Indigenous editing principles, featuring Gregory Younging and his new style guide, Elements of Indigenous Style

When: NEW TIME: Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 6:30–8 PM

Where: NEW LOCATION: Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) Spadina, 192 Spadina Ave., Third Floor, Room F

(CSI Spadina moved across the street, to 192 Spadina Ave., as of late September.)

For the second program meeting of 2018–19, we are excited to feature Dr. Gregory Younging, author of the new and indispensable style guide, Elements of Indigenous Style (Brush Education, 2018).

Gregory’s exciting study—move over Strunk and White—is the first comprehensive style guide on Indigenous writing. It comprises 22 editorial principles or guidelines and explains why each one is needed. The first principle stresses, in part, that Indigenous Peoples must prioritize their self-perceptions and epistemologies. And the last, on the seemingly straightforward matter of verb tense, probes the nuts and bolts of how to write responsibly about Indigenous Peoples past and present. The other 20 supply much needed advice on ensuring appropriate and respectful interaction with Indigenous cultural materials and their custodians.

In introducing his new book, Gregory has recently delivered talks and conducted workshops across Canada. Now, happily, it’s Toronto’s turn! Please join us for what will surely be an enlightening discussion of Indigenous style—a subject of vital relevance for writers, editors, and publishers today.

More about our speaker:

Gregory Younging is a member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. He has an MA from the Institute of Canadian Studies at Carleton University, an MPub from the Canadian Centre for Studies in Writing and Publishing at Simon Fraser University, and a PhD in educational studies from the University of British Columbia. He has worked for the Assembly of First Nations and the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. From 1990 to 2004, he served as managing editor of Theytus Books, and currently serves as its publisher. Gregory was a member of the Canada Council Aboriginal Peoples Committee on the Arts from 1997 to 2001, and the British Columbia Arts Council from 1999 to 2001. He held the position of assistant director of research for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. He was on the faculty of the Indigenous Editors Circle at Humber College, Toronto, until 2017, and currently teaches in Indigenous Studies at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan.

ENTER OUR RAFFLE! All proceeds go toward our programs budget to help pay our speakers and provide cutting-edge programming for our members.

Cost: $2/ticket, $5 for three tickets, or $10 for seven tickets.

Prizes: one copy of Gregory Younging’s Elements of Indigenous Style; one copy of Peter Wohllbeben’s book The Hidden Life of Trees (Greystone Books, 2016); and two tickets to “Between the Pages: An Evening with the Scotiabank Giller Prize Finalists,” November 5 at Koerner Hall, donated by the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Editors Toronto would like to thank Brush Education, Greystone Books, and the Scotiabank Giller Prize for generously supporting this event.

Program details for Tuesday, October 23, 6:30 PM

NEW PERMANENT MEETING LOCATION: Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) Spadina, 192 Spadina Ave., Room F

6:30 PM              Introductory remarks
6:45 PM              Talk by Gregory Younging
7:30 PM              Q&A
8 PM                    Mix-and-mingle

Free for members; $10 for non-members.

Directions, parking, accessibility, and other information is available here and here.

Trouble getting into the building? Text the programs chair at 647-607-0416, and we will send someone to open the door.

ABOUT OUR NEW LOCATION: As of September 21, 2018, CSI Spadina moved across the street to 192 Spadina Ave. It has come to our attention late in the planning process that the new CSI Spadina location is not fully accessible. The CSI has indicated that the elevator “does not meet accessibility standards,” and that “the 30-inch door is wide enough for many devices, but not all.” Please contact the branch programs chair at [email protected] with any questions or concerns about accessibility at this meeting.

PLANNING AHEAD: Our usual October business meeting will take place on November 27. More generally, Editors Toronto meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month, except in June, July, August, and December. As of now, we’re working on panels devoted to the Giller Prize (on January 22), speculative fiction editing (on February 26), and poetry (on April 23, to coincide with National Poetry Month). Stay tuned for more information.