2023-24 Harington Fellows
Dyana Lavallee
A Red River Métis student from Selkirk, Manitoba, Dyana Lavallee will graduate in the spring of 2024 with a 4-year BA majoring in Anthropology and a 3-year BA with a major in Indigenous Studies and a minor in Linguistics (earning a Student of Distinction award along the way). She still finds time to volunteer at Indigenous Day in Selkirk Park, at the Elders and Youth Gathering art tent and kitchen, and on the Interlake Local Advisory Committee, where she helps the Métis Employment and Training department.
During the summer of 2023, she completed the Indigenous Summer Scholars Program, transcribing oral history interviews with her Red River Métis aunt, and working towards publication. It is this personal history, especially her family’s links to the HBC, that Lavallee will explore with the support of the Harington Fellowship this year.
Even though Lavallee’s interests draw her deeper into the past, she’s also looking ahead to possible graduate schools, especially the Archival Studies program at the University of Manitoba and the Indigenous Development program at the University of Winnipeg.
Lavallee hopes eventually to work in Indigenous archives, particularly at the Manitoba Métis Federation, or with Red River Métis material at the HBC Archives. She’s been heartened by the decolonization efforts of archives in Manitoba, and hopes to help other Red River Métis people access information, and perhaps even develop streamlined processes to make their history more accessible to them. This protection and preservation of our collective history is what drives Lavallee as she works to learn everything she can about the cultural legacy of her people.
Nicole Murdock
Nicole Murdock is a Cree-Anishinaabe student, writer, and mother residing in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Treaty 1 Territory. She is currently in her third year of pursuing a Double Honours BA in Criminal Justice and Indigenous Studies at the University of Winnipeg.
A “Student of Highest Distinction” on the Dean’s Honour List in both the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic school years, Nicole is recognized for her academic rigour and achievement. She is also the recipient of the 2023 University of Winnipeg Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Student Research Award (UW-USRA-HS), underscoring her commitment and contribution to the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Through her research, Murdock is committed to highlighting the agency and voices of Indigenous women, in both the historical and contemporary contexts. By critically revisiting and engaging with archival records and historical publications, she aims to inject fresh perspective into the discourse and reframe entrenched colonial narratives.
An urban Indigenous member of Fisher River Cree Nation, Murdock aims to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous narratives, while embracing the responsibility of affecting change within her academic discipline and communities.