Naked and Dreaming Forward: Reimagining Indigenous Masculinities Through Story

In this public lecture, settler scholar Sam McKegney draws from his recent book Carrying the Burden of Peace to elaborate why discussions of Indigenous masculinities in Canada have become fraught, and yet, he argues, they remain vital to Indigenous resurgence. Using Heiltsuk/Mohawk filmmaker Zoe Leigh Hopkins’ brilliant short film Mohawk Midnight Runners as a case study, McKegney reflects on its depictions of masculinities that precede, succeed, and exceed colonial limitations. Hopkins’ film, McKegney contends, gifts its viewers with depictions of masculinities that are embodied yet spiritual, empowered yet vulnerable, hilarious yet deadly serious, masculinities that nurture the full humanity of Indigenous persons and the empowered futures of Indigenous nations.