The latest news and updates from the Institute of Island Studies (IIS) at the University of Prince Edward Island.
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Historian, educator, and publisher, Harry died on May 29th, 2018 at 76 years. Due to the Pandemic, we have been unable to offer this celebratory classical concert in honour of a man devoted to his Bonshaw community and to the ongoing renewal of the Bonshaw Hall. Since 2005 when the Church, built in 1867, was decommissioned, Harry was passionately involved in saving and repurposing it as a Community Hall.
Harry loved classical music and in his honour, a classical concert will be held Sunday, November 6th at 2:00 pm at the Bonshaw Hall and will include the dedication of a refurbished area for the Hall’s ongoing book sale, now called “Harry’s Nook”. Cam MacDuffee will be our MC. Our entertainers are Karen Graves (violin), Dale Sorensen (trombone), Lana Quinn (harp), and Jed, Keziah & Twila Dawn Stoltz.
Admission is a suggested donation of 10$ in support of Bonshaw Hall.
~~Submitted by Bonshaw Hall Board Member Ruth Lacey
ISLAND LECTURE SERIES | OCTOBER 2022 Island Lecture Series: Anticosti: Finisterre Metropolitan with Matthew Hatvany Dr. Matthew Hatvany Tuesday, October 25, 2022 · 7:00pm AST (UTC-3) Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI
(Hosted by the Institute of Island Studies · October 25th, 2022) In the latest installment of the 2022 Island Lecture series, Matthew Hatvany, professor of Geography at Université Laval in Quebec City, will share his research on his current project entitled “Anticosti: Metropolitan Finisterre.”
Two large islands lie at the heart of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Despite their relative proximity and comparable sobriquets, one “Garden of the Gulf” the other “Paradise Found,” the similarities end there. It is the smaller of the two, Prince Edward Island, that realised provincial autonomy through the development and control of its human, agricultural, forest, and fish resources. The larger, Anticosti, experienced little internal development despite abundant resources, being purposely constructed by external decision makers as a Finisterre Insulaire or Land’s End controlled and dependent upon metropolitan decision makers and investors to assure the well-being of its small population. While Anticosti is little known in Quebec or by its nearest neighbours in Atlantic Canada, the island is celebrated by the upper classes of distant North American and European metropoles as a natural paradise as well as an aspiring UNESCO heritage site for its unique fossil and sedimentary strata.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Matthew Hatvany, professor of Geography at Université Laval in Quebec City, will be spending the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023 on sabbatical leave as an associate professor at the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI. He will be employing the theories of metropolitanism and territoriality to study the unique development of Quebec’s Anticosti Island. During his sabbatical, Dr. Hatvany will be collaborating with UPEI professors Laurie Brinklow, director of the Institute of Island Studies, Josh MacFadyen, director of the GeoREACH lab, and Island scholar Edward MacDonald.
ISLAND LECTURE SERIES | SEPTEMBER 2022 Island Lecture Series: What’s Law Got To Do With It! Islands And Their Status In International Law Dr. Donald Rothwell Tuesday, Sept 13, 2022 · 7:00pm AST (UTC-3) Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI
(Hosted by the Institute of Island Studies · Sept 13, 2022) In the latest installment of the 2022 Island Lecture series, Dr. Donald Rothman explores the international conversation on the legal status of islands. The legal status of islands has increasingly become contested in various parts of the world as a result of the distinction between islands and rocks, and the increasing development of artificial islands. Can international law resolve these issues or just make them more contentious?
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Dr. Donald Rothwell is a Professor of International Law at the ANU College of Law, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Born on the island continent of Australia, he is a graduate of the University of Alberta, and the University of Calgary, and has lived on Vancouver Island and studied islands and the law of the sea for 30 years.
The MAIS program was well-represented at two recent international Island Studies conferences in Croatia and Shetland.
