Feminine Resilience: Indigenous Women of British Columbia, 1850-1900

The status of women throughout various stages of North American history shifted according to the cultural influences of the groups of people interacting in specific locations. In British Columbia, the arrival of European settlers to the area brought with it a number of social and cultural changes, including an increase in the subordination of girls and women. The presence of clashing groups in British Columbia caused Indigenous women to often choose to rebel against the expectation that they were to submit to white settlers. The shifts taking place in the region showed an increasing emphasis on patrilineal structures of families and society, and a lessening of matrilineal models, which were most often common in Indigenous cultures and nearly non-existent in European culture. A review of the literature reveals clashes that took place in modern day British Columbia between Indigenous people and European settlers, with Indigenous women suffering increased oppression and subjugation, with many of them essentially being forced into sexual servitude by male Europeans. The tensions between these groups not only lead to unspeakable tragedy but also toward Indigenous women fighting back against their oppressors. This paper will follow the experiences of these Indigenous women specifically in the period from 1850 to 1900

Guns for Hire: The Corporatization of Conflict The growth of the mercenary phenomenon since the end of the Cold War and their threat to a Liberal world order

Private military enterprises and individual mercenaries have played a key role in warfare for much of history. This was especially the case until the rise of the European nation-states, when private military actors saw a decline in demand for their services. However, the end of the Cold War marked a turning point for the profession and a nascent private military industry that is today valued at hundreds of billions of dollars—and again indispensable to advancing the interests of the state. The rise of such an industry is the result of growing instability and the unfettered advances of neoliberal policy-making in the role of government; in this sense, instability around the world has created favourable conditions—including increased demand—for security services, and private enterprises have exploited this. This drive for profit, in turn, represents a potential–and serious—risk to a liberal order purportedly founded on the pursuit of cooperation and peace, and not profit. Private military actors have made headlines around the world and set foot in many battlefields across the world, but are they agents of peace or catalysts for war

The Sustainable Software Development Practices

Rapid software industry growth has brought significant technological advancement and a great deal of environmental concerns regarding energy consumption, resource usage, and carbon emissions. The area of sustainable software development practices has emerged in recent decades as an important one for addressing these environmental concerns. This research project explores how sustainability principles can be integrated into the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), focusing on energy-efficient coding techniques, sustainable architecture patterns, and resource optimization during deployment and maintenance. The Green SDLC model proposed herein outlines a structured approach for reducing the ecological footprint of software systems without sacrificing performance and scalability. Using a combination of literature review, practical experimentation, and case study analysis, this research identifies influential methodologies that developers and organizations can implement to reduce their software’s environmental impact. Experiments utilizing tools such as GreenMeter and Joulemeter to measure energy consumption and resource efficiency across different software implementations. Case studies conducted by industry leaders such as Google and Spotify further demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of sustainable software practices in reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The findings of this project prove that sustainable software development is shaping the future of the tech industry by promoting greener and more energy-efficient solutions for software development. Green SDLC guides developers in shaping their contributions to a sustainable digital future; technological progress will be brought together with environmental care. Further research is recommended to unify sustainability metrics and investigate recent technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, for enhancing sustainability in software development. Keywords: software development, Green SDLC, resource optimization, software sustainability, energy-efficiency coding

Multidimensional Valuation of Trees at Thompson Rivers University: An Ecological, Cultural, and Socio-Economic Exploration

