Fwd: Photographic and Audio-Visual Exhibition on Mental Illness Among Aboriginals and Inuit Living in Montreal
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Sasha Dyck
Mar 5, 2012, 9:49:09 AM3/5/12
to Aboriginal Health Interest Group
See exhibition and workshop info attached.
Cheers!
Sasha
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: cerev <ce...@alcor.concordia.ca>
Date: Sun, Mar 4, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Subject: CEREV Workshop with Greg Brass - Friday, March 9, 2012, 1:00-3:00
To: Monica Patterson <mepa...@umich.edu>
“A Long Ways From Home, Making a Home” : A Photographic and Audio-Visual Exhibition on Mental Illness Among Aboriginals and Inuit Living in Montreal."
Workshop with Greg Brass
Friday, March 9, 2012, 1:00-3:00
CEREV lab (LB 671.7)
The original intention of this exhibit was to offer a portrait to explore the diversity of lives and living arrangements of adult Aboriginal men and women living with a mental illness in the Montreal region. The news image I have provided is from an online urban space magazine. When I was asked to provide an image for my presentation I was puzzled by this request – how do I visually represent this issue? So I did what comes naturally these days – I Google searched for an image, “Montreal, homeless, mental illness.” Of course, thousands of images popped up of desperate looking people living on the street, or a graph about psychiatric emergency room visits. The image in the magazine seems to speak for itself. But if you scroll down to the comment box you read an interesting comment by a reader who claims to personally know the represented individual. I know absolutely nothing about the man myself. So I contrast this image with one I am more confident about – a family photo of my brother and my grand niece. He is my second oldest brother, lives in supported housing in the Vancouver region, and has lived with schizophrenia for over 40 years. He understands his mental illness, has lots of stories about life as he has experienced it so far, and has had many difficult moments in his life, including ten years in a forensic institution and the passing on of our parents, and recently being the victim of con artists who were taking advantage of mentally ill persons. He continues to be very much part of our family and is a wicked Scrabble player; he can often accurately predict the Stanley Cup match-up before the beginning of the playoffs. As common with people with schizophrenia he has a difficult communication style, experiences delusional thoughts and paranoia, and smokes too much – aside from that he is good company and a pleasure to be around. According to the statistics (and perhaps societal expectations), he should have a higher chance of becoming homeless: Aboriginal ancestry, mentally ill since adolescence, and a high school dropout from a lower-income working class family. He has never been homeless.
One of the concerns raised about this exhibit was the issue of creating stigma and stereotypes. As well, what are the long term implications of someone telling their life story about and the effects of mental illness? Are there really significant ethical issues with this exhibit? Are ethics really about protecting individuals from harm or saving institutions from legal trouble? I suppose that’s what I would like to discuss: what are the ethical issues with this exhibit?
From: cerev <ce...@alcor.concordia.ca>
Date: Sun, Mar 4, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Subject: CEREV Workshop with Greg Brass - Friday, March 9, 2012, 1:00-3:00
To: Monica Patterson <mepa...@umich.edu>
“A Long Ways From Home, Making a Home” : A Photographic and Audio-Visual Exhibition on Mental Illness Among Aboriginals and Inuit Living in Montreal."
Workshop with Greg Brass
Friday, March 9, 2012, 1:00-3:00
CEREV lab (LB 671.7)
please RSVP to Monica Patterson (mepa...@umich.edu) to receive a copy of the readings for the workshop.
The original intention of this exhibit was to offer a portrait to explore the diversity of lives and living arrangements of adult Aboriginal men and women living with a mental illness in the Montreal region. The news image I have provided is from an online urban space magazine. When I was asked to provide an image for my presentation I was puzzled by this request – how do I visually represent this issue? So I did what comes naturally these days – I Google searched for an image, “Montreal, homeless, mental illness.” Of course, thousands of images popped up of desperate looking people living on the street, or a graph about psychiatric emergency room visits. The image in the magazine seems to speak for itself. But if you scroll down to the comment box you read an interesting comment by a reader who claims to personally know the represented individual. I know absolutely nothing about the man myself. So I contrast this image with one I am more confident about – a family photo of my brother and my grand niece. He is my second oldest brother, lives in supported housing in the Vancouver region, and has lived with schizophrenia for over 40 years. He understands his mental illness, has lots of stories about life as he has experienced it so far, and has had many difficult moments in his life, including ten years in a forensic institution and the passing on of our parents, and recently being the victim of con artists who were taking advantage of mentally ill persons. He continues to be very much part of our family and is a wicked Scrabble player; he can often accurately predict the Stanley Cup match-up before the beginning of the playoffs. As common with people with schizophrenia he has a difficult communication style, experiences delusional thoughts and paranoia, and smokes too much – aside from that he is good company and a pleasure to be around. According to the statistics (and perhaps societal expectations), he should have a higher chance of becoming homeless: Aboriginal ancestry, mentally ill since adolescence, and a high school dropout from a lower-income working class family. He has never been homeless.
