Greg Younging

OccupationWriter, university teacher, editor, ethnologist, anthropologist Employer

Greg Younging (sometimes written Young-Ing; 18 March 1961 – 3 May 2019)^[1] was a Canadian editor and expert on First Nations copyright. He was a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.^[2][3] He was the managing editor at Theytus books and published "Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guidebook for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples" in 2018.^[2][4] Younging died on 3 May 2019 in Penticton, British Columbia.^[5][6][7]

Personal life

Younging was born on 18 March 1961.^[7] He was a member of Opsakwayak Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba. His mother is a residential school survivor and her experience of abuse influenced his decision to spend his career raising issues related to the impacts of colonization, and advocate for Indigenous knowledge.^[8]

Education

Younging earned a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts Degree from Carleton University. He has a Master of Publishing Degree, from Simon Fraser University. He received a PhD from the University of British Columbia, Department of Educational Studies.^[9]

Younging's parents met in the Canadian military and Younging subsequently spent his childhood moving between Canadian bases.^[10] Because his father received training in electrical engineering and was posted to the Canadian Forces Base Lahr, he spent his teen years in Germany.^[10]

Career

Younging had a number of different roles during his career.

Younging was the Managing Editor of Theytus Books from 1990 to 2003, returning to the role in 2016 until his death in 2019.^[11]

Younging served as assistant director of Research for the Canadian federal government's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada.^[12] He has worked for a number of other organizations including: The Royal Commission On Aboriginal Peoples, Assembly of First Nations, Committee Of Inquiry into Indian Education, Native Women's Association of Canada.^[3] He was member of Aboriginal Arts Advisory Committee of the Canada Council (1997–2001) and the British Columbia Arts Council (1999–2001).^[13]

As a professor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, Younging had a profound impact on the university.^[14] He was a professor and Coordinator of the Indigenous Studies Program at the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences at the University of British Columbia–Okanagan.^[8] Younging was "instrumental in the development of the Indigenous Studies program." at the university.^[14]

He published numerous works, including nonfiction and poetry.^[15]

Awards

In June 2019, Younging was posthumously awarded the President's Award from the Association of Canadian Publishers for his contributions to the field.^[16][17][18]

Selected publications

• Young-Ing, Greg; DeGagné, Mike; Dewar, Jonathan; Aboriginal Healing Foundation (Canada) (2011). Response, responsibility, and renewal: Canada's truth and reconciliation journey. Ottawa: Aboriginal Healing Foundation. ISBN 978-1-897285-72-5.
• Greg Younging, ed. (1989). "From the past, in the present, for the future": report of the National Aboriginal Youth Conference; February 10–13, 1989, Ottawa. Ottawa: DammIng Words Productions.
• Young-Ing, Greg (1998). Beyond victimization: forging a path to celebration. Penticton, BC: Theytus Books. ISBN 978-0-919441-84-2.
• Young-Ing, Greg (1999). Gatherings X: the En'owkin journal of first North American peoples. Pentiction, B.C.: Theytus Books. ISBN 978-0-919441-86-6.
• Young-Ing, Greg (1988). "A Comparison between Administration of First Nations Education in Canada and Peru: Divestments, Losses and Lacks". Canadian Journal of Native Education. 15 (3): 24–38.
• Young-Ing, Greg (1996). The random flow of blood and flowers. Victoria, B.C.: Ekstasis Editions. ISBN 978-1-896860-07-7.
• Younging, Gregory (2016). Water Anthology. ISBN 978-1-926886-40-4.
• Younging, Greg (2016). "The Traditional Knowledge -- Intellectual Property Interface". In Camille Callison; Loriene Roy; Gretchen Alice LeCheminant (eds.). Indigenous notions of ownership and libraries, archives and museums. ISBN 978-3-11-036299-2.
• Younging, Gregory (2018). Elements of Indigenous style: a guide for writing by and about Indigenous Peoples. ISBN 978-1-55059-716-5.

References