North American Studies Week/s 2026

The Force and Diné Futures
Renae Watchman 

Indigenous Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

Monday, April 13, 10:00-12:00, on WebEx.

As the “first” Indigenous Nation on Turtle Island to dub Star Wars: A New Hope into the Navajo language, Sǫ́’tah Anaa’: Siih Náhásdlįį’ qualifies as another situational form of “First Contact.” The Lucas blockbuster immediately resonated with Diné (Navajo) people upon its release in 1977. The continued Star Wars fanfare has iconic artistic contributions by Diné artist Ryan Singer, whose work also depicts “Contact and Conflict” in very Indigenous (Diné-specific) ways. His Diné aesthetic reflects a “Diné Force” that harmonizes worlds beyond the one we all currently share. In a similar vein, Diné filmmaker Nanobah Becker’s The 6^th World: An Origin Story imagines Diné Futures built upon ancient Diné epistemologies and sustenance. In this talk, I will introduce how traditional stories and teachings intersect with popular culture to create meaning for the worlding of Diné beyond the Fifth World. In the epic oeuvre of Diné origin stories, there are a series of worlds from which we emerge: The First World to the Second World to the Third World to the Fourth World, and finally in contemporary times, we find ourselves in the Fifth World (or the Glittering World). To imagine Diné lives, stories, and presence in a world beyond the Fifth is to normalize and expect vibrant Diné futures. 

Join the WebEx meeting here!
 

Current Research in British and North American Studies

Thursday, April 23, 13:00-16:30, OSL 231

• Arbitrary Notions of Race-Making: Indigeneity and Whiteness in Sámi Life Narratives
  Laura Jungblut
• Afro-nostalgia in HBO's Black-oriented streaming series Lovecraft Country (2020)
  Jana Rosebrock
• Tracing the (Trans)Pacific: Chinese American Connections in and beyond the Pacific
  Nicole Poppenhagen

Pathetic Poetry: Rethinking Form and Affect
Thomas Austenfeld 

University of Fribourg

Thursday, April 23, 18:00-20:00, OSL 234