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2017 marks Canada’s 150th year since Confederation. SFU’s history department is hosting Canada 150: Confederation in Question, a four part lecture series that will run from September 2016 till April 2017, where SFU scholars and other academics will examine various aspects of Canada’s history in the last 150 years.
Starting with confederation as the premise, these lectures will reflect on the broader themes on how well Canada has functioned as a country since confederation.
On September 22nd, Gwen Point, SFU alumna and University of Fraser Valley chancellor, will commence the lecture series with her talk called Dear Canada as you Celebrate 150: Reflections from a First Nation’s Perspective, which will look at Aboriginal peoples place in Canadian history.
The point’s talk will draw on her experiences as a respected Stó:lõ leader, mentor, and cultural advisor, which includes her work contributing cultural knowledge and experience to numerous books, conferences, workshops and communities.
Point was kind enough to sit down with SFU News recently and share her insights and reflections.
Q: Growing up, when did you know you wanted to go into education and why?
Point: My interest in education began with my love for reading in grade school. Reading became my escape as I was housebound due to an ear issue I had growing up, which resulted in not being able to play outside.
Q: What was your fondest memory as a student here at SFU?
Point: Walking onto campus for the first time and feeling a part of “something” very special.
Q: What do you hope for attendees take way from your lecture?
Point: A greater understanding of Aboriginal people’s reality today. Too often, people see Aboriginal people in a negative light.. I hope to address common questions or comments that I have heard from non-aboriginal people over the years such as “this happened a long time ago”, “we came to this country with nothing, why can’t you people get a job.” The answers are in Canada’s complex history and the laws imposed over the years that marginalized Aboriginal people in this country. More important, I will address the notion of reconciliation and how do “we” as a country move forward together.
Q: What lectures in the series do you look forward to attending and why?
Point: I am interested in the talk by Shelagh Rogers on April 27th, titled Revelation: Bearing Witness to the Transformative Testimonies of Residential School Survivors. I think it will shed light on the experiences of Aboriginal people who attended residential schools.
The point’s lecture is the first of four talks in the 2016/17 lecture series. Here are the other upcoming lectures:
