Situation of self

Boozhoo

Boozhoo! Amy Farrell nindizhinikaaz. Maung/nahma nindoodemug. Eabametoong nindoonjii. Thunder Bay gipiwunji. 
Hello! My name is Amy Farrell. I belong to the loon and sturgeon clans. I'm a member of Eabametoong First Nation. I come from Thunder Bay, Ontario.

about me

I'm Indigenous, Anishinaabe to be specific. But, I grew up having a foot in both worlds: Anishinaabe and non-Indigenous. My mother was born and raised on her family's ancestral land at Whitewater Lake in Northern Ontario. My father, a second-generation White settler, is from Thunder Bay and is of Scottish (Highland & Lowland), Irish (County Cork), and English (Stratford-upon-Avon) descent. 

Academia

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching & Learning in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba.
​My focus here is in the field of Indigenous Education. 

PUBLICATIONS
​

Upcoming feature novel!
​The Moth Dreamer
with HighWater Press!
Watch for luna moths, premonitions, and monsters

Everywhere, September 2025!


Read my two chapters in P. Lewis, K. O’Reilly, & A. King's (Eds.) Indigenization, Decolonization, and Unsettling: Stories from the Land with Canadian Scholars/Women’s Press (2024).
Find the book here.
Picture

Farrell, A. (2022). The truth my face tells: Reflections of an Anishinaabe educator. In J. MacDonald and J. Markides (Eds.) Brave work in Indigenous education. DIO Press.
Explore it here.

LATEST Research journeys

I'm currently working on an Indigenous speculative fiction novel in which Anishinaabe Star People and knowledges are highlighted to demonstrate cultural teachings of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. 
Picture
"While I’m not a mathematician or a scientist, I have a great love and respect for these fields and am incorporating elements from them into my novel. The STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) have always been part of Indigenous culture, although the knowledge may look different from a Western perspective. Making connections and Indigenizing these concepts is part of my ongoing work with story."

areas of specialization and research interests

Indigenous Education
  • Indigenizing STEAM in education
  • Indigenous women's roles and lives during the fur trade in Canada
  • Indigenous holistic education
  • Indigenizing mainstream curricula
  • Indigenous arts and crafts
  • Indigenous literatures in curricula
Indigenous Research
  • Indigenous research methodologies (Namely: my innovative Indigenous Storying Methodology)
  • Indigenous epistemology, ways of knowing
  • Indigenous sacred story, storytelling, narrative, folklore/folkhistory
  • ​Indigenous cultural knowledge and traditions (including Indigenous STEAM)
  • ​Indigenous creative narrative writing
  • Indigenous strong women in the fur trade

An invaluable research journey to Whitewater Lake First Nation, 2021.
​Connecting with land, on-the-land STEAM teachings, and knowledge & history gathering. 

CONFERENCES

LATEST

Canadian Association for the Studies in Indigenous Education (Canadian Society for the Studies in Education) June 2024
"Indigenous Metaphysics in Speculative Fiction: Illuminations on a Writing Journey"
(paper presentation)

Canadian Association for the Studies of Women in Education (Canadian Society for the Studies in Education) June 2024
"A Methodology-in-Becoming: Decolonial and Eco-Feminist Perspectives"
Co-Presented with Bruno de Oliveira Jayme (University of Manitoba), Kathy Sanford (University of Victoria), Tanya Manning-Lewis (Thompson River University)

RECENT

American Education Research Association 
"Interrogating Consequential Education Research: In Pursuit of Truth"
April 2023 
"Cultural Perspectives of Debwewin (Truth): Learning from Indigenous Research and Indigenous Sacred Story" 
​(Roundtable Presentation)

Hawaii International Conference on Education 
January 2023
a) "The Education of Strong Ikwe: What We Learn of Power and Agency from Women in Anishinaabe and Cree Sacred Story and Narrative" (Paper Presentation) 
b) "The Balance of Tensions: Exploring Patience and Cultural Learning Through Anishinaabe Beadwork within a Bachelor of Education Arts Course" (Presentation and Hands-On Workshop)

PAST

World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education 
September 2022
a) Exploring Indigenous STEAM Knowledges Through Creative Writing (Paper Presentation)
b) Reflections on Building Community in a Faculty of Education Through
Indigenous Leatherwork and Beadwork Crafting: A Sharing of Learnings During a Hands-On Workshop (Virtual On-Demand Workshop)
​
20/21 Vision: Speculating in Literature and Film
August 2021
Knowledge Through Storytelling, Kakendausowin peme Tibachimowin: Understandings of STEAM through Traditional Stories and Cultural Knowledge (Paper Presentation)

Indigenous Literary Studies Association
"This Land Does Not Belong To Us. We Belong To The Land"
June 2021 
Imagining land in speculative fiction: Into a journey of in-progress research writing (Paper Presentation)

artistic expressionS

Beadwork (the beadwork images shown here are my own creations),
​and acrylic and watercolour painting are my primary modes of artistic expression.
​I very much enjoy sewing, beadwork, book binding, leatherwork projects and more.
​I play the flute and have been taking lessons to improve my technique and prepare me for the RCM's Grade 9 Exam! 
Learning the ukulele is also such a joy (although this is currently on pause). 
Hello to a new adventure in singing lessons! This also happens to help my "teacher" voice. 

my focus


Indigenous research. 
​
Indigenous education.
​

contact information

​
You are welcome to contact me, whether fellow academic, potential graduate student,
​or if you're curious about Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous education. 

email

a[email protected]
​​

phone

204-474-9036
(​email is best)​

address

71 Dysart Road 
Room 282
Education Building
Faculty of Education 
University of Manitoba 
R3T 2N2
CTL Office: 204-474-9014

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