Coming off the sesquicentennial of the Meiji Restoration in 2018, the History Department partnered with the Centre for Japanese Research and units across campus to mark the 150th anniversary of the Japanese settler colonization of Hokkaidō with a workshop entitled, “Hokkaidō 150: Settler Colonialism and Indigeneity in Modern Japan and Beyond” on March 14-15, 2019. With opening remarks by UBC President Prof. Santa Ono, Hokkaidō 150 drew over 500 faculty, students, staff, and local community members over two days, first to a concert of Ainu and Haida music, and then to a day-long workshop exploring Ainu history, identity, and culture within the larger context of First Nations and Indigenous Studies. Hokkaidō 150 provided many meaningful connections, conversations, and collaborations between Indigenous communities in Hokkaidō and BC, between scholars of Japanese studies and First Nations and Indigenous Studies, and Indigenous artists and musicians from Canada and Japan.
Also check out the Hokkaidō 150 digital resource, where you can find photos and videos of the musical concert and workshop presentations, along with online resources pertaining to Ainu history and culture, a podcast series interviewing experts on Japanese settler colonization and Ainu issues, as well as UBC History 271 class projects documenting Ainu history.
To view more photos from this event: https://meijiat150.arts.ubc.ca/hokkaido-150-photo-gallery/
Summary written by Tristan Grunow
