Beyond Nostalgia

Networks of Indigenous World-Making with Paul Seesequasis

Abstract

Paul Seesequasis, a Plains Cree writer and journalist, discusses the significance of the Indigenous Archival Photo Project with Tanja Grubnic. He addresses how the social media–based archive restores visibility to historical photographs of Indigenous people whose identities have been marginalized through photography as an extractive art form under colonialism. The project initiates a collective process of memory reconstruction and world-making as community members identify friends, family members, and places in the images shared on the internet. Their conversation concludes by discussing the profound link between land and digital space. In consultation with Seesequasis, Grubnic has selected several images from the online project that honour the rich narratives of Indigenous communities across generations past, present, and future.