Van’s thesis, entitled From Decolonization to Degenociding: Reimagining Settler Canadian and Indigenous Futures Through Music, examines the continuing colonial relationship between Indigenous Peoples and settler Canada through music, education, human rights, and questions of responsibility. It develops degenociding as a conceptual framework for considering how institutions and individuals might actively undo relations, practices, and inherited forms of knowledge that continue to reproduce genocidal conditions. Drawing together Indigenous scholarship, human rights, sound studies, decolonial thought, and education, the thesis gives particular attention to children as rights-holders and to the responsibilities of settler institutions in creating conditions for dignity, agency, truthful learning, and human flourishing.
Van’s research was supervised by Professor Christopher Moore, Director of uOttawa's School of Music. His thesis advisory committee included Associate Professor of Law John Packer, former Director of the HRREC, and Professor Brenda Macdougall, a Métis scholar, University Research Chair in Métis Family and Community Traditions, and Director of uOttawa’s Institute of Indigenous Research and studies.
The oral defence committee also included Professor Awad Ibrahim, Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at the University of Ottawa, Full Professor in the Faculty of Education, and holder of the Air Canada Professorship on Anti-Racism, and Professor Anita Prest of the University of Victoria, Associate Professor of Music Education and Lansdowne Scholar in Decolonizing Music Education. The defence was chaired by Professor Dominique Côté, Chair of uOttawa’s Department of Classics and Religious Studies.
The thesis received the very highest defence outcome and was nominated for a thesis prize.
Congratulations, Van, on this significant achievement. We wish you every success as you continue this work.