"Canadian wilderness" is Indigenous Peoples' home: Knowing better means doing better in Temagami and beyond
2026 W.L. Morton Community Lecture
Lecture Abstract
In this talk, Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe, author of Temagami’s Tangled Wild, will be joined by Victoria Grant, O.C., Loon Clan and member of the Teme-Augama Anishnabek. The two will discuss the history of n’Daki Menan—the territory of the Teme-Augama Anishnabai—and how it became famous among non-Indigenous people as part of the vast Canadian wilderness. They will also examine the Teme-Augama Anishnabai’s longstanding claim to territory and recognition, and consider responsibilities in the present that accompany learning about the past. None of us can choose where we come from, but all of us can play a role in creating a just and sustainable future.
About Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe
Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe is a settler of European origin who has lived in Treaty One Territory since 2012. At the University of Manitoba, she is a professor in History and Women’s and Gender Studies, and she directs the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture.
About Victoria Grant, O.C, ICD.D., Loon Clan
Victoria Grant, O.C, ICD.D., Loon Clan, is Teme-Augama Anishnabai-kwe (Woman of the Deep-Water People) and a member of the Teme-Augama Anishnabek (formerly known as Temagami First Nation). Victoria has served as a director of several philanthropic boards and is current chair of the Board of Directors of The Counselling Foundation of Canada, and member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Canoe Museum.