Indigenous Peoples Specialty Group
Sponsored Session
2008 Annual Meeting
Association of American Geographers
Boston, Massachusettes, April 15-19 2008

Title:

Geography encounters the Indigenous: Assessing theory and methodology in Human Geography

Description:

Challenging work has been taking place in Indigenous Geography, including critical work on ontology, epistemology, and methodology. Some suggest that Indigenous Geography has critical theoretical contributions to significantly enhance our discipline—much as Feminism and postmodernism have changed the landscape of Human Geography. But the designation "indigenous" all too often is taken to suggest work that is peripheral, relevant to marginal peoples only.

The purpose of this session is to engage scholars of significant contribution to Human Geography in an exploration of the relationship of current work in Indigenous Geography to the discipline as a whole.  It will provide a venue wherein Indigenous Geography and other areas of critical Geographic thought can be explored, and the insights offered by Indigenous geographic work assessed in regard to their place within the ongoing development of Human Geography.

This panel follows on the presentation of the Indigenous Peoples Specialty Group (IPSG) plenary speaker, Daniel Wildcat, Director of the Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center at Haskell Indian Nations University. Wildcat and Vine Deloria, Jr. have elaborated on the nature of 'Indigenous Geography' and argued for a reconceptualization of the relationship between people and place—not merely for Indians, but as a different paradigm for considering human-environment relations for society as a whole.

Anticipated Attendance:

200

Organizers:

Chairs:

Participants:

Sponsorships:

Indigenous Peoples Specialty Group
Socialist and Critical Geography Specialty Group
Geographic Perspectives on Women Specialty Group