Pulse Talks Presents: Masculinity and Indigeneity with Dr. Robert Alexander Innes

 Opening night Friday, November 8th, 2024, 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm

 Pulse Lab TSH 719, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8 (Also available virtually)

 Presented by Dr. Robert Alexander Innes

 Lecture, followed by interactive Q&A

 Refreshments will be served

Speaker Bio

Dr. Robert Alexander Innes, a citizen of Cowessess First Nation (Treaty 4), is an associate professor of Indigenous Studies at McMaster University. He holds a PhD from the University of Arizona, an MA from the University of Saskatchewan, and a BA from the University of Toronto. He was also a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at Michigan State University.

Event Description

An impact of the colonial process on Indigenous men has been the imposition, adoption, and adaptation of patriarchy. Though this tribal patriarchy manifests in many ways, the male privilege it entails is held up by Indigenous male physical and/or lateral violence against women and two spirit people and amongst men. For many people, toxic masculinity is closely linked to Indigenous male violence and because of this close association, masculinity is seen in a negative light. Indigenous men’s pathways to positive expressions of their masculinity are full of obstacles. Indeed, Indigenous men have been vilified and pathologized as dangerous, violent, and as a threat to white people, particularly to white women, and to their property by health care and educational professionals, politicians, academics and the media for decades. Therefore, the idea of Indigenous men as inherently violent is accepted by many white people as fact. Because of this stigma many within the Indigenous community prefer not to discuss negative behaviours of Indigenous males. This presentation will discuss the issue of violence committed by Indigenous men and highlight how some Indigenous men are willing to discuss their involvement in violence to accept responsibility for their behaviours while advocating for change. This presentation situates the violence Indigenous men are involved in within the context of colonization, linked to the forced assimilation process where notions of the masculine ideal informed by the white supremacist, heteronormative patriarchy was and continues to be internalized by some Indigenous men that leads to behaviours that act to support the racist structures that oppress all Indigenous people.

Sponsors and Support

This event is sponsored by the Pulse Lab (Located in Communications Studies and Media Arts, Faculty of Humanities) and the Indigenous Studies Department

Pulse Talks are made possible by generous donations and support from the following organizations: