The department of Cultural Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University is excited to add CULS 2333: Global Indigeneities to its Fall 2026 course offerings. This interdisciplinary course will explore a global range of Indigenous identities, cultures, and ways of being through contemporary Indigenous film, television, music, art, and other forms of expression.
The course was recently designed by Dr. Bernadette Russo, Assistant Professor in English and Cultural Studies at MSVU. The themes for the Fall 2026 offering will include Indigenous identity, sexuality, and gender. It will focus on the Sámi of the Nordic region of Sápmi; the Māori of New Zealand; and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, as well as potentially one other Indigenous peoples chosen by students.
CULS 2333: Global Indigeneities will consider how race, class, settler colonialism, and genocide have shaped lived experiences. Students will explore relationships to land, kinship systems, cultural and environmental practices, resilience, resistance, and paths to healing for Indigenous groups. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the complex ways that Indigenous peoples express their knowledge, culture, and identity.
“She’:Kon! So often, we focus on one region, one people, one aspect of our world, and consequently create a myopic vacuum. As a member of the community, I believe it is extremely important to understand and connect with Indigenous peoples globally, thereby broadening our world and ourselves,” says Dr. Russo. “This is true for all people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. Through CULS2333, Global Indigeneities, I look to share, explore, and experience the Indigenous global community through respectful practices and a Trans-Indigenous approach that honours our differences and embraces our commonalities. Come join me on this journey. Nia:wen!” *
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he course will highlight connections while honouring differences between communities, rather than treating Indigenous peoples as a single, undifferentiated group. CULS 2333: Global Indigeneities will explore the impacts of genocide and settler colonialism, alongside Indigenous resistance, survival, and processes of healing. Student learning will be grounded in Indigenous scholarship, theory, cultural works, and social movements, with all topics approached with the utmost care, respect, and deepest regard for the diversity and distinctiveness of Indigenous communities.
Interested students can still register for CULS 2333: Global Indigeneities for Fall 2026. There is a required .5 unit of previous credits. There is no prerequisite of Indigenous knowledge required – all are welcome!
*She’:Kon is a Mohawk word meaning “hello”, while Nia:wen is a Mohawk word for “thank you.”