2016-2017
John Marsland
Department of History
“Life on a Nickel’s Edge: Struggle and Dignity in Buffalo’s Poor Communities”
John Marsland is a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at the University at Buffalo. His field of specialization is modern British history, and his dissertation is on late-20th century English working-class radical direct action, including squatting, claiming welfare benefits, providing refuges for battered wives, and defending black and Asian communities against racist attacks. His scholarly pursuits grew out of and are influenced by volunteer experiences with the homeless, food justice, prison abolition, and at-risk youth. John is a native of Minot, ND, but earned an A.A. (2007) and B.A. (2012) in Colorado Springs, CO before moving to Buffalo in 2012.
With his fellowship John will partner with Buffalo-based non-profit organizations that advocate for poor and homeless Western New Yorkers to create a travelling exhibit to raise awareness about the poverty situation in WNY and encourage community engagement to help alleviate the immediate hardships of poverty and work toward solving the underlying causes.
Laticia McNaughton
Department of Transnational Studies, American Studies Program
“Tewakhón:nis Skátne! (We Cook Together!): Indigenous Food and Language Restoration”
Laticia McNaughton (Six Nations Mohawk) is a Ph.D. candidate in American Studies/Transnational Studies at the University at Buffalo. She holds an M.A. in Native American Studies from the University of Oklahoma and B.A. in English from Buffalo State College. Her research interests include Indigenous Food Studies, language revitalization, Indigenous women’s issues, and embodied sovereignty. McNaughton’s dissertation research examines Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) foods, food sovereignty practices, and the revitalization of traditional diet. She maintains a blog website, “Indigenous Food Revolutionary” promoting indigenous wellness, cooking, and foods.
Her project will consist of an ethnographic cookbook featuring community recipes, artwork, stories, language, history, and videos.
