Zoe Todd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zoe Todd
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| Born | 1983 |
| Nationality | Canadian, Métis |
| Education | University of Alberta, University of Aberdeen |
| Occupation | anthropologist, professor, artist |
| Awards | Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Carleton University, Banff Centre, Yale University |
| Influences | Vanessa Watts, Leroy LittleBear, Kim TallBear, Natasha Myers, Donna Haraway, Val Napoleon, Loretta Todd |
| Influenced | Kim TallBear, Natasha Myers, Donna Haraway |
Zoe Todd is a smart and creative Métis woman who studies people, animals, and the environment. She is an expert in Indigenous studies, which looks at the history and cultures of Indigenous peoples. Zoe also studies how humans and animals interact, especially fish. She teaches at Simon Fraser University and has also been a special visitor at Yale University.
Growing Up and Learning
Zoe Todd was born in 1983 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Her father is Métis, and her mother is a white settler. Zoe says her father, Gary Todd, really inspired her. He is an artist who taught her about his Métis heritage.
Her father's art and his knowledge of fish and wildlife were very important to her. Zoe is also a descendant of William Todd, a surgeon from the 1800s. She went to the University of Alberta for her first degrees in science and sociology. Later, she earned her PhD in social anthropology from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. In 2011, she won a special scholarship called the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship for her PhD research.
What Zoe Todd Studies
Zoe Todd's main research looks at how humans and animals connect. She is especially interested in the relationship between people and fish in Canada. She teaches at Carleton University in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
She is well-known for her ideas on "decolonizing anthropology." This means changing how we study cultures to include Indigenous ways of thinking. She also explores Indigenous views on the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is a term for a new time in Earth's history where humans have a big impact on the planet.
Zoe has also taught at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. In 2018, she was a visiting professor at Yale University. There, she taught about the history of science and medicine.
Art and Other Work
Zoe Todd is also an artist. Her art often features the freshwater fish found in Alberta. She uses her art to share her ideas about human-animal connections.
In 2018, she talked with Sarain Fox for a podcast. They discussed Indigenous ways of understanding the Anthropocene. This podcast was for the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Selected Writings
Zoe Todd has written many articles and chapters for books. Here are some examples of her work:
- Todd, Zoe. (2018). 'Refracting colonialism in Canada: fish tales, text, and insistent public grief.' This work looks at how colonialism affects fish and people.
- Todd, Z. (2015). Indigenizing the Anthropocene. This piece explores how Indigenous perspectives can help us understand the Anthropocene.
- Davis, Heather and Zoe Todd. (2017). On the importance of a date, or, decolonizing the Anthropocene. This article talks about how to think differently about the Anthropocene.
- Todd, Zoe. (2017). Fish, Kin, and Hope: tending to water violations in amiskwaciwâskahikan and Treaty Six Territory. This writing focuses on fish, family, and water issues.
- Todd, Z. (2016). 'An Indigenous Feminist’s Take on the Ontological Turn: ‘Ontology’ is just another word for colonialism'. This article shares an Indigenous feminist view on certain academic ideas.
- Todd, Z. (2014). 'Fish pluralities: Human-animal relations and sites of engagement in Paulatuuq, Arctic Canada'. This work explores how people and fish interact in the Arctic.
She has also written other articles for magazines and websites:
- Todd, Z. (2015). Rethinking Aesthetics and Ontology through Indigenous Law: On the work of Val Napoleon and Loretta Todd. This article discusses art and Indigenous law.
- Todd, Z. (2014). Creating citizen spaces through Indigenous soundscapes. This piece looks at how Indigenous sounds can create community spaces.
- Todd, Z. (2013). On Scottish Independence — a Metis Perspective. This article shares a Métis view on Scottish independence.
- Todd, Z. (2013). “Remembering Indigenous Edmonton: a journey through plants”. This writing explores Indigenous history in Edmonton through plants.