This study investigates the ecosystem services provided by the 1,806 trees on the TRU campus, focusing on their economic, environmental, and social contributions. Through established methodologies, the research quantifies key ecosystem services, including carbon storage and sequestration, stormwater management, energy savings, and aesthetic benefits using benchmarked valuation techniques. Using field data, the total appraisal value of the campus trees was determined to be ~ $34.3 million CAD, with an annual ecosystem service yield at the minimum of ~$343,000 CAD. The analysis revealed carbon storage values ranging from 361 to 542 tons, contributing $61,404 to$92,106 CAD, and annual carbon sequestration of 5.4 to 54 tons, valued at $910 to$9,211 CAD. The total air pollution removed by campus trees was estimated to be 64 kg/year, corresponding to an economic value of approximately $4,620 CAD/year. Stormwater interception was calculated at 3,066 m³ annually, yielding cost savings of$7,970 CAD by reducing the burden on stormwater infrastructure. Energy savings, derived from reduced heating and cooling demand, added $15,942 CAD annually, while aesthetic contributions, measured through hedonic pricing, amounted to$76,297 CAD per year. While the primary focus is on quantifiable benefits, the research acknowledges the broader role of the forest in enhancing biodiversity, supporting cultural values, and fostering mental well-being. This research provides a framework for understanding the value of urban forests in academic settings and highlights the need for proactive policies to sustain and enhance these benefits. The findings serve as a resource for decision-makers and contribute to the growing body of knowledge on integrating green infrastructure into campus planning and sustainability initiatives

A Journey Through Decolonization, Reconciliation, and Indigenous Resilience: Book Review: Lytton: Climate Change, Colonialism and Life before the Fire – A Journey Through Decolonization, Reconciliation, and Indigenous Resilience

Lytton: Climate Change, Colonialism and Life before the Fire by Peter Edwards and Kevin Loring explores the complex relationships between climate change, colonialism, and community resilience in Lytton, British Columbia. Once a central and thriving part of the Nlaka\u27pamux Nation, Lytton now symbolizes the complex effects of colonial disruption and environmental change, worsened by the devastating 2021 wildfire. The book emphasizes Indigenous knowledge systems and the cultural significance of land stewardship, offering an integrated framework for learning rooted in traditional ecological knowledge and contemporary approaches. Storytelling plays a crucial role in this framework, serving as both a research method and a means of cultural preservation (Lewis, 2011). By embedding narratives within academic discourse, Indigenous communities assert their histories and knowledge systems in ways that counter colonial erasure. However, while storytelling is an essential tool for decolonization, it must also be supported by concrete policy frameworks to address systemic injustices (Alfred, 2009; Coulthard, 2014). While the book critiques colonialism, it does not engage deeply with land-back initiatives or Indigenous legal frameworks that ensure sovereignty beyond symbolic recognition (Alfred, 2009; Coulthard, 2014). Discussing legal precedents like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) could have enhanced its policy contributions. This review builds on Tucker\u27s (2024) earlier journalistic reflection in The British Columbia Review, which focused on the book\u27s narrative style and accessibility for a general audience. In contrast, this review takes a scholarly approach, situating Lytton: Climate Change, Colonialism and Life Before the Fire within academic discussions on decolonization, Indigenous methodologies, and climate justice. While the book amplifies Indigenous voices, it overlooks governance models like co-managed conservation areas that assert sovereignty beyond colonial systems (Simpson, 2017; Pasternak, 2017). This review critically examines storytelling, land-based learning, and Two-Eyed Seeing, integrating scholarly sources to assess its academic and policy contributions. It also critiques the book\u27s lack of concrete policy pathways and limited engagement with Indigenous governance, highlighting both its strengths and areas for further development. Ultimately, the book contributes to decolonization and climate justice by using storytelling to foster empathy and bridge Indigenous methodologies with sustainable practices

On Divine Wings and Mortal Backs: Representations of Victory, Empire and Subjugation on the Acropolis

The Athenian Acropolis, the central hill in Athens, home to the Parthenon and many other Classical ruins, is a famous historical monument. The artistic and historical associations of this location are complex and frequently negative, despite its current reputation as a positive beacon of Greek culture. The art of the Acropolis elevated Athenian status and projected an image of superiority over other Greek city-states during the fifth century B.C.E. and beyond through the use of four different mythological stories: the Amazonomachy, the Centauromachy, the Trojan War and the Gigantomachy. Athens’ victories during the Persian Wars were assimilated to these mythological episodes, and Athens’ patron goddess, Athena, was placed in a prominent position. This paper examines how such assimilation was accomplished and explains the importance of the specific Atheno-centric depictions of each narrative on the Acropolis. The association of the Acropolis’s art and architecture with empire continued to emphasise Athenian primacy in later decades of the fifth century B.C.E., and was well demonstrated by the combined Doric and Ionic elements in the Parthenon. Similarly, the iconography of the Parthenon frieze supported the Athenian Empire, alluding to the Delian League, the association which eventually morphed into Athens’ empire. This paper also argues that the Caryatids of the Erechtheum are a strong artistic representation of ancient Athens’ oppression of other city-states, and uses multiple examples of Athens’ subjugation of its allies over the course of its empire to support this claim. The iconographic examples examined throughout this paper clearly demonstrate that the art and architecture of the Acropolis promoted Athenian superiority, reinforced Athenian power, bolstered Athenian imperialism and legitimated the city-state’s oppression of its allies

