The Robin P. Armstrong Memorial Prize for Excellence in Native Studies

The Armstrong Memorial Prize recognizes and promotes excellence in applied research on Canada's Aboriginal peoples. It was established to commemorate the contribution of Robin P. Armstrong to research on Aboriginal issues within the government of Canada and the CAG. The prize is drawn from a fund established in Robin Armstrong's memory with donations from the Armstrong family, individuals who wished to commemorate Robin in this way, the Department of Indian Affairs, and Statistics Canada.

The Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG), Statistics Canada, and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada award the Robin P. Armstrong Memorial Prize for Excellence in Native Studies to a graduate student in geography or native studies for the best Master's or PhD thesis on an aboriginal topic. The prize winner is announced at the annual CAG conference.

This award was established to

• recognize and promote excellence in applied research on Canada's aboriginal peoples;
• commemorate the contribution of Robin P. Armstrong in undertaking and promoting excellence in geographical research and quantitative analysis on aboriginal issues within the government of Canada and the CAG,and in helping to found the Indigenous Peoples Working Group (formerly the Native Canadians Specialty Group) of the CAG.

Winners

• 2009 - Claude Peloquin, MA thesis: "Variability, change and continuity in social-ecological systems: insights from James Bay Cree cultural ecology". His thesis supervisor at the University of Manitoba was Fikret Berkes.
• 2008 - Suzanne Mills, Department of Geography, Queen's University.
• 2007 - Gita Laidler for a Ph.D. thesis titled "Ice, Through Inuit Eyes: Characterizing the importance of sea ice  processes, use, and change around three Nunavut communities". The supervisors were Dr. Vincent Robinson, Dept. of Geography, University of Toronto at Mississauga and Dr. Deborah McGregor, Dept. of Geography and Aboriginal Studies Program, University of Toronto.
• 2006 - Dr. Piotr Wilk, Department of Sociology, University of Western Ontario, under the supervision of Dr. Paul Maxim and Dr. Jerry White, "Self-Employment on Indian Reserves".
• 2005 - Ryan C. Walker, Department of Geography, Queen's University, under the supervision of Professor Evelyn Peters, "Urban Citizenship and Aboriginal Self-determination in the Winnipeg Low-cost Housing Sector".
• 2004 - Bettina Koschade, Department of Geography, Queen's University, under the supervision of Professor Evelyn Peters, "The Tay River watershed is our responsibility: The Ardoch Algonquins and the 2000-2002 Environmental Review Tribunal Hearings".
• 2003 - Yael Levitte, Department of Geography, University of Toronto, yael.levitte@utoronto.ca, under the supervision of Professor Meric Gertler and Professor Amrita Daniere, "Social Capital and Aboriginal Economic Development: Opportunities and Challenges"
• 2002 - Kathleen Wilson, Queen's University, under the supervision of Prof. Evelyn Peters, Ph.D. dissertation entitled "The Role of Mother Earth in Shaping the Health of Anishinabek: A Geographical Exploration of Culture, Health and Place."

The prize includes

• a cash prize of $1,000, based on the funds available in the Robin P. Armstrong Memorial Fund at the CAG.
• an opportunity to present a paper during a special Indigenous Peoples Working Group session at the CAG conference (or one of the regional CAG conferences);
• nation-wide publication of the winner's name on the Statistics Canada and CAG Web sites.

Eligibility

All students who, during the current or previous calendar year, have completed a Master's or PhD thesis in native studies or geography related to Canada's aboriginal peoples may apply.

Note: Any student who holds CAG membership in the year prior to the meeting as well as the year in which the meeting takes place is also eligible to apply for a CAG travel grant to present a paper at the annual meeting of the CAG according to the current rules and deadlines of the grant. Deadline for the CAG Travel Grant Application is Feb 15 of each year. It is strongly suggested that students members apply for the travel grant at the same time they apply for the award in order to meet the deadline.

How to apply

Students must submit

1. a cover letter
2. curriculum vitae, and
3. an abstract (1000-1500 words) that outlines
   • the issue or question studied
   • review of related literature
   • the design or methodology
   • findings, statistical results and conclusions, and
   • a statement of significance.

Applications should be sent by e-mail no later than December 31 to:

Selection criteria include

• significance of the issue
• conceptualization, design and execution of the study
• quality of the results
• potential for improving theory, and
• general clarity, insight and originality of the work.

Extra merit will be given for research that involves quantitative data analysis, and in particular, the use of Statistics Canada and INAC data on aboriginal peoples.

For more information, contact

• Evelyn Peters, University of Saskatchewan, evp818@duke.usask.ca, (306) 966-5639
• Cathy Connors, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada,
  cathy.connors@statcan.gc.ca, 613-951-4737
• Pamela White, Assisted Human Reproduction Canada, Pamela_white@ahrc-pac.gc.ca, 819-994-7591