Vicki Bouvier - Changemaker Profile
Victoria “Vicki” Bouvier (she/her) is a Michif woman and an Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities. In this profile, she discusses the importance of her identity and lived experiences in changemaking and how she pushes the boundaries of colonial institutions.
Could you tell me about yourself?
I'm a Michif woman. This is synonymous with Métis but I identify as Michif because it is specific to the language of my people. I have a doctoral degree in education. All of my studies have been specific to understanding Indigenous experiences through colonialism, Indigenous identity, and my last two degrees were specific to my Metis people. That background allows me to be in the position as an Associate Professor of teaching in Indigenous studies. By having lived experiences as an Indigenous person, being connected to community and family, allows me to understand the day-to-day contextualizations of what I teach my students. That allows me to come to the classroom differently - not just “text and book understood” but “lived understood.”
What does it mean to be a changemaker?
The first thing that comes to mind in making change, is pushing boundaries within my context and my role in the university. I get faced with a lot of colonization. Until we press boundaries, we may not know what needs to be changed. [These institutional] boundaries are set and are favorable to some and not others, there is inequity. [So firstly] identifying those barriers to push against them, but also creating a community that also wants to create the change that you want to create. I don't think wide change can happen on an [individual level]. We have a philosophy in Michif understanding, and that’s ensuring that yourself and where you are in your community is always in good relations. Changemaking also has to uphold good relations and the wellness of others. That philosophy is really what grounds me in thinking about what kind of change I perceive as important and then bringing that forward.
What big, beautiful question drives your work?
That it's such a big question, I feel if I was to pinpoint one thing that sort of connects all of the things that I do together would be: cultural resilience. What I mean by that is, colonialism and settler colonialism have really tried to erode Indigenous peoples' culture and in my case, Métis culture. I find the urgency of maintaining and sustaining my identity so crucial in everything that I do. So then, in everything that I do, there's an element of cultural resistance and resilience where we fight and work to maintain who we are and our culture. Having that perspective for the generations to come is really important.
In my work, with students or elsewhere, [I focus on] not only thinking differently, but teaching students how to be different. [I am asking students] to think about the actions that they’re taking and what beliefs or values those are tied to. If we can understand that, then I think change has a better chance of mobilizing. In our [Michif] philosophy, you can't do without knowing, and so those two things are really tied together.
How do you embody changemaking in your work?
It's in every artery of my work. It comes from the assignments that I create, the way I think about how I bring students into learning processes. It’s also about - “how do I interact with others?” Then even going beyond that - “what change am I pushing for in the institution?” It also goes into my research, alot of my philosophy is leading by example. If I'm going to ask others to do what I want them to do, or foresee as having benefit, then I need to do that as well.
How do you see changemaking happening at MRU?
What I see and what I've experienced over the last five years at Mount Royal, I see change happening the most on the ground level. For those of us that have the same beliefs or values, I see us all coming together and having those conversations. I don't feel alone in my efforts and I think that it is so desperately needed to have people that can either advocate with you or for you. [In these conversations] other folks may see something that you don't and by adding those different perspectives [you see change]. I feel [change] more on an insular level.
Where do you find points of inspiration?
I think my inspiration comes from [asking] - “what is the best kind of life?” I want to live, and maybe that is watching reality TV shows or maybe it's taking a walk. I had this philosophy over the summer of “just say yes.” So instead of saying “I want to go jump in the river” but then I can give myself five excuses not too, asking instead “why shouldn't I jump in the river?” I think ultimately, if we are creating an environment for us to be our best selves, then that is automatically going to feed the things that we do. I think maybe change is a little easier when you are living your best life.