Exam Notes: Dylan Robinson and Political Performance

Previous Content Connections

  • **Key Themes: **

    • Performance as disruption (Sky Fairchild-Waller’s lecture).

    • Public space and encounters as performance (Tuan’s writings).

    • Political potential of performance in real life (Robinson’s public spaces) vs. photography (Fleet’s lecture).

    • Concepts of critical race and positionality related to Abdurraqib’s work.

  • Austin’s Performative Utterances: Connections made to Robinson’s article regarding how performance might be interpreted and stereotyped based on race and position.

Introduction to Dr. Dylan Robinson

  • Background:

    • xwélmexw (Stó:lō/Skwah) artist, curator, and writer.

    • Former Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Arts at Queen’s University (2015-2022).

  • Research Interests:

    • Focus on Indigenous listening practices and curatorial practices (e.g., Soundings exhibition).

    • Current project “xoxelhmetset te syewa:l, Caring for Our Ancestors,” linking Indigenous artists with museum practices.

    • His work highlights the significance of Indigenous cultural practices and their functional political implications.

Writing as Disruption - Key Concepts

  • Robinson’s Perspective on Inclusion:

    • Hesitant about the incorporation of Indigenous performance into Canadian performance studies, wary of colonial appropriations.

  • Strain of Politics in Indigenous Recognition:

    • Cites Dene scholar Glen Coulthard regarding the problematic nature of settler recognition of Indigenous peoples.

Major Questions of Robinson’s Article

  1. How does performance studies risk representing Indigenous performance as merely a genre, thereby erasing its political and historical significance?

  2. Why prioritize aesthetics in analyzing Indigenous traditions that inherently possess functional significance (e.g., in politics, law-making, history)?

Links to Austin’s Performative Utterances

  • Indigenous songs serve vital functions in conveying legal rights, diplomatic relationships, and cultural sovereignty.

  • Robinson proposes concepts of “song acts” and “dance acts” due to their paramount significance in Indigenous culture — not merely aesthetic expressions.

Recasting Indigenous Anger

  • Critique of the stereotype of Indigenous bitterness as unjustified; instead, presents Indigenous affect as complex and multifaceted.

  • Urges recognition of movements like Idle No More as embodying “enchanted activism.”

    • Enchantment: Described as a fantastical engagement beyond everyday concerns.

    • Activism: Commitment to elevating disempowered communities and enacting societal change through public assembling.

Idle No More Movement

  • Origins: Began in November 2012, addressing environmental protection laws, particularly concerning First Nations land.

  • Key Characteristics:

    • Indigenous-led and inclusive with a focus on nation-to-nation relationships.

    • Engaged with technology and traditional organizing, establishing connections across diverse communities.

Protesting and Theorizing Protest

  • Emphasis on the role of performance as disruption in political discourse.

    • Engagement with Tuan’s concepts from previous classes.

    • Exploring how personal experiences relate to collective activism.

References

  • Notable works cited:

    • Cardell, K., et al. (2017). Stories: Social media and ephemeral narratives as a memoir.

    • Coulthard, G. (2014). Red skins, white masks: Rejecting the colonial politics of recognition.

    • Poletti, A., & Rak, J. (2014). Identity technologies: Constructing the self online.