CASCA is selling tickets for special events and visits organized by the LOC and the Women’s Network at the CASCA/AAA 2023 Conference in Toronto, November 15 to 19. For questions, e-mail membership@anthropologica.ca.

Events

Weaver-Tremblay Address and Reception

Thursday, November 16, 6:30-8:15pm and 8:30-10pm, Hall F

The recipient of the 2023 Weaver Tremblay Award, Professor Colin Scott, will present the Weaver Tremblay Address, “Anthropological Activism for Territories of Life” on Thursday, November 16, from 6:30-8:15pm in Hall F.

The Weaver Tremblay Reception will be held after the address, also in Hall F, from 8:30-10pm.  It will also include the presentation and celebration of the Salisbury and CASCA Poster Awards.   Attendees will receive one complimentary drink ticket for the cash bar and a selection of hors d’oeuvres.  This reception is the major CASCA-sponsored social event at the meetings this year (in lieu of the usual banquet), so please mark it on your calendar and plan to meet up with fellow conference-goers there.

 

All welcome!

Women’s Network Reception

Friday November 17, 4:30-6pm, Delta Hotel (Riverdale Room)

The CASCA Women’s Network Reception will take place at the Delta Hotel, Riverdale Room on Friday, November 17, from 4:30-6pm.

Tickets are $50, and can be purchased here.

Workshop: Indigenous Land Acknowledgments and the Unsettled Settler

Saturday November 18, 12-1pm

Facilitated by John Croutch (Indigenous Training Coordinator, Office of Indigenous Initiatives, University of Toronto)

Many governments and Institutions across Canada do land acknowledgements before meetings, convocations, seminars, and conferences, but why do we do them? What is their purpose? And are they an effective tool to further reconciliation between Settler Canadians and Indigenous Peoples? For many the problem seems to be that Indigenous Land Acknowledgments have become so ubiquitous that they risk becoming rote or performative – devoid of meaning; but is that really the problem?

Canada has never had an “Indian Problem” – but it does have a Settler problem. Settler Canadians have been shielded from violence perpetrated by the Settler state against Indigenous peoples. A properly crafted Indigenous Land Acknowledgment presents the opportunity to open the curtain a crack, however, in doing so, settlers must be prepared to be unsettled. In this workshop, which is intended for students, faculty, and non-anthropologists alike, participants will have an opportunity to think about and discuss how to make a meaningful and properly crafted land acknowledgment.

This workshop is free but registration is required (location available upon registration).

Excursions

Two CASCA-planned excursions, to the Aga Khan Museum and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection are open to all conference participants.

CASCA/AAA at the Aga Khan Museum

Friday, November 17^th, 9:30am-2pm

Join us on a trip to this must-see Toronto destination! The Aga Khan Museum is North America’s first museum dedicated exclusively to Islamic arts and presents and collects art from historically significant Muslim civilizations as well as contemporary Muslim communities and diasporas around the world. It is also renowned for its impressive architecture and pristine landscaping.

The fieldtrip will include a 1.5-hour guided tour of museum highlights, including: An architecture tour focused on Fumihiko Maki’s use of light, a tour of the permanent collection, and a tour of the special exhibit, Shezad Dawood: Night in the Garden of Love.

After the tour, there will be additional time to browse the museum, enjoy the grounds, or have lunch in Diwan Restaurant (reservations required) or the Courtyard Café.

Space is limited; please register by November 9th for your ticket, which includes admission, guided tour, and bus transportation to the Aga Khan Museum from the Metro Convention Center and back.

Tickets are $60 CAD can be purchased here.

CASCA/AAA at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Sunday, November 19^th, 12noon-4pm

Located on 100 acres of forested land along the Humber River, the McMichael is a major public gallery uniquely devoted to collecting the art of Canada. The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is located on the original lands of the Ojibwe Anishinaabe and Huron-Wendat People. It is uniquely situated along the Carrying Place Trail which historically provided an integral connection for Indigenous people between Ontario’s Lakeshore and the Lake Simcoe-Georgian Bay Region.

The McMichael’s permanent collection consists of over 7,000 artworks by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, their contemporaries, and First Nations, Métis, Inuit and contemporary artists who have contributed to the development of Canadian art.