One of the concerns raised about this exhibit was the issue of creating stigma and stereotypes. As well, what are the long term implications of someone telling their life story about and the effects of mental illness? Are there really significant ethical issues with this exhibit? Are ethics really about protecting individuals from harm or saving institutions from legal trouble? I suppose that’s what I would like to discuss: what are the ethical issues with this exhibit?
http://cerev.concordia.ca/news/%E2%80%98a-long-ways-from-home-making-a-home%E2%80%99-a-photographic-and-audio-visual-exhibition-on-mental-illness-among-aboriginals-and-inuit-living-in-montreal
Gregory M. Brass is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at McGill University. Originally from Vancouver, he is of Ojibwa ancestry. Greg is currently working as a research assistant with the Network for Aboriginal Mental Health Research (NAMHR) in the Culture & Mental Health Research Unit at McGill.
--
Amber Berson
CEREV
Centre/Lab Administrator
ce...@alcor.concordia.ca
514-848-2424, ext. 2406
Gregory M. Brass is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at McGill University. Originally from Vancouver, he is of Ojibwa ancestry. Greg is currently working as a research assistant with the Network for Aboriginal Mental Health Research (NAMHR) in the Culture & Mental Health Research Unit at McGill.
--
Amber Berson
CEREV
Centre/Lab Administrator
ce...@alcor.concordia.ca
514-848-2424, ext. 2406
Sasha Dyck
Mar 5, 2012, 2:38:26 PM3/5/12
to Aboriginal Health Interest Group
I'm sorry to note that this event has been cancelled.
See exhibition and workshop info attached.
Cheers!
Sasha
---------- Forwarded message ----------
The original intention of this exhibit was to offer a portrait to explore the diversity of lives and living arrangements of adult Aboriginal men and women living with a mental illness in the Montreal region. The news image I have provided is from an online urban space magazine. When I was asked to provide an image for my presentation I was puzzled by this request – how do I visually represent this issue? So I did what comes naturally these days – I Google searched for an image, “Montreal, homeless, mental illness.” Of course, thousands of images popped up of desperate looking people living on the street, or a graph about psychiatric emergency room visits. The image in the magazine seems to speak for itself. But if you scroll down to the comment box you read an interesting comment by a reader who claims to personally know the represented individual. I know absolutely nothing about the man myself. So I contrast this image with one I am more confident about – a family photo of my brother and my grand niece. He is my second oldest brother, lives in supported housing in the Vancouver region, and has lived with schizophrenia for over 40 years. He understands his mental illness, has lots of stories about life as he has experienced it so far, and has had many difficult moments in his life, including ten years in a forensic institution and the passing on of our parents, and recently being the victim of con artists who were taking advantage of mentally ill persons. He continues to be very much part of our family and is a wicked Scrabble player; he can often accurately predict the Stanley Cup match-up before the beginning of the playoffs. As common with people with schizophrenia he has a difficult communication style, experiences delusional thoughts and paranoia, and smokes too much – aside from that he is good company and a pleasure to be around. According to the statistics (and perhaps societal expectations), he should have a higher chance of becoming homeless: Aboriginal ancestry, mentally ill since adolescence, and a high school dropout from a lower-income working class family. He has never been homeless.
One of the concerns raised about this exhibit was the issue of creating stigma and stereotypes. As well, what are the long term implications of someone telling their life story about and the effects of mental illness? Are there really significant ethical issues with this exhibit? Are ethics really about protecting individuals from harm or saving institutions from legal trouble? I suppose that’s what I would like to discuss: what are the ethical issues with this exhibit?
http://cerev.concordia.ca/news/%E2%80%98a-long-ways-from-home-making-a-home%E2%80%99-a-photographic-and-audio-visual-exhibition-on-mental-illness-among-aboriginals-and-inuit-living-in-montreal
Gregory M. Brass is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at McGill University. Originally from Vancouver, he is of Ojibwa ancestry. Greg is currently working as a research assistant with the Network for Aboriginal Mental Health Research (NAMHR) in the Culture & Mental Health Research Unit at McGill.
--
Amber Berson
CEREV
Centre/Lab Administrator
Sasha
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Gregory M Brass <gregor...@mail.mcgill.ca>
Date: Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Subject: Re: Fwd: Photographic and Audio-Visual Exhibition on Mental Illness Among Aboriginals and Inuit Living in Montreal
To: Sasha Dyck <sasha...@gmail.com>
Cc: Erica Lehrer <ele...@alcor.concordia.ca>
This is Gregory Brass. Please note that this event has been cancelled.
Thanks!
