Performance - Flight: Indigenous Women’s Leadership Stories in Canadian Universities

Situated on a fictitious university campus on Turtle Island, Flight explores two Indigenous women leaders’ stories as they set out to transform the colonial nature of the academy. In this journey, the women meet up with Elder Star and a group of niskak aunties who guide them through the messy work of reconciliation. This work-in-progress builds on previous academic research published in Tricky Grounds, by Candace Brunette-Debassige, in 2023.

The playwriting process draws on Indigenous methodologies and the legendary Cree figure Weesageechahk (referred to as Elder Star in the play). The two central characters, Maria (Swampy Cree) and Heather (Anishnabe), and the universities are fictitious creations inspired by lived experiences and research done with Indigenous women leaders working in Canadian universities. While this play-in-progress is inspired by that previous research, it expands beyond those stories creatively for the contemporary stage.

As part of the Decolonial Conversations conference, a collaborative team of Indigenous scholars and artists met for several days prior to the conference, to review and update the script and prepare to stage a reading of the play to be presented, followed by a scholarly commentary and Q&A with the audience and collaborative team.