COTR Museia: What Horror Movies Say About Us: Fear, Tropes, and Speaking Back
This event is FREE to attend but we do ask that you pre-register online here.
About the Presentation
What’s your favourite scary movie? This iconic line from the movie Scream, released in 1996, asks us to pause and think about the horror movies that we’ve enjoyed, or maybe sat through with one eye closed. For some, horror movies are great entertainment. For others, they shudder at the thought. After all, horror movies have been proven to be a very divisive movie genre.
Whether you are a lifelong horror fan or someone who usually avoids the genre, this Museia Talk is for you. Together, we will explore how horror movies can help us understand the fears a society carries, and what those fears reveal about us. We will ask why certain horror tropes keep returning, why they unsettle us, and how some have taught audiences to fear “the other.” We will also look at how the people once cast as frightening, strange, or monstrous are now making horror films that speak back, challenge old fears, and tell their own stories.
About the Speaker
Dana Wesley ᑌᓇ ᐧᐁᔅᓕ
Executive Director of Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at COTR
Dana Wesley ᑌᓇ ᐧᐁᔅᓕ (she/her) is a proud member of Moose Cree First Nation and a passionate advocate for Indigenous education, reconciliation, and systemic change. Drawing on both lived experience and over a decade of multisectoral experience, Dana brings a deep dedication to advancing Indigenous self-determination and creating inclusive spaces where Indigenous voices, knowledge, and worldviews are respected and reflected.
As Executive Director of Indigenization & EDI at College of the Rockies, Dana leads institution-wide initiatives that embed indigenization and EDI principles into governance, policy, curriculum, and student supports.
Dana holds an undergraduate degree in Women’s Studies and a Master’s degree in Gender Studies, both from Queen’s University. She is passionate about fostering meaningful partnerships, driving transformative change, and creating opportunities that honour Indigenous knowledge systems and leadership across sectors.
This event is FREE to attend but we do ask that you pre-register online here.