Ever wondered what it looks like when academic research meets creative expression? Students in ASTU 399 took up this challenge by exploring Indigenous perspectives on hydro power—then translating their insights into powerful zines.
Project cover page by undergraduate student Janica Silverio.
Students enrolled in course “Arts Studies (ASTU) 399: Special Topics in Place and Power” were invited to think beyond colonial frameworks by engaging with the work of Indigenous authors. Taught by Dr. Isabella Huberman, Assistant Professor of French, this 2024–25 Winter Session course explored the theme of Indigenous Stories of Hydro Power in Quebec and BC.
For their final assignment, students created zines that blended academic insight with creative expression, drawing on theoretical course readings to analyze Indigenous poetry, essays, film, and other primary works.
Below are a few examples of how students brought together critical analysis and creative storytelling in response to the course’s central themes.
I Walk My Words
by Esme Yang
“Indigenous narratives challenge the myth of 'sustainable development' as a benevolent project. So-called 'development' disguises ongoing dispossession and environmental destruction.”
Fragments of Resistance
by Janica Silverio
“Indigenous resistance to extractive capitalism is a deeply personal, spiritual, and collective act of survival. Literature and activism work together to reclaim land, identity, and agency.”
Blooming in Mud
by Regina Nie
“Narratives of Indigenous cultural resilience can highlight the enduring strength and sense of cultural revival that persist within Indigenous communities while facing their challenges in life.”
The Power of Words
by Max Pittman
“Language can be used as a powerful tool against the extractive colonial systems that continue to harm Indigenous communities.”
Land Through the Context of Culture
by Odelle Sizer
“Normative practices in different cultures often dictate the way a society views the planet and its resources. Different norms also determine the ways people treat others, and other species which coexist in our ecosystems.”
Hydroelectricity Quebec vs. BC Analysis
by Jessica Chu
“Hydroelectric projects must be analyzed through different categories and perspectives to understand the full history and impact behind them.”