ISISA UPEI contingent
Attending and presenting their research at the 18th International Small Islands Studies Association (ISISA) “Islands of the World: Nature and Culture” conference hosted by the University of Zadar, Croatia, June 13-17, were MAIS students Jenna Gaudet, Helena Ryan, and Richard Wedge. MAIS sessional instructor and PhD student Andrew Halliday (University of New Brunswick) also presented, as did Prince Edward Island scholars Laurie Brinklow, Godfrey Baldacchino, and Anna Baldacchino. Special congratulations go to Jenna and Andrew on receiving student scholarships from ISISA and the conference organizers!
ISISA Jenna and Helena
To give you a glimpse into MAIS research, here are the presentation titles: – Jenna Gaudet: “Islands of Control: Gated Communities and the Future of Island Life” – Helena M. Ryan: “Female Island Youth in Parts Per Million (ppm) Volumetric Voices: Sustainable Development through the Islandness of Lucy Maud Montgomery, Autumn Peltier, and Greta Thunberg “ – Richard Wedge: “Neoliberalism and Health in Tonga” – Andrew Halliday: “The Island Within: Prince Edward Island’s Involvement in the Atlantic Bubble” – Godfrey Baldacchino: “Doing Island Studies: A Methodology Primer Takes Shape” – Anna Baldacchino: “A Walk Down Memory Lane: A Review of ISISA Newsletters (2012-2021)” – Laurie Brinklow: “The Disappearing Island: Exploring Islandness and the Language of Art in the Anthropocene” – Laurie Brinklow with Brady Reid (Memorial University): “Generosity Through Crisis: Comparing Opportunities of Multi-Jurisdictional Socio-Economic Recovery through Philanthropy in Atlantic Canada”
In addition to a full academic program with 4 keynote speakers, 93 papers presented, and 120 participants from around the globe, the organizing committee led by University of Zadar’s Aniça Cuka also put together three stunning field trips to islands off the coast of Zadar, including Uglijan, Pag, and Dugi otok, giving us a small glimpse of life in this beautiful Croatian archipelago.
Two weeks later, MAIS students joined Laurie at the Small Island Cultures Research Initiative (SICRI) Island Studies International Conference (ISIC 16) entitled “Creativity, Ingenuity, and Practice” hosted by the Centre for Island Creativity at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Shetland. They were Andrew MacPherson, Fiona Steele, and Maggie J. Whitten Henry (presenting remotely). Wonderful congratulations go to Fiona for being recognized for the Best Student Presentation at the end of the conference!
Presentations at the ISIC 16 included: – Andrew MacPherson: “Reimagining Canada as an Archipelago: Two Islands as Depicted in Recent Speculative Fiction” Fiona Steele: “Creative Approaches to Sustainable Island Tourism” – Maggie J. Whitten Henry: “Recursive islandness in creative practice: Entangled negotiations with abundance, loss, tradition, and time” – Laurie Brinklow: “My island’s the house I sleep in at night: Nissopoesis and island-making”
Conference organizers were Andrew Jennings from UHI (who is also a member of the Institute of Island Studies Advisory Committee), along with co-convenors Evangelia Papoutsaki and Meng Qu from SICRI.
Plans for the conference field trip to the northernmost islands of Yell and Unst were thwarted when the ferry to Yell broke down, but in true island fashion, conference organizers came up with an equally fabulous program: a bus tour of Shetland narrated by Andrew and his colleague, UHI professor and archaeologist Simon Clarke. Conference-goers did get to experience a short ferry ride later to another island in the archipelago: to Bressay, across Lerwick’s harbour, for an evening at the local arts and community centre.
On behalf of the students, Laurie would like to thank the Office of Development and Alumni Engagement, the UPEI Student Union, and ISISA and the University of Zadar for funding assistance that allowed them to participate in these invaluable experiences.
