Games for Decolonization: A Workshop on Board Games and Social Justice
The Games and Decolonization Workshop is an interdisciplinary forum dedicated to examining the intersections between board games and discourses of settler colonialism, decolonization, Indigenous sovereignty, and social justice. This two-day event will bring together Indigenous and settler scholars to engage in critical conversations regarding the role of gaming cultures and tarot in the work of decolonization and social justice.
Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee (Squamish)
Decolonial Designer & Educator
Keynote Speaker
Thursday, March 21, 2024
3:30-5:30 PM Pacific Time
Hennings 201 (HENN 201)
Speaker Bio:
Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee belongs to Squamish Nation. She is a decolonial creative & educator living and working in her ancestral homelands on the shared territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples also known as the City of Vancouver. Through facilitation, workshops, workbooks and games, Ta7talíya’s mission is to support everyone in increasing Indigenous inclusion by unlearning anti-Indigenous racism and implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action # 92.
Ta7talíya’s collaborations have influenced opinions, changed behaviours and mobilized community action. She stands within the intersection of class, culture and creativity. She grew up on-reserve as a kid, then within the East Van punk and art scene as a young adult. She carries traditional teachings from her Nation as well as urban Indigenous teachings from the performance artists, playwrights and painters who continue to influence her ongoing quest for Indigenous Cultural Sovereignty.
Ta7talíya’s approach earned her the 2019 City of Vancouver Award of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion. She is also a 2023 Dialogue Associate with the Simon Fraser University Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue. She is the author and designer of two decolonial workbooks, two decolonial board games, and many impactful workshops and seminars.
This programming is cosponsored by the Waterloo Centre for German Studies, German Studies Canada, UBC Comics Studies Cluster, the UBC Centre for European Studies, and the Narratives Group in the UBC Centre for Migration Studies.