Malorine Mathurin
Research Student
Education
2010. M.A in Arts of Africa, Oceania and Americas at the Sainsbury Research Unit, University of East Anglia. (Norwich, UK)
2007 BFA – Double Major: Fine Art / Psychology – Brooklyn College – City University of New York CUNY
Research Interests
Native American studies of the Northeast region (Algonquian region: Pequot, Montauk, Shinnecock, Narragansett, Massachuset)
Colonial American history
North American ritual festivals and religious performance
Oral history and ethnographic folklore
Mixed Race studies: African - Native and Caucasian - Native
Social memory within native media and literature (i.e. William Apess and Samson Occom)
PhD Thesis
My doctoral research project will focus on the Native American people of the Northeast region of North America. It will be an ethnographic and historical look at the Algonquian people from the past to present. By addressing who they are, their histories as well as moving into constructed social boundaries such as: race (especially mixed-race families), tribal identification and gender, I hope to create a discourse of identity that has not been looked at in depth. In addition to the social aspects of the community and family I am also interested in oral history, the maintenance of folklore and story telling, which will play a large role in my research.
I am also interested in attending and documenting ritual performances such as the pow-wow. These performances combine ritual, performance, religious dances and costume within the framework of inner and outer tribal constructs. These events essentially unite people from all walks of life - from the reservation, off of the reservation, non-Natives and other local tribes, together to celebrate time-honoured traditions and rituals. With my research, I hope to create a bridge of understanding of present day Algonquian peoples.