Fiona, Laurie, and AndrewMaggie presentingFiona presentingAndrew presenting
At the International Small Islands Studies Association (ISISA) General Meeting in Zadar, Croatia, June 17, Laurie Brinklow was acclaimed President of ISISA. She succeeds Godfrey Baldacchino who had served in the role for eight years.
Serving on the new Executive for the next four years are Sarah Nimführ (Vice President), Anna Baldacchino (Secretary), Andrew Jennings (Treasurer), and Ordinary Members Rosemarie Azzopardi, Aniça Cuka, Ayano Ginoza, and Adam Grydehøj. Tomislav Oroz joins as a Co-Opted Non-Voting Member.
Thanks go to the outgoing executive committee, in particular President Godfrey Baldacchino and Vice President Beate Ratter, for their hard work and contributions over the years!
The Executive looks forward to planning the next ISISA conference in 2024, the location for which is yet to be confirmed.
For further information, or to become a member of this pre-eminent Island Studies organization, please check out isisa.org or follow us on Facebook.
Island Studies at UPEI is pleased to be part of the newly established Thematic Network on Northern and Arctic Island Studies Research, one of four thematic networks approved at the University of the Arctic Assembly meetings June 1-3 in Portland, Maine. Hosted by University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Scotland, the Northern and Arctic Island Studies Research network consists of members from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Uppsala University, Holar University, University of Northern British Columbia, University of the Faroe Islands, University of Greenland, UHI, and UPEI.
The goal of the network is to support Arctic and Northern Island communities to socially, materially, and culturally benefit from the discipline of Island Studies, which at its core believes that islands have the human and intellectual capital to undertake research for themselves.
This follows on UPEI becoming a member last year of the University of the Arctic, which is “a network of universities, colleges, research institutes, and other organizations concerned with education and research in and about the North. UArctic builds and strengthens collective resources and infrastructures that enable member institutions to better serve their constituents and their regions.”
If you’re interested in being part of the this new Arctic and Northern Island Studies Research network, please send a note to Laurie Brinklow (brinklow@upei.ca) or Andrew Jennings at UHI (Andrew.Jennings@uhi.ac.uk).
Last summer we announced that MAIS graduate Patrick Augustine had received his Ph.D. from the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies at Carleton University. This month we’re thrilled to announce that Dr. Augustine will be joining UPEI as an Assistant Professor in the new Faculty of Indigenous Knowledge, Education, Research, and Applied Studies (IKERAS).
Congratulations, Patrick! This is SUCH good news for UPEI and for Island Studies.
And with Patrick comes partner Margaret Augustine (nee Mizzi), another MAIS graduate; Margaret is currently finishing up her Ph.D. looking at women’s work on Gozo, Malta, using a feminist island-geographical lens.
The University of Prince Edward Island is pleased to announce the appointment of Assistant Professor Dr. Laurie Brinklow as the new Coordinator of the Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) program and Chair of the Institute of Island Studies (IIS). She has been carrying out the roles in an interim capacity since May 1, 2020, with the retirement of Dr. James Randall.
Dr. Brinklow is no stranger to Island Studies, serving as IIS Publishing Coordinator and research project administrator in the 1990s and 2000s, Coordinator of the IIS and UNESCO Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability from 2014 to 2020, and as a sessional instructor in the MAIS program since 2014. She herself completed the Master of Arts in Island Studies program in 2007 and went on to do her PhD in Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Tasmania. Founder of Charlottetown’s Acorn Press, she has published widely in academia and has two volumes of poetry, the most recent being My island’s the house I sleep in at night (Island Studies Press). She is Secretary of the International Small Island Studies Association and Iceland’s Honorary Consul to Prince Edward Island.
Says Dr. Brinklow, “I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all those who came before me with their own visions for Island Studies: people like Harry Baglole, Brent MacLaine, Godfrey Baldacchino, Jim Randall, Ed MacDonald, Jean Mitchell. They are my mentors and inspirations in this Island Studies journey. And getting to meet islanders from around the world, to be part of a huge Island Studies family – what better way to spend one’s life?”
