Lecture Notes: Future Imaginary Lecture Series Opening

Introduction

Speaker: The event opens with a welcome in the Mohawk language, referencing the Mohawk name for Montreal, "Tjo Tjage."
The introduction honors the Haudenosaunee territory and explains the tradition of the "Ahoto Garibata" (words before all else), emphasizing gratitude to the natural world and promoting harmony among people.
Hosts: Jason and Skamonade, leaders of the "Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace" research network, explain the "Initiative for Indigenous Futures," aiming to develop multiple visions of the future through residencies, workshops, symposia, and an archive.
The goal is to enable Indigenous youth, elders, artists, academics, and technologists to imagine their communities seven generations ahead.
Guest Introduction: Graham Carr, Concordia University's new provost, emphasizes the university's commitment to truth and reconciliation and addressing indigeneity in academic spaces.

Background: Associate professor at the University of Alberta, expert in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience, and Environment.
Notable Works: Known for her critical examination of genetic science in "Native American DNA" and her work on the intersections of Indigenous knowledge and Western science.
Current Work: Focusing on Indigenous relationality, monogamy, and the politics of marriage.

Historical Practices: Indigenous societies traditionally operated on extended kinship networks ("Tioshpaye") rather than nuclear families, with roles not strictly defined by gender or monogamy.
Colonial Impact: Colonization imposed monogamous, nuclear family structures, suppressing traditional kinship and gender dynamics.
Indigenous Relationality: Advocates for returning to flexible, non-hierarchical relationships, including ethical non-monogamy, as means of cultural sustainability.

Feminist and Queer Critiques: Draws on the work of Scott Morganson, Mel Chen, and Angela Willey to critique settler sexuality and explore Indigenous relationality.
Objectivating the Intersubjective: Challenges the classification of relationships (e.g., marriage, monogamy) as static objects, promoting a relational perspective.

Resistance to Settler Norms: Encourages Indigenous communities to re-evaluate colonial family structures and consider non-monogamous forms of kinship as aligning with traditional practices.
Legal and Political Context: Mentions the role of policy and law in shaping and supporting varied familial and relational structures.

Audience Engagement: Participants express gratitude and engage with concepts of Indigenous identity, relationality, and the role of universities in supporting Indigenous futures.
Environmental and Social Correlation: Discusses how the sustainability of kinship practices can parallel environmental sustainability and colonial dispossession.
Reflections on Future and Time: Challenges linear conceptions of time, suggesting a spatial metaphor for future planning and community development.

Appreciation: Acknowledges contributions and support from various university departments and initiatives.
Speaker's Final Thoughts: Encourages continued dialogue and exploration of Indigenous perspectives in imagining futures.