whether it’s coming to academic conferences, having them present during classes I’m teaching or theorizing together through play, my son and other children are always welcomed and valued.”

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca