Let’s have a human rights kiki: Creating conversations centering healing, resistance, and joy at the intersections of indigenous, queer, colonial paradigms

• In Event: Innovative research methods in educating for peace and human rights

Proposal

This talk examines how settler colonialism has erased and marginalized Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ identities within Indigenous communities and broader diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Drawing on Indigenous scholarship and queer theory, I argue that myths of colonial superiority render Indigenous and 2S bodies invisible or relegated to afterthoughts in LGBTQIA+ and DEI conversations. I introduce the Human Rights Kiki (HR Kiki) as a relational, resistance-oriented framework that centers dialogue, kinship, and communal joy to counter colonizing logics. HR Kiki is an intergenerational, relational practice designed to disrupt settler norms and foster community-based resistance, grounded in safety, consent, and culturally appropriate engagement.
The talk moves from framing to practice, reimagining circle-based approaches as vehicles for social change rather than relics of Western healing imaginaries. It details the principles and real-world manifestations of HR Kiki—dialogue, kinship, resistance, and joy—and provides practical, step-by-step guidance for implementing HR Kiki in classrooms, workplaces, and community spaces.
Aiming to transform inclusive excellence into a holistic practice, the presentation emphasizes honoring Indigenous knowledge, queer joy, and interdependence. It offers concrete strategies accessible to educators, human rights practitioners, administrators, community organizers and researchers seeking to be caretakers of stories, inviting all to adopt HR Kiki as a framework for dialogue, kinship, and collective thriving.

Author

• Paul David Terry, Graduate student