Our last two conferences have focused on Indigenous survivance and resilience with specific attention to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by our conference on reconciliation, reparations, and relationality. For the 25th conference, we examine the health and wellness of our communities, nations, lands, nature, animals, and people. Indigenous wellbeing is the holistic, sustainable, restorative, and interrelated ways that Indigenous people and the environment and other beings thrive and continue in the present and future. It is diversely expressed through the cultural and political sovereignty of Indigenous communities and gauges wellness through place and by decentering human selves and re-centering traditional values as a framework. We know Indigenous peoples’ worldviews and cultural practices attend to our peoples’ wellbeing and Shkaakaamikwe (Ojibwe), Unci Maka (D/Lakota), Nahasdzáán shimá (Diné) (our earth mother). American Indian Studies scholars continue to examine the significance of wellbeing in diverse ways from perspectives across Indigenous communities. We would like to return to sharing our understandings and knowledges of wellbeing given what we learned from the pandemic and the political and ideological hurdles that continue to drive for Indigenous erasure. We return to a discussion on relationality in the context of Indigenous wellbeing.
Indigenous wellbeing focused topic areas can include: economics, education, food sovereignty, language, literature, environment, cultural practice, resilience practices, policy, urban issues, community development, gender, non-profit work, sexuality/sexualities, issues specific to place, futurity, mental health (and social, emotional, physical.... health), advocacy and direct-action work, mutual aid, and nation/world building.
The AISA board welcomes a variety of submissions, including individual papers, panels, roundtables, workshops, films or creative performances, and thinking-out-loud sessions. The “thinking-out-loud” session is intended for works or ideas in progress. See the submission form below for a description of each format. We welcome proposals from colleagues working in colleges, universities, Tribal colleges and universities, community and grassroots organizations, non-profit organizations, tribal governments, elders, community members, undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty.
Submit your proposal using this link: https://form.jotform.com/231355480287156
Deadline: September 1, 2023
Questions? Email:
Tiffany S. Lee, AISA President
tslee@unm.edu