2Bmag online

Related Posts

• Radical Queer Semaine: Art, Social Justice, and PARTÉ!
• Bullying in schools: Is the government doing enough?
• ACCM: Provocative Art Fosters Community Discussion

The health crisis that is the AIDS pandemic encompasses an intricate mass of intersecting sociological, medical, and artistic voices. The Concordia Community Lecture Series on HIV/AIDS embraces this wide array of ideas by hosting its annual round of speakers—who all deal with different aspects of the pandemic. The lecture series, which began in 1993 with author and ConU professor Tom Waugh at the helm, has played host to some stellar guests over the years, including Ron Athey, AA Bronson, Diamanda Galás, and Sarah Schulman. On January 26, the lecture series welcomes activist Doris Peltier, who will deliver a talk entitled “N’ginaajiwimi: A Decolonizing Perspective on the Impacts of HIV and AIDS on Aboriginal People” which, like the entire series, is free to the public. 

Peltier, an Aboriginal woman from the Wikwemikong Unceded First Nations reserve in Ontario, is the leadership coordinator at the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN). Established in 1997, CAAN represents over 400 member organizations and individuals, and ensures access to HIV/AIDS-related services via advocacy.

Nearly a decade ago, Peltier was diagnosed as HIV positive, though at the time, she had already progressed to the AIDS stages of the illness. Peltier says that her later-stage diagnosis mirrors a growing trend in the Aboriginal community, and that it is indicative of a systemic silencing of Aboriginal voices, particularly those of women. In 2010, Peltier helped launch the Aboriginal Women’s Strategic Action Plan on HIV/AIDS, after consulting more than 300 women for the project. Drawing on all of these experiences, Peltier has established herself as an engaging public speaker. Her talk at Concordia will no doubt be potent, as she discusses the historical legacies of abuse and colonialism that affect the way Aboriginal women confront HIV/AIDS.

Peltier’s method of engaging a crowd stems from the awareness that her own story is a piece of a larger issue. As she told The Body in 2009, “Remember that you are not just speaking for yourself; you shouldn’t have your own personal agenda. When you step out onto that level and take that one step forward, you are speaking for other people. You are essentially opening yourself up to try to empower other people.”

Concordia Community Lecture Series on HIV/AIDS with Doris Peltier

Thursday, January 26 at 6 pm

1455 de Maisonneuve W., Room H 110

www.aids.concordia.ca