Decolonizing Disney Princesses | Keeta Gladue | TEDxYYC

A proud IndigiNerd, TEDxYYC speaker Keeta Gladue brings together three Indigenous Disney princesses, Tiger Lily, Pocahontas and Moana in her talk about the power of stories. Examining pop culture is an accessible, funny and curiosity-driven way of decolonizing stories. This decolonization is focused on addressing the impacts and allegories of the stories we have been told. Colonization, patriarchy, and racism are the big systems that affect our every day lives. We have to talk about it, we have to address and change these systems. Obviously, the best way to do that is by talking about the Disney stories we love. Buckle up; it’s about to get nerdy! Keeta Gladue is a self-proclaimed Indigenous nerd. Passionate about pop culture, humour and storytelling, Keeta examines how Disney tells stories with Indigenous characters. Through learning about ourselves in relation to such shared stories, we also learn more about each other. Her family is from both the Sucker Creek Cree Nation and the Métis Nation. Keeta grew up on a small island off of Vancouver Island called Tlay Maak Tsu, now known as Esperanza, in the traditional territory of the Ehattesaht people of the Nuu chah-nulth. As the Indigenous Student Program Advisor at the University of Calgary, Keeta is committed to supporting Indigenous student success, intercultural engagement and understanding. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx