Donna Patrick
Professor
- PhD (Toronto), MA, BA (McGill)
- Email Donna Patrick
Office Hours
By appointment
Interests
Indigeneity in Canada and the Arctic; Urban Aboriginal/Inuit communities; Language, culture, and nationhood; critical literacies; sociology of language; minority languages and multilingualism; endangered languages and language revitalization; language rights and policy; language, political economy, and ideology; language and globalization; sociolinguistics and the intersection of language with culture, politics, race, class, gender, and ethnicity; language practices in institutional settings.
杏吧原创
Donna Patrick is professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. She has recently completed a Partnership Development Grant (2018-2021) 鈥淢obilizing Nipivut (鈥極ur Voice鈥): a radio-based communications partnership for urban Inuit鈥 and finished co-researching a SSHRC-funded project entitled: 鈥淥ut of Place in Nunalijjuaq: Effecting Social Change with Montreal Inuit through Participatory Action Research (PAR)鈥 (2018). She was also a collaborator on the CIHR Project Grant, 鈥Qanuikkat Siqinimiut? A community-based study of southern Quebec Inuit health and wellbeing鈥 (October 2018-September 2022).
Her most recent Arctic-focused research has involved participatory action research with Inuit in Ottawa and Montreal, which explores Inuit identities, life histories, multi-literacies, and the construction of place in transnational contexts through objects, food, stories, and most recently, community radio. Previous research has also included studies in language politics and policy, social semiotics, and critical literacy studies. Other interests lie in the broader area of Indigeneity and urban Aboriginality in Canada; and the political, social, and cultural aspects of language use, with a focus on language endangerment discourse, language revitalization, and Indigenous languages in Canada. Her 2003 book, Language Politics and Social Interaction in an Inuit Community (Mouton de Gruyter), the edited volume, Language Rights and Language Survival (with Jane Freeland, St. Jerome Press) and a number of published articles and papers examine these issues. She also recently co-edited two Special Issues for the Canadian Modern Language Review (CMLR) with Peter Jacobs (SFU) on 鈥淚ndigenous Language Learning, Teaching, and Identities鈥, Vol. 73, Issue 4, November 2017 and Vol. 74, Issue 3, August 2018. Recent papers have examined Inuit-Yupik-Unangan Language maintenance and revitalization and the evolution of Inuktut dictionary-making. She is currently Co-Editor of the CMLR with Michael Zuniga (UQAM).
Dr. Patrick teaches courses in Language, Culture, and Power, Research Design, and courses that focus on Indigeneity, in Canada and the Arctic. She served as President of the Canadian Anthropology Society/Soci茅t茅 canadienne d鈥檃nthropologie (CASCA) from May 2015 鈥 May 2018 and the Associate Editor of the Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes (CMLR/RCLV) from March 2015-October 2019, before becoming Co-Editor. She has also served on numerous thesis boards at 杏吧原创, Universit茅 d鈥橭ttawa, and Trent University.
Recent Courses Taught
Undergraduate:
ANTH 3010 鈥淟anguage Culture and Globalization鈥
ANTH 4215 鈥淟anguage, Place and the North鈥
Graduate:
ANTH 5708 鈥淟anguage, Place and the North鈥
ANTH 5402 鈥淩esearch in Anthropology” ANTH 6000 “Doctoral Seminar: Theory and Method in Contemporary Anthropology”
ANTH 5812/ANTH 6002 鈥淩esearch Design鈥
Graduate Supervisions
Ph.D.
Carley, Chloe. April 2025.聽Making Safe Spaces for Inuit Youth: The Role of Inuit-led Cultural
Programming in Supporting Inuit Youth Mental Wellness.
Davidson, Katherine. August 2024. (Senate Medal Winner) 鈥淟ong, Long Time Ago鈥: Explorations of Identity and Memory with First Nations and Metis in Ontario Through Object Elicitation.
Megan Muller. August, 2021. Addressing the interface between health services: Enhancing continuity in culturally safe care for Nuu-chah-nulth Communities.
Matthew, Cheryl. November, 2017. The Indigenous Experience and Cultural Renewal, Decolonization, and Transformation in the Ottawa Area.
