It is a real pleasure to announce that Dr. Catherine Richardson has been appointed co-director of COHDS for 4 years. She will be replacing Dr. Luis Sotelo Castro who will finish his term on June 30, 2022. Dr. Richardson is currently on sabbatical, so she will be joining us effectively on January 2023 and we are looking forward to her involvement with COHDS.

Catherine Richardson is the current Director of First Peoples Studies and a full Professor in the School of Community and Public Affairs at Concordia. She received her PhD in 2004 in Child and Youth Care from University of Victoria. Her doctoral research involved searching for Métis stories, a process which was later documented in a book called “Belonging Métis.” She has published several other books over the years, including the recent “Facing the Mountain: Indigenous Healing in the Shadow of Colonialism” (2021). Dr. Richardson is not only an accomplished academic, but also a therapist, an activist and an advocate for the well-being and rights of Indigenous peoples, with a particular interest for the well-being and safety of Indigenous women and youth. She has been involved in numerous activities at COHDS and at the Acts of Listening Lab (ALLab) over the last few years and we are looking forward to her contribution to the direction of COHDS. Welcome Catherine!

We take this opportunity to thank Dr. Luis Sotelo Castro who is finishing his term as COHDS’ co-director. During the last three years, Luis has been contributing actively to the intellectual and social life of the center as COHDS’ co-director as well as the director of the Acts of Listening Lab (ALLab). The multiple seminars, round tables, presentations, singing events organized by the ALLab to explore the transformative power of listening have expanded broadly our ways of approaching oral history. As the director of the ALLab, Luis will remain a member of COHDS’ administrative board, so we will continue developing and strengthening the collaborations between COHDS and the ALLab. Thank you very much Luis and best wishes for your sabbatical!

It is therefore with this change in the direction of COHDS that the academic year ends for us. We wish you all a great summer!