Looking Forward by Looking Back: Reflecting on the Importance of Indigenous Future Imagery

By Jasmin Winter, 2nd year MDP student

The end of my field placement with the Initiative for Indigenous Futures (IIF) essentially marks the end of my requirements for the MDP program. While our official convocation is not until October, the uncertainty about my future has already begun to creep its way to the forefront of my mind. I know that I am not alone in this… in fact, if there was an emotional theme for this past year, it would probably be “Uncertainty.” With access to information at an all-time high, it is fair to say that more than ever, this increasing unrest is extending well beyond the individual and into concerns about our collective future. 

My last day in the lab! Photo credit: Dion Smith-Dokkie

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to see firsthand how IIF is creating spaces for Indigenous peoples to participate in these discussions, to address this uncertainty with unique perspectives rooted in worldviews that allow for the identification of gaps in dominant ways of thinking. It is becoming more and more clear that the magnitude of issues that we are facing necessitates as many different solutions as we can generate.

From what I have learned this summer through reading articles, listening to incredible Indigenous innovators, and being exposed to a plethora of Indigenous art and new media, I have gained more insight into how different understandings of time can affect our decision-making. The short-sighted and unsustainable nature of so many institutions that we depend on in our society can be directly contrasted with Indigenous methods, such as thinking of the future in terms of seven generations ahead. I recognize that I have an extremely hard time conceptualizing what that even means, because, like many people, the way that I have been taught to conceptualize time does not extend that far away from myself. The most interesting part of this all is that this method almost always involves thinking seven generations back, and understanding time in a less dichotomous, non-linear, and more cyclical way.

IIF puts this into tangible terms through their unique engagement with digital technology, and more specifically, through storytelling. They are showcasing how Indigenous innovators are drawing from traditional knowledge to talk about the present and ensure that these stories continue into the future. This is evident in what is produced when Indigenous creators are free to determine their own technological endeavors; in addition to the diversification of the stories that are told about the future within mediums such as video games, science fiction, and virtual reality, we are seeing a focus on language revitalization apps, the mapping of traditional territories using GIS, and generally just new ways of interacting with communities and the environment that recognizes a past, present, and future that has been silenced for too long.

I am so unbelievably thankful to Jason, Skawennati, and everyone at IIF who allowed me to come into the lab and soak up the IIF experience. Whenever I am feeling down and out, I will push myself to renew the inspiration that filled me during this summer. The best part is that I will see some of the IIF crew in Winnipeg come November for the third annual Symposium on the Future Imaginary. I will use this post to say that the three-day event is open to the public, and that those interested can register here! 

Register now for the 3rd Annual Symposium on the Future Imaginary: Radically Shifting our Indigenous Futures through Art, Scholarship and Technology!