WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2022
NEWS • 7
DIVERSITY
Student explores heritage through unique lens IAN SCHAKEL NEWS INTERN
Fourth-year Laurier PhD student Ann Marie Beals is exploring different ways to understand the experiences of Afro-Indigenous communities in Canada. In 2016, Beals, who is two-spirit and has both African and Indigenous ancestry, started working on the Proclaiming Our Roots project, headed by Laurier associate professor Ciann L. Wilson. Proclaiming Our Roots was meant to create a digital oral history of Afro-Indigenous peoples on Turtle Island. “[The project is] to talk about who we are, how we navigate on these lands and what it looks like for us, in a sense, being duel marginalized, because we are both African diasporic and have Indigenous ancestry,” Beals said. “But we’re also not homogenous […] so not to lump us together all as one but really a celebration of who we are.” The project began with talks about the lack of efforts there had been to record those experiences. “We really don’t see ourselves represented, we don’t hear anything about our history, we don’t see anything in the Canadian mosaic about who we are,” Beals said. Individuals who identified as having Black and Indigenous ancestry were given the chance to contribute to the project on an
inclusion at Laurier. Students looking to study in a similar field should consider Laurier’s community psychology program which offers unique opportunities for students from marginalized communities, advises Beals.
We really don’t see ourselves represented, we don’t hear anything about our history, we don’t see anything in the Canadian mosaic about who we are. -Ann Marie Beals, 4th year Laurier PhD student
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arts-based participatory basis. Participants created their own personalized digital content, with the intention of encouraging self-expression with opportunities to share their perspectives. The project and the relations formed by it still continue today, said Beals. This happens primarily in the form of gatherings and Afro-Indigenous powwows, some
of which are being planned for the future after having been delayed due to COVID-19. “We really felt it was necessary to do this work on the land and in person,” they said. While currently working on the unceded lands of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe, Beals said they continue to be interested in
exploring self-determination and reconciliation. They also are interested in studying social determinants of health for Black and Indigenous communities. This includes moderating a panel in March on what healing looks like in Black communities, organized by the office of the vice president of equity, diversity and
The program allows students from marginalized backgrounds to engage with their community and pursue knowledge in different ways, they explained. “Community psychology is a great place for that because we look at ways of doing research and ways of being and knowing that are outside the traditional western ways of doing research. It’s not as boxed in, it’s very transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary.”
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Muslim Chaplaincy provides Ramadan services to Laurier YASMEEN ALMOMANI NEWS DIRECTOR
As the term comes to an end, Muslim students on campus are
observing the holy month of Ramadan, a yearly spiritual time for reflection and fasting. “Ramadan is a very special time period for Muslims,” said Selda
Sezen, faculty and Muslim Chaplain at Wilfrid Laurier University. Ramadan follows the lunar calendar and this year it falls right during the exam period at univer-
sity. Sezen said that this can be challenging for students, especially those who live away from home, who have to fast and break their fast away from family. Muslims who observe Ramadan break their fast at sunset, during a meal known as Iftar. The “meals on wheels” initiative run by the Muslim Chaplaincy of Laurier provides Iftar meals to students. “We have been delivering and serving Iftar dinners to students who are observing Ramadan away from their families in Kitchener-Waterloo,” Sezen said. They offer these dinners on campus and for pickup in certain locations. This initiative started two years ago, and they are now serving over 100 students. “Our valuable community members are sponsoring our Iftar dinners by offering sweets and individually packed dessert and healthy snacks for students during the exam term.” She is grateful for such community members that help with this project, including the Women Empowerment Society and WeAreHumaniti. Additionally, the Muslim Chaplaincy partners with the Muslim Student Association on campus to host prayers for students and to break their fasts together. “This is a great support for students who do not have their family here or who have no opportunity to go to the Mosque,” Sezen said. “We are creating a small community on campus to welcome these students and make them
feel that they are a part of a larger community.” She said that all students are invited and welcome to join Iftar dinners. They also give charity to community organizations during this time. “Social supports are important this month,” Sezen said. “Knowing the importance of good deeds and the importance of supporting your community encourages and motivates Muslims on campus to get together to give each other a hand and support each other.”
Developing this sense of belonging on our campuses is very important and affects students’ self-identity and academic success. -Selda Sezen, faculty and Muslim Chaplain at Laurier
“Developing this sense of belonging on our campuses is very important and affects students’ self-identity and academic success,” Sezen said. “When [students] are welcomed and have found a space, they can express themselves, feel accepted and secure in themselves, which affects overall wellness.”