Kushwaha, Anita. (Geography, co-supervision with Fran Klodawsky). May, 2013. The Significance of Nuna (the Land) and Urban Place-making for Inuit living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Neelin, Lyndal. (Canadian Studies, co-supervision with Pauline Rankin). December, 2012. The Importance of Being Shawville: The Role of Particularity in Community Resilience.
Tomiak, Julie-Anne. (Canadian Studies, Senate Medal Winner) September 2011. Indigenous Self-Determination, Neoliberalization, and the Right to the City: Rescaling Aboriginal Governance in Ottawa and Winnipeg.
M.A.
Hashemi, Farzad. May 2025.聽Multiculturalism within a Multilingual Framework: Language Rights and Policies for Heritage Language Education in Ontario, Canada. (Migration and Diaspora Studies). Research Essay.
Bogaski, Deanna. August, 2021. Urban Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Sustainability. Research Essay.
Decontie, Faith. April 2017. Remembering Why We Sit at the Table. Thesis.
Sterparn, Julia. August 2016. Agents of change? Inuit Teacher Education programs and Decolonization in Nunavut. (Institute of Political Economy). Research Essay.
Horn, Kanatase. May 2013. Reconfiguring Assimilation: Understanding the First Nations Property Ownership Act in Historical Context. With distinction. (co-supervised with Siomonn Pulla). Thesis.
MacLeod, Katie. April 2013. Displaced Mixed-Blood: An ethnographic exploration of M茅tis identities in Nova Scotia. (co-supervised with Siomonn Pulla). Thesis.
Levitan, Tyler. September 2012. Impact and Benefit Agreements in relation to the Neoliberal State: The case of diamond mines in the Northwest Territories. (co-supervised with Emilie Cameron, Institute of Political Economy). Thesis.
Dyck, Miranda. May 2011. The Recognition of Indigenous Rights during the Red Power Movement, (co-supervised with Nahla Abdo). Thesis.
Adler, Howard. Fall 2010. A War without Bombs: The Government鈥檚 Role in Damming and Flooding of Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation, (co-supervised with Sean Darcy). Thesis.
Stock, Anthony. Summer 2010. The Impact of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test on L2 Students. Thesis.
Georgilas, Stella [Tsiknis]. Summer 2010. Hellas and Hellenes: An Ethnography of Transnationalism, (co-supervised with Jared Keil). Thesis.
Cadieux, Daniel. 2009. Linguistic Duality and Endangered Aboriginal Languages: Examining Canadian Language Policy and Discourse. Research Essay.
St-Aubain, Candice. 2009. Children鈥檚 Rights: Canada鈥檚 Commitment to Aboriginal Children. Research Essay.
Taylor, Briony. 2009. Ideological Literacy and the Sociocultural Practices of the Ottawa Inuit. Research Essay.
Moses, John. (2008, Senate Medal Winner). The Return of the Native (Veteran): Six Nations Troops and Political Change at the Grand River Reserve, 1917-1924, (co-supervised with Paul Litt). Thesis.
Whetung, Valorie. 2008. Statistics Canada and OCAP: Analysis of the problems and suggested solutions or deconstructing OCAP. Research Essay.
Syme, Phillipa. 2007. Specialized Aboriginal Community Internships at the UBC Museum of Anthropology. Research Essay.
Louttit, Stan. 2005. 鈥楧iabetes and glimpses of a 21st century Eeyou (Cree) culture: local perspectives on diet, body weight, physical activity and 鈥榖eing鈥 Eeyou among an Eeyou youth population of the Eeyou (Cree) nation of Wemindji, Quebec. Thesis.
Edwards, Nicole. 2005. Self-Governance or Neo-Colonialism: A Conceptual Discussion of Canada鈥檚 Self-Government Policy. Research Essay.
Guenette, Christine. 2006. Inuit Law in Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik, The Iqaluit Legal Aid Centre. Research Essay
Publications
2023. 鈥淭he Evolution of Inuktut Dictionary-Making: From Historical Documentation to Inuit Authorship and Collaborations.鈥 (with Kumiko Murasugi). Dictionaries – Journal of the Dictionary Society of North America. Volume 44, Issue 2: 7-27.