As MAIS Coordinator, she hopes to continue to grow the program, solidifying UPEI’s reputation as the premier academic institution in Island Studies. Boasting over 60 graduates and 65 local and international students coming from as far away as England, Taiwan, Egypt, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Nigeria, the interdisciplinary program focuses on island tourism, sustainability, international relations, and public policy on Prince Edward Island and other islands. As Chair of the IIS, she will continue to build on networks and collaborations with UPEI colleagues, government departments, and other institutions in Canada and around the world, being a bridge between the University and the community and focusing on PEI’s economic, environmental, and cultural health and well-being. She will continue to help Island Studies Press’s Bren Simmers produce award-winning publications that celebrate the Island’s culture and stories. And she will continue to work closely with Dr. Jean Mitchell, UPEI’s UNESCO Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability, to expand small islands’ sustainability across intersecting socio-economic, cultural, aesthetic, and environmental domains in the Pacific and Caribbean. Dr. Brinklow’s own research explores “islandness” and people’s attachment to islands through the language of art in Tasmania, Newfoundland, and other north Atlantic islands.
The mother of two daughters and soon-to-be four grandchildren, Laurie lives in Charlottetown with her musician husband Michael Mooney and cat Alvin– when she’s not travelling to other islands.
Media contact: Bren Simmers Island Studies Press 902-566-0386 ispstaff@upei.ca
The Institute of Island Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island is working with the Department of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture to better understand population mobility and retention on Prince Edward Island. We want to know the factors that have led to the outmigration of PEI residents as well as those factors that have prompted PEI residents to remain in the province. Hearing from both those who have left and those who have stayed is important. In the end, the key motivation is to improve retention of newcomers. What we learn will feed into the next population strategy.
Researchers have created two online surveys: one for current PEI residents and one for former PEI residents. Says Dr. Laurie Brinklow, Interim Chair of the Institute of Island Studies, “All of us who live on PEI know stories about why some people leave the Island and some people stay, but we don’t have any concrete data to back this up. This is why we’re hoping to hear from as many people as possible through these two surveys. Reaching those who have left is going to be the most challenging, so once you’ve filled it out, if you know people who have moved, we’d love it if you could forward the link to them.”
The deadline for the completing survey is midnight April 15. Participants have the opportunity to enter a draw for one of fifty (50) $15 gift cards.
Please feel free to pass along these links to other current and former PEI residents who might be interested in sharing their thoughts on why they have remained on PEI, or why they moved away. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Laurie Brinklow at brinklow@upei.ca or Jim Randall at jarandall@upei.ca
ISLAND LECTURE SERIES | MARCH 2022 Trade in the Nicobar Islands Shaina Sehgal March 2022 Tuesday, March 22nd, 2022 · 1pm AST (UTC-4) Watch video
In the second installment of our Island Lecture Series, Shaina Sehgal presents some of the findings from her Ph.D. research on the Nicobar Islands. The Nicobar Islands is a little-known archipelago in the eastern Indian ocean. However, these islands were ports-of-call along the ancient sea route from West Asia to South-East Asia and reported by traders and sea-farers throughout history. In this talk, Sehgal sketches the trading world of the Nicobar Islands between the 18th and 19th centuries. Analysis of historical texts, maps and images from this period shows the connection between seasonal trade within the archipelago and trade with the Nicobar Islands. This study concludes that these islands were a site of sustained contact within the bustling Indian Ocean world until the early 20th century.
Shaina Sehgal is an interdisciplinary scholar who has studied the social and environmental issues across diverse and challenging terrains across India (mountains, forests, and islands) over the past decade as a graduate student and researcher at Ambedkar University Delhi, India. Her Ph.D. in Human Ecology examined trade, agriculture, development and governance in the Nicobar Islands, using archival research, quantitative data analysis, social network analysis, and ethnographic research.
