Sherryl Sewepagaham
Being a UBC Public Scholar, from a Cree standpoint, means that my research focus and life’s work grounded in the interrelationship of Cree song practice, language reclamation, and community well-being is recognized by UBC as a legitimate and valid contribution to scholarship. It affirms that knowledge generated from within Cree ways of knowing and being, and carried through song, does not lie on the periphery but is central to academic inquiry.
Research description
What does being a Public Scholar mean?
Being a UBC Public Scholar, from a Cree standpoint, means that my research focus and life’s work grounded in the interrelationship of Cree song practice, language reclamation, and community well-being is recognized by UBC as a legitimate and valid contribution to scholarship. It affirms that knowledge generated from within Cree ways of knowing and being, and carried through song, does not lie on the periphery but is central to academic inquiry. Being a Public Scholar gives me voice to undertake this work alongside a cohort of scholars whose commitment to their research reflects common ground. In addition, it allows me to fulfill my commitment to the Vanier Scholar title and utilize the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship that currently funds my research and everyday living expenses, including housing and food. When I first encountered the PSI webpage while preparing my PhD application, I envisioned myself among those scholars with just as much passion in their work as I hold. Finally, and most importantly, being a Public Scholar means that my research on Cree song and language reclamation is recognized by UBC as a worthy contribution to scholarship, community practice, and the broader spectrum of Indigenous resurgence.
In what ways do you think the PhD experience can be re-imagined with this Initiative?
The PSI re-imagines the doctoral experience by legitimizing research topics that may fall outside conventional academic frameworks—topics that are glaringly underrepresented in scholarship yet deeply significant to the communities from which they emerge. From a Cree perspective, this is a reclamation of research as a relational and reciprocal practice rather than an extractive one. The PSI creates space for my work to be recognized, cited, and built upon by others.
How do you envision connecting your PhD work with broader career possibilities?
I intend to incorporate the findings of my field research into my dissertation while continuing to advocate for the inclusion of traditional song practices alongside Indigenous language revitalization efforts. This commitment extends beyond my work at UBC: I will continue kîwîtin wacistona (Northern Nests) until song practices are restored and thriving within our communities, and are recognized essential to broader language revitalization efforts. My work has already garnered recognition from academic institutions as far away as Australia, and I have received invitations to present my research at both national and international events. These opportunities reflect a growing scholarly and community interest in song as a critical aspect of language and cultural reclamation, and I envision my career as one that bridges academic scholarship, community practice, and advocacy.
How does your research engage with the larger community and social partners?
For many years, I have been invited to lead song circles in northern Alberta through workshops, conferences, schools, and community events, including the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and activist marches for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). When I bring the hand drums, rattles, and songs into these spaces, nervous curiosity is often the first response from the participating women, but what remains after I leave is the empowerment of voices raised in song. This work cannot be a one-time event. It is an ongoing, relational commitment that cannot stop until song practices stand alongside other regular cultural practices such as moccasin-making, beading, and ribbon skirt making within Indigenous communities. I am not the sole song facilitator; I actively encourage and support other song women to stand with me in this endeavor. My research engages the wider public through invited presentations at academic and community conferences on a national level, demonstrating a broader interest in reevaluating what is missing from language revitalization discourse, which includes artistic and artisan practices that are deeply intertwined with spirit, language, people, and land.
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I decided to pursue a graduate degree because, in my final MEd course, I questioned why I should pursue a PhD. A wise professor told me it will give me a voice. I now use that voice in artistic, educational, and academic spaces to speak up against the colonial structures that impacted my people for generations. During my Master of Education research, I examined the interconnection between Indigenous song practice and cultural and language revitalization. My findings revealed a significant gap in scholarly research in Canada on the relationship between Cree life, song practice, and language—particularly research written from a Cree standpoint. I value research as a means of delving deeper into current and archival sources to uncover contributions to my field, and to learn how to ethically integrate Cree voices, teachings, and worldviews into my scholarly practice. I am eager to contribute to an area where there is a lack of Cree-centred knowledge. A PhD degree is not important to my Cree nation in itself; it is how I will use it to help my people and to be a voice for the wider Indigenous community across Canada and worldwide.
Why did you choose to come to British Columbia and study at UBC?
I chose UBC for its ethnomusicology program within the School of Music, which offers space to learn and grow in my research on Cree song practices through libraries, databases, and archives. Working with my PhD supervisor, Stó:lō associate professor Dr. Dylan Robinson, allows my work to benefit from his scholarship on the reparation and repatriation of Indigenous song and the misrepresentation of Indigenous culture in Western music spaces. Conducting my research at UBC is important because of the intersecting strengths between the First Nations and Indigenous Studies program, the First Nations Endangered Languages Program, Indigenous Research Support Initiatives, the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, the Museum of Anthropology’s Oral History and Language Lab, and UBC’s Indigenous community partnerships. This critical concentration on Indigenous research, language, and song is unique among Canadian universities and will provide the essential context for my research to flourish. Finally, I chose UBC for its recognition and institutional ranking among the top three universities in Canada and its renown as a top-tier public research university.
