HIST 5316G: Unsettling the Prairie West

HIST 5316G: Unsettling the Prairie West
Fall 2025

Instructor: Professor Michel Hogue

Course Description:  In their documentary film, The Nest, filmmakers Julietta Singh and Chase Joynt use the storied past of a sprawling Winnipeg mansion to guide viewers through “140 years of forgotten matriarchs and political histories.” The project, which includes a wide range of collaborators—from descendants to activists to community members—seeks to challenge the “settler colonial stories of belonging” that have infused histories of the region and the nation.

While this seminar is designed to introduce you to the historiography of the Prairie West, it uses the conceptual and methodological challenges posed by Singh and Joynt to consider both the construction of a settler historiography of the region and the decolonial possibilities posed by alternate historical frames.

Format: This is an in-person seminar course that will meet every week for three hours. The seminar will be based in the shared consideration of the class readings, as well as related workshop activities, and a screening of The Nest (featuring the filmmakers).

Questions? Please feel free to contact Professor Hogue at michel.hogue@carleton.ca if you would like more information about the course.