Gregory M. Brass
________________________________
From: Sasha Dyck <sasha...@gmail.com>
Sender: <aborigin...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 09:49:09 -0500
To: Aboriginal Health Interest Group<aborigin...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Fwd: Photographic and Audio-Visual Exhibition on Mental Illness Among Aboriginals and Inuit Living in Montreal
From: Gregory M Brass <gregor...@mail.mcgill.ca>
Date: Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Subject: Re: Fwd: Photographic and Audio-Visual Exhibition on Mental Illness Among Aboriginals and Inuit Living in Montreal
To: Sasha Dyck <sasha...@gmail.com>
Cc: Erica Lehrer <ele...@alcor.concordia.ca>
This is Gregory Brass. Please note that this event has been cancelled.
Thanks!
Gregory M. Brass
________________________________
From: Sasha Dyck <sasha...@gmail.com>
Sender: <aborigin...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 09:49:09 -0500
To: Aboriginal Health Interest Group<aborigin...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Fwd: Photographic and Audio-Visual Exhibition on Mental Illness Among Aboriginals and Inuit Living in Montreal
See exhibition and workshop info attached.
Cheers!
Sasha
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: cerev <ce...@alcor.concordia.ca<mailto:ce...@alcor.concordia.ca>>
Date: Sun, Mar 4, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Subject: CEREV Workshop with Greg Brass - Friday, March 9, 2012, 1:00-3:00
Date: Sun, Mar 4, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Subject: CEREV Workshop with Greg Brass - Friday, March 9, 2012, 1:00-3:00
To: Monica Patterson <mepa...@umich.edu<mailto:mepa...@umich.edu>>
“A Long Ways From Home, Making a Home” : A Photographic and Audio-Visual Exhibition on Mental Illness Among Aboriginals and Inuit Living in Montreal."
Workshop with Greg Brass
Friday, March 9, 2012, 1:00-3:00
CEREV lab (LB 671.7)
“A Long Ways From Home, Making a Home” : A Photographic and Audio-Visual Exhibition on Mental Illness Among Aboriginals and Inuit Living in Montreal."
Workshop with Greg Brass
Friday, March 9, 2012, 1:00-3:00
CEREV lab (LB 671.7)
please RSVP to Monica Patterson (mepa...@umich.edu<mailto:mepa...@umich.edu>) to receive a copy of the readings for the workshop.
[Inline images 1]
[Inline images 1]
The original intention of this exhibit was to offer a portrait to explore the diversity of lives and living arrangements of adult Aboriginal men and women living with a mental illness in the Montreal region. The news image I have provided is from an online urban space magazine. When I was asked to provide an image for my presentation I was puzzled by this request – how do I visually represent this issue? So I did what comes naturally these days – I Google searched for an image, “Montreal, homeless, mental illness.” Of course, thousands of images popped up of desperate looking people living on the street, or a graph about psychiatric emergency room visits. The image in the magazine seems to speak for itself. But if you scroll down to the comment box you read an interesting comment by a reader who claims to personally know the represented individual. I know absolutely nothing about the man myself. So I contrast this image with one I am more confident about – a family photo of my brother and my grand niece. He is my second oldest brother, lives in supported housing in the Vancouver region, and has lived with schizophrenia for over 40 years. He understands his mental illness, has lots of stories about life as he has experienced it so far, and has had many difficult moments in his life, including ten years in a forensic institution and the passing on of our parents, and recently being the victim of con artists who were taking advantage of mentally ill persons. He continues to be very much part of our family and is a wicked Scrabble player; he can often accurately predict the Stanley Cup match-up before the beginning of the playoffs. As common with people with schizophrenia he has a difficult communication style, experiences delusional thoughts and paranoia, and smokes too much – aside from that he is good company and a pleasure to be around. According to the statistics (and perhaps societal expectations), he should have a higher chance of becoming homeless: Aboriginal ancestry, mentally ill since adolescence, and a high school dropout from a lower-income working class family. He has never been homeless.
One of the concerns raised about this exhibit was the issue of creating stigma and stereotypes. As well, what are the long term implications of someone telling their life story about and the effects of mental illness? Are there really significant ethical issues with this exhibit? Are ethics really about protecting individuals from harm or saving institutions from legal trouble? I suppose that’s what I would like to discuss: what are the ethical issues with this exhibit?
http://cerev.concordia.ca/news/%E2%80%98a-long-ways-from-home-making-a-home%E2%80%99-a-photographic-and-audio-visual-exhibition-on-mental-illness-among-aboriginals-and-inuit-living-in-montreal
Gregory M. Brass is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at McGill University. Originally from Vancouver, he is of Ojibwa ancestry. Greg is currently working as a research assistant with the Network for Aboriginal Mental Health Research (NAMHR) in the Culture & Mental Health Research Unit at McGill.
--
Amber Berson
CEREV
Centre/Lab Administrator
ce...@alcor.concordia.ca<mailto:ce...@alcor.concordia.ca>
514-848-2424, ext. 2406<tel:514-848-2424%2C%20ext.%202406>
514-848-2424, ext. 2406<tel:514-848-2424%2C%20ext.%202406>
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