Lisa Monchalin to Discuss 'The Colonial Problem' May 25 at WWU
Lisa Monchalin of the Department of Criminology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, British Columbia, will speak about her most recent book, “The Colonial Problem: An Indigenous Perspective on Crime and Injustice in Canada,” from 2-3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25 in Western Libraries Special Collections, (Wilson Library 6th Floor) at Western Washington University.
The presentation is free and open to the public.
The Canadian government has framed the overrepresentation and disproportionate criminalization of indigenous peoples in the Canadian criminal justice system as being an "Indian problem." In her book, Monchalin challenges the myth of the "Indian problem," and encourages readers to view the crimes and injustices affecting Indigenous peoples from a more culturally aware position.
Monchalin is of Algonquin, Métis, Huron, and Scottish descent, and she is the first indigenous woman in Canada to hold a doctorate in Criminology. She has published on topics related to crime prevention and indigenous people’s victimization, including writing an action brief for municipal stakeholders, which was distributed across many municipalities throughout Canada.
Proud of her indigenous heritage, Monchalin is determined to reduce the amount of crime that affects indigenous people. Her doctoral thesis was a case study which involved an extensive amount of research regarding urban indigenous people and crime prevention. She has published in scholarly journals including the American Indian Culture and Research Journal, Crime Prevention and Community Safety: an International Journal, and La Revue Criminologie, among others.
This special talk is co-sponsored by Western Libraries Heritage Resources and WWU’s Center for Canadian-American Studies. For more information about this event, please contact Western Libraries Communications Manager Clarissa Mansfield at (360) 650-3052 or at Clarissa.Mansfield@wwu.edu.