Alicia Corbiere
Alicia Corbiere recently graduated with a double major in Indigenous Studies and Criminology from the Faculty of Arts & Science. During her undergraduate studies, Alicia participated in multiple research opportunities including a Work Study position, an independent study for course credit, and the Jackman Scholars-in-Residence (SiR) program over two consecutive summers.
Through the SiR program, Alicia had the opportunity to work with Professor Susan Hill, Director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies, and Professor Kevin White, Department for the Study of Religion. A community-based research project, Alicia reviewed the archives related to Deskaheh, also known as Levi General, the Haudenosaunee chief and speaker of the Six Nations Hereditary Council. Alicia transcribed handwritten notes sent by and to Deskaheh. To expand on her research findings from SiR, Alicia then undertook a Work Study position and Independent Study Course. Through these research opportunities, Alicia carried out assignments such as creating an annotated bibliography to find and review sources that she had previously not had the chance to work with. Alicia then created a Zine, or a brief magazine, that allowed her to be creative in sharing what she learned by utilizing both images and writing. For Alicia, this assignment was cumulative of all her learnings from SiR, Work Study and her independent study role and helped her in connecting her learnings directly to her major in Indigenous Studies.
Alicia also had the opportunity to work on another SiR project with Professor White, “Haudenosaunee Storytelling, Waugh, and Orality Project”. Through this project, Alicia worked on the archives left by Frederick Wilkerson Waugh, a settler born who was born near Six Nations of the Grant River in Ontario. Waugh conducted ethnological research on the Haudenosaunee community in Six Nations in the early 20th century. Alicia read, indexed and transcribed the collection of Waugh’s works.
By working with Professors Hill and White, Alicia learned a lot about community-based research. “As an Indigenous student who hopes to work in and for communities in the future,” Alicia shared, “being able to attend meetings with community members helped me see how everyone’s voices and needs are heard.” Now pursuing her law degree at the University of Toronto, Alicia hopes to use her research and law experience to help support Anishinaabe communities.
Research Type(s): Independent / Supervised Study Courses (Research-Intensive), Summer Research Programs, Work Study Program