A Recap of Dr. Laara Fitznor’s VEMU Lecture on Indigenous Stories
dets. 10, 2021
Estonian Life No. 49 2021
VEMU and the Estonian Studies Centre's programming for autumn 2021 was dedicated to Indigenous peoples in North America and Finno-Ugric peoples. Thus, on November 24th, a virtual lecture was given by Dr. Laara Fitznor (available on VEMU's YouTube channel), a now-retired Senior Scholar of the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba.
As was introduced to viewers in the beginning of the lecture, Dr. Fitznor is a member of the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation in Manitoba. Founded on her life experiences and her career as a scholar, she has stood up against the oppression of Indigenous peoples. She has endeavoured to educate Canadians of all walks of life about all aspects of Indigenous culture, history, and how Indigenous peoples have shaped and continue to shape the nation.
The topic of Dr. Fitznor's lecture was “Indigenous voices speaking back to colonial impacts through the power of story.” And with ongoing news about the victims of the residential school system and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, it was important to hear her own perspective on colonialism in Canada. Dr. Fitznor's grandfather Nimosoom had prophesied that Laara would be an educator to many, and this she has done, spreading understanding to the Estonian community in Canada.
(Read more: Estonian Life No. 49 2021 paber- and PDF/digi)
Written by Vincent Teetsov
