Kanako Uzawa: Urban female Ainu indigeneity


Technoscience research group seminar, Friday May 29th, 2015, 10-12 at the Centre for Gender Research, seminar room, first floor. In collaboration with UPPSAM, the association for Sámi related research i Uppsala, Hugo Valentin Centre and the Council for equal opportunities at Uppsala University.

Ms. Kanako Uzawa, PhD candidate at the Department of Sociology, Political science, and Community planning, University of Tromsö, Norway. Chair: Dr. Gunilla Larsson, Technoscience Research group, Centre for Gender Research, Uppsala university Title: Urban female Ainu indigeneity: The search for my own identity as a case study within the processes of global Indigenous mobilization.

Kanako Uzawa has a Master’s degree in Indigenous Studies from the University of Tromsö. She has worked as an intern with ILO in Geneva on the project to Promote ILO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples. She has also worked in Thailand for non-governmental organization working on indigenous peoples in Asia region. As a member of the Rera Association in Japan, she has been active in cultural preservation of the Ainu, and furthering the Indigenous rights of her people at the international arena. She has also served as a scientific assistant at the Centre for Sami Health Research, Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø. Recently she was admitted to a Ph.D program at the University of Tromsø. She works at the Department of Sociology, Political science, and Community planning, University of Tromsö, Norway.

Urban female Ainu indigeneity: The search for my own identity as a case study within the processes of global Indigenous mobilization.

Abstract

"My journey started with a word from my grandfather, Tadashi Kaizawa ,who was an activist and leader of the Ainu community. He stated: “In order to stand an equal platform with Japanese, you must educate yourself. If you are woman, it is more so”. My grandfather also put his efforts to provide enough financial support for my independence, living as an Indigenous woman. After his death, I decided to use the financial support for pursuing my education in the United States. In my presentation I discuss my journey as an Ainu woman from Japan, via study to pursue BA in sociology at the Central Washington University, Washington, US, and thereafter a MA in Indigenous Studies in the University of Tromsø in Norway, and work with indigenous issues at the ILO in Geneva, Switzerland. I came to Norway for the first time in 2000 as Ainu interpreter for the Ainu group. The cultural exchange program was coordinated between the Norwegian Sami and Ainu. My curiosity was triggered by the progressive political establishment of Sami in Norway thinking that one day I would like to learn more of Norwegian Sami and bring back the knowledge back to the Ainu community. Comparing my experiences, I will reflect upon the cultural differences, challenges and struggles as an Indigenous woman living in Norway. In addition, I will present some thoughts regarding my recently initiated PhD study. Within my PhD work, the focus is to articulate “place attachment” through making place where Indigenous peoples feel connected and attached in urban settings, including the academic setting. My aim is to find out how Indigenous peoples, immigrants, refugees and other people with different cultures may find ways to live together in a more positive way than what is currently the case. I hope to be able to make a contribution through my PhD project for science community, policy makers and international indigenous communities by bringing in practical solutions or way to understand each other in multi-ethnic environment for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples."

När: 29 maj 2015 08:00 - 29 maj 2015 10:00

Var: Centrum för genusvetenskap, Villavägen 6 / Uppsala

Arrangör: Technoscience Research group, Centre for Gender Research, Uppsala university

Mer information.