Department of Indigenous Studies

Join us for Learning Blackfoot Syllabics with fluent speaker Blaise Russell - a welcoming space to learn, listen, and engage with the Blackfoot language.

When: Tuesday, March 31st, 2026
Time: 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Where: Iikaisskini Gathering Centre (W650)

Lunch will be provided! All are welcome.

*Please note all activities are subject to change.

Join us for two days of research, creative work, and conversations grounded in Indigenous knowledge and relational ways of learning.

Featuring:

• Research Presentations
• Panel Discussions
• Documentary Screenings
• Poster Session
• Indigenous Art and Media

Open to students, faculty, and community members. All are welcome to this free event!

Free lunch for the first 100 people

When: Wednesday April 8^th & Thursday April 9^th
Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm
Where: Multiple locations include Markin Hall Atrium, M1035, Andy's Place & AH176

The methodology combines three approaches. The first is etymological tracing for languages of mixed origin; this is adopted from Mühlhäusler (1984) to reconstruct the diachronic development of lexemes, and accounts for phonological, semantic, and structural blending. The second approach is semantic analysis grounded in Cognitive Linguistics to classify changes and identify how polysemic extensions emerge through conceptual associations; specifically, this paper examines metonymy (Ruiz de Mendoza 2000) e.g., striking action for rhythmic activity as seen in example (1) and (3), and metaphor (Lakoff & Johnson 1980) e.g., argument is war as seen in example (4). The third approach is corpus linguistics, which is used for textual processing.

Ultimately, this paper contributes to etymological studies for contact languages and cognitive semantics by modelling how lexical meaning develops, stabilizes and grows within a mixed language. Learn more at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19102360.

Abstract: Oral Presentation

Understanding the Death of Love:

Conceptual Metaphors in Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology

This paper presents a cognitive linguistics study on the conceptual metaphors present in Taylor Swift’s 11^th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology (TTPDTA). This album is the extended version of The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) and contains 15 tracks in addition to the original release. For this study, 26 of the 31 songs from TTPDTA have been taken as a corpus to analyse the conceptual metaphors for romantic love used across the album. Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP) is the primary qualitative methodology used, as it has been successful in previous studies of conceptual metaphor analysis for songs. This method consists of initial close reading, lexical unit identification, and contextual vs. basic meanings identification. Building off Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory, this paper identifies key structural metaphors for love and relationships. The results suggest love is predominantly constructed through seven main metaphors (e.g., love is pain, love is prison, love is religion, love is a journey, love is a living organism, love is performance, love is game). This indicates that there is a small subset of recurring metaphors, all with stable entailments, that structure the way love and relationships are talked about and understood in this album, meaning they function as an album-level framing device. This paper contributes to the study of conceptual metaphors in music and the growing body of literature on metaphorical analysis in Taylor Swift songs, while laying the basis for future diachronic comparison of metaphors across Swift’s discography. Learn more at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19152651.

First a finalist for the 2026 3MT and now this! For her first big win for the Meeting of the Minds conference, 2nd place is still a fantastic recognition for her hard work as a graduate student. She should be proud to represent the Indigenous Studies department in this celebration.

Daniela tied for second place in the Master’s oral presentation category for her thesis work, supervised by Dr. Conor Snoek in the Department of Indigenous Studies. Her research focuses on the Mapudungun language of Chile, and she is studying how Mapudungun is taught online. Her research also explores how the signs and symbolic elements in the online videos being analyzed create an engaging learning experience for someone learning Mapudungun. Using the methodology of Thematic Analysis, she creates codes from the raw data being analyzed to find common patterns to answer her research question on how Mapudungun is taught online, and how modern technology like YouTube can create an engaging learning experience to learn an Indigenous language like Mapudungun.

Meeting of the Minds is a space for graduate students across all research disciplines to share their research and exchange ideas in a meaningful dialogue. It reflects the strength and diversity of graduate research at the University of Lethbridge through poster and oral presentations, and if reflects the dedication of each graduate student who pursues this opportunity. The conference celebrated their 20th anniversary this past Saturday, with a wide range of graduate and undergraduate student presentations. Daniela presented on a similar topic as a finalist for the 3MT, delving deeper into her methodology and the results she has found in her research.

Abstract: How Mapudungun is taught online

My thesis examines how Mapudungun is taught online, and how online platforms can effectively be used by a wider, global audience to learn an Indigenous language like Mapudungun. Data will be collected through the qualitative research method of Thematic Analysis with the objective of examining how Mapudungun is taught online. The significance of this research lies in the importance of Indigenous language maintenance in Latin America, and future efforts in revitalization efforts using a digital technology like YouTube.

Early results have shown an intent to bring Mapudungun to a wider, global audience, while focusing on Chile and Argentina. There is a relatability among young white Hispanic Chileans through the presence of a Hispanic Chilean learner, along with the cognitive model of “transfer error” and the assumptions held by the instructors that Spanish speakers inherently know English as a reference and have an established knowledge of English while viewing the videos. I examine the idea of exposure to a second language being taught in schools in Chile because of growing globalization and a push to learn English around the world. Another important aspect of my research is the idea of Connectivist theory, and the network of connections people create through the comments sections on the YouTube videos I am analysing. Is there a connection that can be created between language learners and engagement with Mapudungun through people’s public YouTube comments? This will shed further light on how an Indigenous language can be taught in the age of technology.

Keep up-to date on events and other happenings in the Indigenous Studies department by following our Instagram Account.

At the University of Lethbridge, Niihtaapookaa (Old Man River Child), Tatiana Weasel Moccasin has worked as a research assistant, travelled to Mexico for school, and embraced opportunities to enhance her creativity through creative writing and Indigenous art courses. Her future aspirations include becoming a teacher in Indigenous studies and language arts while continuing to advocate for Indigenous voices in education.

"I have so many great experiences here at the University. I loved the friends I've made, the club I joined (All My Relations) and the amazing professors I've been honoured to work with."

Sii'piapaikkana (Night Shining), Dakota Wadsworth's (ISSC '24) time at the University of Lethbridge is a powerful testament to resilience, determination, and the strength of community. As a proud First Nations student and single mother, she has overcome financial barriers and personal challenges to excel in her studies, all while being inspired by, and inspiring those around her. Her story as a shining example of breaking through barriers to achieve dreams and create a brighter future.

"I used to be so scared to come to the University. But when I got here, I met some professors who were kind, encouraging, and truly there to assist when they could."