Dr. Jess Notwell

Assistant Professor

Phone: 4752
Email: jnotwell@uwo.ca

Respect, gratitude and love to the Anishinaabeg, Haudenausaune, Lenaapeewak, and Attawandaron Nations, the traditional guardians of the territories on which I am a guest, including to the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Bkejwanong Territory, Caldwell First Nation, Deshkan Ziibiing Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Eelünaapéewi Lahkéewiit Delaware Nation, Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, Munsee-Delaware Nation, and Onyota’a:ka Oneida Nation of the Thames. Respect, gratitude and love to all First Nations, Inuit and Métis people living on, working on, and caring for these territories today.

Respect, gratitude and love to ᑲᐦᑮᔮᐤ ᑳᐚᐦᑰᒪᑳᐤ kahkîyâw kâwâhkômakâw (All Our Relations), with whom we exist in relationship and without whom we would not exist at all.

Honouring the Dish with One Spoon Wampum, the Seven Sacred Teachings, ᒥᔪ ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ miyo pimâtisiwin, ᐹᐢᑖᒧᐏᐣ pâstâmowin and ᐘᐦᑰᑐᐏᐣ wahkôtowin as elements of traditional governance and sacred law that guide my ways of knowing and being.

ᑕᓂᓯ ᑕᐚᐤ. Jess ᓂᑎᓯᔨᑳᓱᐣ. ᒥᑭᓯᐤ ᐅᑭᐦᒋᐚᐤ. ᑭᓯᐢᐠ ᒋᐘᐣ ᓂᑯᑤᓯᐠ ᐑᑕᐢᑮᐏᐣ ᐅᐢᑌᓯᒪᐓᔭᓯᐍᐏᐣ ᐅᐦᒋ ᓂᔭ ᑲᔭᐦᑌ. ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐤ ᑳ ᑎᐯýᐃᒥᓱᒋᐠ ᒨᓂᔭᐤ. ᑭᐢᑵᑲᓂᐢᑵᐤ. ᑌᔥᑲᓐ ᓰᐲᓐᒃ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐘᐢᑮᐏᐣ (the territory colonized as London, ON) ᓂᐑᑭᐣ.

Tan’si tawâw! My name is Jess Notwell. My family’s original territory is Treaty 6 in kisisk ciwan. I am Eagle Clan, nehiyaw Métis on my Mom’s side (Métis family names: McLeod and McKenzie) and white settler on my Dad’s side. I live in deshkan ziibiing (the territory colonized as London, ON). I am a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology. My office is FB002B. My email is jnotwell@uwo.ca. I am looking forward to co-creating good relations!!

Education

• PhD, Sociology & International Development Studies, University of Guelph
• Master’s of Environmental Studies MES, York University, 2014
• Honours Bachelor of Gender & Women’s Studies and International Development Studies, Dalhousie University, 2000

Teaching

• SOC 2294/5 Special Topics: Another World Is Possible (co-teaching with Dr. Lesley Bikos)
• SOC 3390F/G Decolonization I: Care, (Un)Learn, Act, Decolonize
• SOC 3391F/G Decolonization II: From Turtle Island to Palestine
• SOC 2108 F/G Decolonizing Social Science

Research

Decolonial love, co-resistance and solidarity as practices of decolonization / ᒥᔪ ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐃᐧᐣ miyo-pimâtisiwin (living in a good way); global solidarities across struggles for liberation in Palestine, on Turtle Island, and beyond; Indigenous land-based knowledges and pedagogies; decolonizing human rights; decolonizing critical race feminisms; intersectional decoloniality; Indigenous and decolonizing methodologies; women-centred and decolonizing approaches to community-engaged research grounded in reciprocity with ᑲᐦᐄᔮᐤ ᑳᐚᐦᑰᒪᑳᐤ kahîyâw kâwâhkômakâw (All Our Relations).

Selected Publications

Reflecting on decolonization, academic publications are not the only – or even a primary – indicator of how I enact my responsibilities to ᑭᓭ ᒪᓂᑐᐤ kise manitow (the Great Spirit), ᐅᑳᐑᒫᐘᐢᑭᐩ okâwîmâwaskiy (our Earth Mother), seven generations of ᐘᐦᑯᒫᑲᓇᐠ wahkomâkanak (ancestors/descendants), ᑭᐦᒉᔨᓂᐘᐠ kihceyiniwak (Elders), and ᒫᒪᐏᓂᑐᐏᐣ mâmawinitowin (community). Of greater value is my action for decolonization and co-liberation; living ᑌᐸᑯᐦᑊ ᑭᐦᒋᑤᐤ ᑭᓯᓇᐦᐊᒪᑫᐏᓇ tepakohp kihcitwâw kisinahamakewina (the Seven Sacred Teachings) as ᒥᔪ ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ miyo pimâtisiwin. I have included one publication below as an example of my written work. Far better would be to participate together in sharing decolonial visions, cultivating good relations with ᐅᑳᐑᒫᐘᐢᑭᐩ okâwîmâwaskiy (our Earth Mother), co-creation of beloved community, and co-liberation from Turtle Island to Palestine.

Notwell, J. (forthcoming). Decolonial Co-Resistance as Indigenous Methodology: Deepening Resistance & Decolonizing the “Co-.” In C. Carter & C. Jones, (Eds.), Contemporary Vulnerabilities, Plans Unraveled: Reflections on Social Justice Methodologies. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press.