Brock’s Decolonial Reading Circle (DRC) is relaunching with a new focus — Indigenous horror.

Led by Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement Robyn Bourgeois, the circle has spent the past few years exploring the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls along with additional Indigenous content.

This year, Bourgeois will temporarily pause the reading of the Inquiry to allow participants to recover from the “heavy work” she says they had been doing while also allowing for a year-long exploration of Indigenous horror.

Bourgeois says horror as a literary and cinematic genre is a lifelong passion that she’s excited to share with others.

“I’m fascinated by how the genre explores our greatest human fears and lived experiences of violence through real and imaginary monsters, and I think there’s so much to be learned from these terrifying manifestations,” she says.

Bourgeois believes the genre offers a twist on the traditional narrative seen in many horror books and films.

“I grew up watching and reading dominant horror narratives where Indigenous Peoples are the savage killers or are responsible for the hauntings of white people,” she says. “I love that Indigenous people have taken up this genre and are not only telling stories that reflect our ways of knowing and being but also disrupting dominant horror tropes.”

The circle kicks off Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21 with film a festival hosted in partnership with the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (PAC) to showcase the works of Mi’kmaw filmmaker Jeff Barnaby, who passed away last year.

Tickets to the Friday screening of Rhymes for Young Ghouls at 7 p.m. and the Saturday screening of Blood Quantum at 3 p.m. can be purchased on the PAC website.

Following the Saturday screening, local performer Nicole-Joy Fraser and Bourgeois will lead a discussion of the films.

While the film screenings will be in person, other meetings of the DRC will occur virtually and, whenever possible, the author of the books being read will join the discussion.

Bourgeois says the books will often parallel the real-life horrors experienced by Indigenous Peoples.

“Thanks to colonial genocide, Indigenous Peoples have been living post-apocalyptic lives for generations,” she says. “I think there’s much to be learned about survival from our narratives of horror.”

All are welcome to join the DRC. Anyone interested in participating is asked to email Bourgeois at vpindigenous@brocku.ca to join the mailing list.