Global Friday Presents
Dr. Tatiana Degai
Assistant Professor, Anthropology
UVIC

Abstract: Itelmen People – Indigenous fisherman of Kamchatka peninsula in Russia. Over the last three decades Itelmens have been successful in revitalization of their culture, maintaining traditional subsistence activities, cuisine, crafts and dance. Yet Itelmen language continues struggling to strive under the continuing colonial pressures. This talk will focus on a community-grounded ongoing work that  aims to analyze the history of language loss, contemporary state of the language, and spaces that the language is reclaiming under the given social, political, and economic pressures. This research brings together different generations of Speakers, scholars, language activists, educators, and learners to think about creative language revitalization initiatives and approaches that are inspired by Itelmen knowledge systems, ways of being, and land.

Speaker's Bio: Dr. Tatiana Degai is an Itelmen scholar from Kamchatka peninsula, the Pacific coast of Russia. Their research and teaching is inspired by the epistemologies of their community and is focused around three key areas:
Indigenous knowledge systems;
revitalization and stabilization of Indigenous languages;
Indigenous visions on sustainability and well-being in the Russian North and Arctic.
While their formal training is in Anthropology, American Indian Studies, Education and Linguistics, they continue their education through maintaining strong connections with knowledge holders of their community and beyond advancing their understanding of unique methodologies and technologies Indigenous peoples have developed for comfortable and sustainable life in the Northern climates. In Dr. Degai's research and teaching they use an interdisciplinary and transcultural approach that fosters knowledge exchange and knowledge co-production.

Online: Zoom Webinar
Passcode: 765374
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Global Fridays gratefully acknowledges funding from the Faculties of Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities; Business and Economics; Environment; Human and Health Sciences; Science and Engineering.