Tiffany Adair

Program

2023 MLA, Landscape Architecture, Indigenous Graduate Scholar

Why did you choose to complete your graduate studies in your program at the University of Guelph? 

The U of G has a strong international reputation for educating leaders in landscape architecture. It is home to Canada's oldest and best LA program and I wanted to put myself in the best program there is while remaining in Canada. It was also a wonderful excuse to live in Eastern Canada for the first time and take an opportunity to explore parts of the country I have not been able to visit yet. 

How did you end up here at Guelph?

It took me several years after my undergraduate degree (BFA, Art and Design) to figure out the right career path. Once I did it was clear that LA was, without out doubt, the right career for me. It combines everything I love, am interested in and passionate about. One of the most surprising parts of my degree was when I decided it was time to start embracing my heritage. As soon as I did I experienced a wave of support seemingly out of the blue from my professors, classmates and the Indigenous Student Centre and visiting Elders. I'm very touched and grateful to so readily experience this support.

A bit about the work you are doing here... 

I focused my research on ecological grief and the role landscape architects can play in helping people cope with and move forward after such losses. Oddly, this work really lights me up! This research pulled together things that I never expected were possible in landscape architecture. From emotional and cultural sensitivity to questions about our relationship to nonhuman life and what sustainability means, many pieces are needed. It is by chance that I was introduced to this line of research in first year when one of my professors briefly mentioned it in class. However, as soon as I heard the words 'ecological' and 'grief' my antennae went up and I knew in my gut that, yup, this was for me. I know what it is like to grieve deep loss. I also know there is a way out and that there is always a reason to have hope. My hope is fiercely rooted in the resiliency of the natural world and I am working to protect it also. I think my work will contribute to helping both humans and nonhumans in a way that is new and emerging.

How do you think your work can potentially improve life? 

Most people have never heard of ecological grief. However, with climate change rearing its ugly head there will be more and more reason to provide people with the tools needed to cope with or manage this 'new' form of grief and to move forward from it. I see this as an opportunity for us, as a society, to reassess our relationship with all the nonhuman life around us and how we value it. It also asks us to consider new or different worldviews and to understand how connected everything really is. At the end of the day we all want our home to remain in tact and healthy. Climate change is challenging this in very real and pressing ways. I hope I can help provide people some hope that they can make a difference for their home, community and what matters most to them. 

What has receiving the Indigenous Graduate Scholarship meant to you? 

I can not explain how much this scholarship means to me. I had barely told anyone in my life that I am Metis and to have this come my way opened a lot of doors for me and, more importantly, it started to crack open my heart. It gave me the courage to embrace who I am, to shake off the fear and shame from decades of repression of Indigenous people in Canada and to find the beauty in my heritage again. It also meant I could eat enough. I did not have to stress about whether I would make it through the semester with food on my table or not. This alone was a game changer and allowed so much more focus on my studies and research, things that I am very passionate about. My gratitude is immense!

Please comment on your academic relationship with your advisor 

My advisor, Sean Kelly, was amazing! He was very supportive of my ideas and thoughtful in helping me navigate my insecurities as well as my research challenges. His patience and support was so helpful.

Future plans...

I plan to take my research into practice and find the right places for me to continue evolving my research and helping those afflicted by ecological grief. I will need to work towards my professional license as well and gain experience in my field. However, I hope to continue research about ecological grief and landscape architecture wherever I find myself. If it was not for the U of G I would not have found this thread of research in the first place. I am very grateful to have been accepted into the MLA program (in the middle of a pandemic at that!) and to have had the opportunity to shape a career that I love and ultimately that makes a difference for others. 

What it is like to be a graduate student at U of G?

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic it was amazing here! I was really impressed with the faculty members and staff that were so attentive to helping students not just academically but also emotionally and mentally. My cohort was the best group I could have asked for. I feel like I gained a family joining this program and, having moved across the country alone, it meant a lot to have their support. The work is both rigorous and challenging but so rewarding, interesting and diverse. I had the opportunity to stretch my mind, learn things I did not see coming, and learn from my peers and the knowledge and point of views they bring. I definitely graduated with more confidence and problem solving skills than when I walked in here. 

About the city of Guelph...

People are very friendly here and the locals seem very proud of their city. The autumn foliage is stunning and the focus on supporting locally produced goods is encouraging to see.