307 - Indigenous Literary Studies Association (ILSA)
The Indigenous Literary Studies Association (ILSA) stands at the intersection of literature, culture, and activism, fostering a space to celebrate Indigenous voices, stories, and knowledge systems. ILSA was created in 2013 to address the need for a scholarly body based in lands claimed by Canada that focuses specifically on the study and teaching of Indigenous peoples’ literatures. We use the term “literature” to refer broadly to arts in the medium of language. Although Indigenous literary studies sometimes focuses on written texts, it remains inclusive of and connected to the study of a wide range of textual and rhetorical productions. Likewise, we welcome and encourage engagement with Indigenous literatures composed not only in English and French, but also in Indigenous languages. While rooted in the territories of Indigenous Nations in Canada, we honour our connections to the global network of Indigenous literary studies. ILSA invites you to join us in this year’s theme, "Re-visiting." Remembering with Michi Saagig Nishnaabeg thinker Leanne Betasamosake Simpson that any place is “Indigenous lands irrespective of whether those lands are urban, rural, or reserve” (As We Have Always Done, 195), the theme for ILSA’s 2025 gathering attends to place, to the "where" that facilitates togetherness.