This fieldtrip will include a 1-hour guided tour of highlights of the McMichael collection, which will be led by Sarah Milroy, Chief Curator of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, and Bonnie Devine, Associate Curator Indigenous Culture.

Space is limited; please register by November 8 for your ticket, which includes admission, guided tour, and bus transportation to the McMichael from the Metro Convention Center and back.

Tickets are $62 CAD and can be purchased here.

Royal Ontario Museum Guided tour of Current Exhibits and Conversation with Dr. Chen Shen, Anthropologist and Co-Chief Curator of Arts and Culture, and Senior Curator, China.

Thursday, November 16th, 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM

Location: Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queens Park, Toronto, ON M5S 2C6, Canada.

Nearest Subway station: Queen’s Park at Charles Street West, beside the Royal Ontario Museum

The Association of Senior Anthropologists together with the AAA, CASCA and the Royal Ontario Museum is sponsoring an afternoon at the ROM. The visit has been organized by Dr. Chen Shen, the ROM’s Co-Chief Curator of Arts and Culture and Senior Curator, China, an anthropologist/archeologist. The visit will feature tours of two exhibits, Death: Life’s Greatest Mystery, guided by Dr. Shen, and Being and Belonging: Contemporary Women Artists from the Islamic World and Beyond, led by one of the exhibit’s senior curators. Attendees will be able to experience both tours. Following the tours, the event will end with an opportunity to discuss the exhibits and the role of anthropology and community collaborations with Dr. Shen. Descriptions of these outstanding exhibits, each with historical, cultural, spiritual, anthropological and political implications, are featured on the ROM website. (https://www.rom.on.ca/en/exhibitions-galleries).

Cost: Regular adult: $50 CAD

Senior adult (aged 65 and over): $46 CAD

Participation: Participation is limited to 50 people (no exceptions) who are paid registrants for the American Anthropological Association/CASCA meeting.

Register for this event and pay in advance through the AAA meetings website. If space is available registration and payment will be accepted at the door.

For inquiries about the program, please contact Jean Schensul, Program Chair (jean.schensul@icrweb.org); for inquiries related to registration and cost, please contact Margo Smith, ASA Treasurer (margolane61@yahoo.com).

Get to know Toronto with self-guided tours

First Story Toronto: Exploring the Indigenous History of Toronto

The First Story Toronto app, a grassroots community project developed at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto in Partnership with the Centre for Community Mapping, is an interactive map with which to explore the evolving Indigenous history of the Toronto area.  Users can access stories, archival documents, photos, and video clips in conjunction with the map.  First Story Toronto is available for free in English and in French through the Driftscape app. Driftscape provides stories of Toronto’s Indigenous history as well as other histories and content from other community providers. To access First Story content the app, selection “Ontario” and then “First Story” from the Interests menu, or look for the First Story markers on the map.

A City of Neighbourhoods: additional self-guided tours

Toronto is often called “a city of neighbourhoods”, each of which has its own unique “vibe” and history.  Self-guided and/or virtual tours are a great way to get to know the city.  Heritage Toronto’s Explore and Learn program provides information about the city’s many neighbourhoods.  Tours and maps of particular interest to conference goers include Takaronto Voices, The Living History of Litte Jamaica, and St. James Town: World Within a Block.

Childcare

The Local Organizing Committee has identified Imagine That Family Care Services, as a preferred company able to provide childcare to individual conference attendees. If you need childcare during the conference, you can make arrangements directly with them (and at your own cost). Please contact Anita DeVille : anita@imaginethatcare.ca or 416.243.3285

Discounts on local attractions

Royal Ontario Museum

Show Your Badge and Save 15% off ROM Admission

Present your AAA / CASCA annual meeting badge to the ROM Admission Desk or buy your tickets online in advance at rom.ca and enter promo code ROMANTHRO

Toronto Railway Museum

Show your badge and save 50% off Toronto Railway Museum admission.

Presto card discounts

Visitors to Toronto can access discounts at a number of local attractions through the Presto Perks Program, including The Hockey Hall of Fame, The Ontario Science Centre, The Aga Khan Musueum, and more.

A Presto Card can be used to pay fares for the Toronto Transit Commission, GO Transit, and the UP Express. For more information on where to get a Presto card and how to use it, visit the Presto website