2022. 鈥淯rban Inuit in Canada: A case study of Ottawa鈥 (with Marika Morris and Qauyisaq Etitiq). In The Inuit World, Pamela Stern (Ed.). Routledge Press. Pp 87-104.
2022. 鈥淣ipivut and the restorying of Inuit life in Montreal鈥 (with Mark K. Watson, Christopher Fletcher, and Sara Breikreutz). In The Inuit World, Pamela Stern (Editor). Routledge. Pp. 70-86.
2019. 鈥淧romises, acts, and action: Indigenous language politics in Canada鈥. In Language Politics and Policies: Perspectives from Canada and the United States, Thomas Ricento (Ed.). Cambridge University Press. Pp 246-264.
2019. 鈥淎rctic Languages in the Age of Globalization鈥 In Handbook of Minority Languages and Communities, Gabrielle Hogan-Brun and Bernadette O鈥橰ourke (Eds.). Palgrave Press. Pp. 257-284.
2018. 鈥淚ndigenizing Language Policy in Canada: Redressing Racial Hierarchies in Language and Education鈥 In Minority languages, national languages and official language policies, Gillian Lane-Mercier, Denise Merkle and Jane Koustas (Eds.). McGill-Queen鈥檚 University Press. Pp. 210-227.
2018. 鈥淪tandardization of Inuit languages in Canada鈥. (with Kumiko Murasugi and Jeela Palluq-Cloutier) In Lane, P., J. Costa, and H. De Korne eds., . New York/London: Routledge, Critical Studies in Multilingualism, pp. 135-153.
2017. “” (with Benjamin Shaer and Gabriele Budach). Semiotic Review 5.
2016. 鈥淚ndigenizing Language Policy in Canada: Redressing Racial Hierarchies鈥. In Plurilinguisme et pluriculturalisme. Eds. Gillian Lane-Mercier, Denise Merkle et Jane Koustas. Montr茅al: Les Presses de l鈥橴niversit茅 de Montr茅al. Pp. 125-138.
2015. 鈥淚nuit Language Policy and Education and the Plan Nord: Situating Inuit Policy for Inuit Futures鈥. In Qu茅bec Policy on the Arctic: Challenges and Perspectives. Arctic and International Relations Series. Jackson School of International Studies. University of Washington, Canadian Studies Center. Pp. 46-49.
2015. 鈥淟anguage rights and language endangerment in Canada: The case of Aboriginal languages鈥. In Language and Identity Politics: A Cross-Atlantic Perspective. Ed. By Christina Spaeti and Damir Skenderovic. Berghahn Books. Pp. 119-136.
2015. 鈥淥bjects and Language in Trans-contextual Communication鈥. 鈥淚ntroduction鈥 to Special Issue (co-edited with Gabriele Budach and Catherine Kell,). Social Semiotics 25(4), pp. 387-400.
2015. 鈥’Talk around objects鈥: Designing trajectories of belonging in an urban Inuit community鈥 (with Gabriele Budach and Teevi Mackay). Social Semiotics 25(4), pp. 446-464.
2015. 鈥淚ndigenous languages and the racial hierarchisation of language policy in Canada鈥 (with Eve Haque). Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 36(1), pp 27-41.
2014. 鈥淯rban-rural dynamics and Indigenous urbanization: The case of Inuit language use in Ottawa鈥 (with Gabriele Budach). Special issue 鈥淒econstructing the urban-rural dichotomy: Language dynamism in Indigenous language contexts鈥, Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, Volume 13, pp. 236-253.
2013. 鈥淢ultiliteracies and Family Language Policy in an Urban Inuit Community鈥 (with Gabriele Budach and Igah Muckpaloo). Language Policy. Volume 12 (1), pp. 47-62.
2012. 鈥溌 Les pratiques de litt茅ratie aupr猫s des Inuits en milieu urbain with Gabriele Budach. Cahiers de l’Acedle, Volume 9, num茅ro 2, pp. 85 脿 108.
2012. 鈥淚ndigenous Contexts鈥, Chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Multilingualism, edited by Marilyn Martin-Jones, Adrian Blackledge and Angela Creese (eds.), Abingdon, UK: Routledge Press, pp. 29-48.
