b'IDENTITY AND HEALINGRE-ROOTING IDENTIT Y THROUGH LEARNINGBy Bryan HansenDr. Kathy Absolon and Dr. Brenda Child are teaching the importance of reclaiming cultural identities as resurgence and healingT he world of academia holdsIndigenous learning and challenging harmfulKATHY ABSOLON: many systemic and institutionalhistorical narratives in these institutions,RECLAIMING ANISHINAABE barriers that often createIndigenous academics are proving the signifi- IDENTITYunwelcoming spaces forcant role of cultural identity in education. InDr. Kathy Absolon, an Anishinaabekwe Indigenous peoples. Historically, Indigenouscoming to understand their Indigenous identi- from Flying Post First Nation in Treaty knowledges have been mined, extractedties, Kathy Absolon and Brenda Child navigate9 territory, practices resilience and and appropriated by academic institutions,the complex intersections of culture, historycultural revitalization within academia. while also being systemically removed fromand healing, offering grounded perspectivesAs an associate professor at Wilfrid Indigenous peoples through cultural geno- on the transformative healing power of recon- Laurier University, her expertise spans cide. In a collective pursuit to reclaimingnecting with ones cultural identity. Indigenous history, decolonization, 36Spring/Summer 2024'