‘It’s Mine. My Own. My Precious’: The Interweaving of Imperialism, Colonialism, and Identity in the British Museum

The history of the British Museum and its collections are intrinsically linked to imperialism, colonialism, and national British identity. This paper examines the museum’s organizing principles and museological discourse in the twentieth century, referencing especially Henry Shelley’s 1911 guide to the museum, to illustrate the identity of superiority that the British Museum enforced while simultaneously promoting the inferiority of other, non-British peoples. Hints of colonialism and imperialism also remain a part of the British Museum in a contemporary context. The Parthenon Marbles act as a focal point for this discussion: these works of art demonstrate one way in which Britain, and by extension, the British Museum, have appropriated cultural heritage for their own purposes. This paper asserts that references to the British Museum as an ‘encyclopedic’ or ‘universal’ museum both obscure the problematic past of the museum and allow colonial and imperial notions to enter into modern British society

Ice Hockey and the Cold War: Impacts on the Development of Canadian National Identity

The Cold War era, beginning in the late 1940s and ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, created distinct divisions between nations depending on their associations with either communism or capitalism. Although Canada found itself closely linked with the United States in its Cold War policy, this conflict also presented the opportunity to create and strengthen a national identity at home. Athletic achievements emerged within this context as examples of national greatness. Through the use of both political and diplomatic means, the Canadian government was successful in utilising the sport of ice hockey to promote a national identity at home while also asserting its ideological superiority on the international stage. Representing their respective ideologies, the set of shared political and socioeconomic ideals, Canadian and Soviet ice hockey teams faced off against each other in a series of international events including the Summit Series, Winter Olympics, Canada Cup, and World Championships. These events were viewed as symbolic expressions of ideology that were reflected in the way that each nation played the game, enabling the attachment of national identity to the sport itself. Within the context of this, one of the key areas in which the Cold War between Canada and the Soviet Union was “fought,” was on the ice

Portrayals of Nazisploitation and the Exploration of War and Hero in Popular Media: A Case Study of Call of Duty: World at War

This paper explores how Treyarch’s 2008 videogame, Call of Duty: World at War, remembers the history of World War II, and the German and Russian soldiers of the Eastern Front. Specifically, this paper looks at how Nazisploitation is used, and the conclusions developers encourage players to derive from it. World at War forgoes the fantastical and sexual elements of Nazisploitation for a more serious approach to claim historical authenticity. This paper argues that the videogame ultimately remains detached from the real historical context and experiences of those involved to create a narrative that reiterates the continued relevance of American and post-Soviet popular remembrance of World War II and its heroes. Additionally, this highlights how videogames, as an art medium, engage with history as a secondary source that can interpret and recall the past

Huguenots and Nouvelle France: Tracing the Impact of the French Protestant Minority on Colonial Development in Canada

The economic, population, and infrastructure development of the French colony of Nouvelle France was impacted by the participation of France’s Protestant minority, the Huguenots. Huguenots were concentrated in the upper-middle merchant class and lived predominantly in the provinces and cities on or near France’s north-west Atlantic coast. Between the 1560s and their expulsion from France and her colonies in 1685, Huguenots helped fund, construct, develop, and populate Nouvelle France. During that same period, successive French monarchs eroded the rights and privileges afforded Huguenots by l’Edit de Nantes, the document which signaled the end of the French religious wars of the 16th century. The erosion of l’Edit de Nantes culminated in the promulgation of l’Edit de Fontainebleau (1685), which revoked all rights afforded Huguenots as citizens of France, thus ending direct Huguenot involvement in the development of Nouvelle France