ABSTRACT
Venturing beyond the classroom and into the field to conduct research can be understood as entering the affective terrain: field research is political and personal. On Mondays at 12:30 p.m. sharp, from inside the Aamjiwnaang First Nation’s burial grounds, the drone of a siren warns that spills, accidents or explosions can take place at any time. A chain-link fence divides the cemetery from the adjacent stacks, flares, and plume. The reserve is pinched on all sides by this industrial zone, “Chemical Valley”, an area known for Canada’s highest concentration of chemical and petrochemical production, which is felt, smelled, and feared. Trains pass alongside the cemetery, sounding their whistles before crossing through the reserve as the wind frequently blows smoke South, pouring over citizens of Aamjiwnaang.
