Lydia Toorenburgh

Research & Interest

Tansi, Lydia nitisiyigason. My name is Lydia (they/them)  and I am a two-spirit Bungi-Metis and settler person and am I am a registered citizen of the Metis Nations of both BC and Greater Victoria. I work in the areas of Indigenous and Metis studies, audio-visual anthropology, and participatory and community-engaged research. I completed my honour's and master's degree in anthropology at UVic working with Dr. Boudreault-Fournier and Rob Hancock. I have also worked at the Indigenous Student Recruitment Officer and most recently the Tri-Faculty Indigenous Resurgence Coordinator. I am interested in decolonial research and post-secondary practices. I am also interested in queer, queer Indigenous, and queer Metis studies.

In my doctoral research, I am working with 2SLGBTQIA+ Metis people to collect and create 2SLGBTQIA+ Metis stories, art, and resources to contribute to the reclamation, revitalization, and resurgence of 2SLGBTQIA+ Metis people, teachings, stories, language, community roles, and cultures of acceptance. I will collaborate with community members to create content for a website/digital museum that will host and share our knowledge, culture, and joy. Off campus, I am also a beadwork artist, drag performer, and singer-songwriter. I am affiliated with the Chair in Transgender Studies as a scholarship recipient and steering committee. I am also involved in two-spirit and Indigiqueer leadership at the national, provincial, and regional level.

Publications

Forthcoming Articles:

Toorenburgh, L; Gaudet, L. 2023. "Doing our work in a good way: a framework of collaboration and a case for Indigenous-only writing classrooms." Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie (DW/R): 1-18.

Toorenburgh, L; Reid, H. 2023. "Queering Collective Dreaming: Weaving Métis Futures of Belonging." Pawaatamihk: A Journal of Métis Thinkers 1(1): 1-28.


Theses:

Toorenburgh, Lydia. 2023.“Walking-With Wellness: Understanding Intersections of Indigenous Literacy and Health Through Podcasting,” Masters thesis, University of Victoria. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/14716 

Toorenburgh, Lydia. 2018.“‘Nitawâhtâw’ Searching for a Métis Approach to Audio-Visual Anthropology: Cultural, Linguistic, Methodological, and Ethical Considerations,” Honours thesis, University of Victoria.
https://dspace.library.uvic.ca//handle/1828/9435


Reviews:

Toorenburgh, Lydia. 2020. “RAVEN (De)Briefs Podcast: Indigenous Law in Action.” BC Studies 207: 128–29. https://bcstudies.com/new_media_review/raven-debriefs-podcast-indigenous-law-in-action/ 


Magazine Articles:

Toorenburgh, Lydia. 2023. "What it Means to be Two-Spirit." Monday Magazine. June: 16.


Media:

Walking-With Wellness Podcast: Indigenous Health and Literacy. 2023. Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lydia_toorenburgh/sets/walking-with-wellness