Hi there! My name’s Jack Hauen. I’m very excited to be sharing this course with you all.
I grew up in North Vancouver and have attended UBC since 2013. I know, I’m ancient. I’ve taken such a long time to graduate because I’ve spent the vast majority of my time at the Ubyssey, the student newspaper here. I fell in love with journalism, working as an editor for a couple years and running the paper for a couple more. Now I’m working in Ontario as a reporter covering the Doug Ford government. If anyone has questions about how to get involved in journalism, at the Ubyssey or elsewhere, feel free to reach out! I’m @jackhauen on Twitter — my DMs are open.
I’m excited to learn more about the process of colonization and the roles we all play in it. My time as a journalist has allowed me to explore some of these ideas and connect with some of the people on the front lines of decolonization. But as I’m sure we’re all aware, the Canadian media (myself included) has a long way to go to build trust with Indigenous peoples — illustrated recently by the fact that it was a foreign news outlet that broke the story about RCMP being prepared to shoot Wet’suwet’en land defenders. I plan to make the most of this opportunity to grow as a journalist and report on these topics in a more sensitive way.
Works cited:
Kay, Barbara. “Barbara Kay: Supplanting Literary Classics with Native Literature Is a Disservice to Students.” National Post, 5 Nov. 2019, https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-supplanting-literary-classics-with-native-literature-doing-a-disservice-to-students.
Parrish, Will, and Jaskiran Dhillon. “Exclusive: Canada Police Prepared to Shoot Indigenous Activists, Documents Show.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 20 Dec. 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/20/canada-indigenous-land-defenders-police-documents.
Hi Jack! Not as ancient as me! I graduated in 2009…that doesn’t even look right numerically anymore. All this advancement in technology is a lot to catch up on. Maybe being a journalist you are a little more tech savvy? You mention writing about the Doug Ford government, has that afforded you to write about environmental issues, and if yes, pertaining to Indigenous front-liners (you briefly mention so above)? I’d love to hear some more of your personal experiences. Do you feel that with writing about current affairs will colour your interpretations of the literature?
Thanks!
Hi Emilia,
Thanks for your comment! I’ve covered some of the environmental protests on the lawn of Queen’s Park, and I’ve spoken with a few different Elders about problems facing their nations (mining permits from the Ford government, the disappearance of their language, mercury poisoning at Grassy Narrows). Often these issues intersect, which is often fascinating and terrifying and sad.
I hope my reporting will affect my readings, but mostly vice-versa. I think the most valuable thing for my writing right now is to soak up as many experiences from others as possible.
Hi Jack, thank you for a great introduction; and I agree – I too hope your reporting impacts this course and this course impacts your reporting: a nice cycle. I am looking forward to working together, Erika