2012. 鈥淚ndigenous Studies in the Canadian Studies Context鈥, in Canadian Studies: The State of the Art, ed. by Verduyn, Christl and Jane Koustas. Halifax/Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing. (with Timothy Di Leo Browne and Mallory Whiteduck), pp 224-243.
2011. 芦Donner une voix aux Inuits urbains: 芦Photovoice禄 comme une pratique de multilitt茅ratie dans la construction d鈥檌dentit茅 et de savoirs transfrontaliers禄 (with Gabriele Budach). Cahiers de L鈥橧LOB Vol. 2, pp. 35-55.
2011. 鈥淩egaining the childhood I should have had鈥: The transformation of Inuit Identities, Institutions and Community in Ottawa鈥 In Howard, Heather and Craig Proulx (eds.) Aboriginal Peoples In Canadian Cities: Transformations and Continuities. (with Julie-Ann Tomiak, Lynda Brown, Heidi Langille, and Mihaela Vieru) Wilfrid Laurier Press, pp. 69-85.
2010. 鈥淐anada鈥. Chapter in the Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity, Second Edition, edited by Joshua Fishman and Ofelia Garcia. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 286-301.
2010. 鈥溾楾ransnational鈥 Migration and Indigeneity in Canada: A Case of Urban Inuit鈥. In Indigenous Cosmopolitans: Transnational and Transcultural Indigeneity in the Twenty-First Century, ed. by Maximilian Forte. New York: Peter Lang Publishing. New York, pp. 127-144 (with Julie-Ann Tomiak).
2008. 鈥淟anguage, Culture, and Community among Urban Inuit in Ottawa鈥 Etudes/Inuit/Studies thematic issue on Urban Inuit, 32(1): 55-72, (with Julie-Ann Tomiak).
2008. 鈥淚nuit Identities, Language, and Territoriality鈥. Thematic issue: Plurilinguisme et Identit茅s/Plurilingualism & Identities, Diversit茅 Urbain. Pp. 91-108.
2007. 鈥淚ndigenous language endangerment and the unfinished business of nation-states鈥, in Monica Heller and Alexandre Duch锚ne (eds.) Discourses of endangerment: Interest and ideology in the defense of languages (鈥淎dvances in Sociolinguistics鈥 Series, Continuum International Publishing Group) pp 35-56.
2007. 鈥淟anguage endangerment, language rights, and indigeneity鈥, in Monica Heller (ed.) Bilingualism: A Social Approach (Palgrave Macmillan) pp 111-134.
2007. 鈥淎boriginal language endangerment in Canada鈥. Anthropologie et Societ茅s 31, special edition on Dynamiques et pratiques langagi猫res.
2006. 鈥淓nglish and the construction of Aboriginal identities in the eastern Canadian Arctic鈥, in Catherine Evans Davies, Janina Brutt-Griffler and Lucy Pickering (eds), English and Ethnicity (Signs of Race Series, Palgrave Macmillan Press) pp 167-190.
2005. 鈥淟anguage Rights in Indigenous Communities: The Case of the Inuit of Arctic Qu茅bec鈥. Journal of Sociolinguistics. Volume 9, Number 3:369-389.
2004. (with Jane Freeland). 鈥淚ntroduction鈥 (Chap. 1), in Language rights and language survival: Sociocultural and sociolinguistic perspectives. ed. by Jane Freeland and Donna Patrick, (St. Jerome Press, Manchester UK) pp. 1-34.
2004. 鈥淭he politics of language rights in the Eastern Canadian Arctic鈥 , in Jane Freeland and Donna Patrick (eds), Language Rights and Language Survival: Sociocultural and sociolinguistic perspectives. Chap. 9 (St. Jerome Press, Manchester, UK) pp. 171-190.
2003. 鈥淟anguage, Socialization and Second Language Acquisition in a Multilingual Arctic Quebec Community鈥, in Robert Bayley and Sandra Schecter (eds.), Language Socialization in Bilingual and Multilingual Societies. (Multilingual Matters, Clevedon, UK) pp 165-181.
1999. (with Perry Shearwood), 鈥淭he Roots of Inuktitut bilingual education鈥. The Canadian Journal for Native Studies. 19: 249-262.