My Field Placement with Portage & Main Press

By Tara Myran, 1st year MDP student

Boozhoo, my name is Tara Myran and I am entering my second year of the MDP in Indigenous Development at University of Winnipeg. This year for my summer field placement I was fortunate to have the opportunity of conducting a research project under the umbrella of the Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Ithiniwak: Reclamation, Regeneration, and Reconciliation project. The title of the research is called “Exploring the Reconciliatory Potential of Marketing Processes in the Publishing Industry”. The research partners for this project are MITACS, Six Seasons and Portage & Main Press. During the summer I also enrolled in the MobilizeU workshop that also equipped me with the knowledge and tools needed to conduct this research in a good way.

Portage & Main Press introduced me to the publishing world and opened my eyes to all the fascinating behind the scenes work that is done when publishing any type of book. They also take pride in publishing Indigenous reading content and making sure to have those right connections in place when doing so. They also have Highwater Press which is an imprint of Portage & Main Press that published award-winning stories written by Indigenous authors.

I found it to be a challenge at times trying throughout the summer trying to work during the pandemic, but I was able to utilize traditional teachings from my late grandfather to help me mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. On top of my academic studies, I had to focus on my children and their state of being during the pandemic and I am grateful for a program like MDP to have the supports put in place to help graduate students when needed. I would like to say Meegwetch to the MDP Program supports, my research supervisors Drs. Mavis Reimer and Linda DeRiviere, Portage & Main Press (Catherine and Laura) for hosting me and for my children who have given me the strength to continue on in this innovative and unique  program.