ôma kihci-kiskinwahamasinahikan âpacihtâmakan êsa kwayask itahkamikisiwina taitwêstamâkêmakahk ôma pimohtêwin-êkwa-masinahikêwin kiskinwahamawi-osîhcikâsowin kihci-kiskinwahamasinahikan “ê-pimohtêhk âsokanihk: ê-mâmitonêyihcikêhk ôma itâpatakêyimisowin,” ê-itwêmakahk kwayask âcimowin ôma pêyakwan wîhowin ohci. Nîkân masinahikanêkinohk atamiskawikow ôma atoskêwin, tânisi ê-pimakotêk, êkwa mîna kakwêcihkêmowina: “pimohtêwin cî ka-kî-mêskwacipayin pakwâcaskiy isi ôma kihci-askiy?” êkwa, misawâc ê-kihcêyihtakwâhk, “môniyâwak cî ka-kî-nisitohtamwak ôma ôta askîhk ê isipimohtêcik?”. nîso masinahikanêkinohk pîkiskwêmakan tânisi kâ-pimohtêhk naspasinahikân ôma ê-isi-âniskôstêk isi ôma atoskêwinihk; nôkohcikêmakan nanâtohk âcimowina kâmiyonâkwahk êkwa kâ-isîhcikêhk isi-pimohtêwin êsa ê-kikinikâtêk ôma atoskêwin. Nisto masinahikanêkinohk pîkiskwêmakan tânisi kâ-itahkamikisihk kwayask, tâpiskôc kwayask itahkamikisiwina êwako askiy êkwa kâ-nisitohtamâhk; iyiniwi-kiskêyihtamowin ôma ê-miyoitôtâmiyit askiy êkwa atâhko-kiskinwahamâtowin; êkwa tânisi kâ-nisitohtâsoyahk êsa askiy ohci, ê-mêskwacipayihk itahkamikisiwina, êkwa tânisi kâ-itâpisihkik iyiniwak êwako anima kiskêyihtamowina. nêwo masinahikanêkinohk pîkiskwêmakan kâ-âpacihtâhk êsa atoskêwinihk: masinahikêwina ê-masinahikêhk Willam Least Heat-Moon, Nick Papadimitriou, êkwa Iain Sinclair ohci; tânisi kâ-wîkiyâhk ê-ispayihikoyâhk; pêyako-pimohtêwin; kwayask âcimowina êmiywâsik; êkwa masinâpiskahikêwin. piyisk, iskwêyânihk pîkiskwêmakan tânisi kâ-isiitôtamâhk ê-atoskêyâhk ôma kihci-kiskinwahamasinahikanihk—êkwa nika-kî-itôtênân, kîspin êsa kihci-âhkosiwin êkâ ê-kî-âyimahk ta-atoskêmitoyâhk ôma nîso askîwin aspin ohci. kiskêyihtâkwan kahkiyaw ê-nêstosiyâhk êwako kihci-âhkosiwin, kistêyihtâkwan ta- nisitohtamâhk ôma misawâc ê-miywâsik êtikwê êwako atoskêwinihk, kâ-kî-mêskwacipayihk ayisk kihci-âhkosiwin COVID-19 ê-astêk ôma ôta.

This thesis presents a critical, theoretical, and methodological exegesis of the walking-and-writing research-creation doctoral project “Walking the Bypass: A Meditation on Place,” as represented by the creative-nonfiction manuscript of the same title. The first chapter introduces the project, its aims and scope, and its research questions: “can walking turn non-places into places?” and, more importantly, “can settlers come into a relationship with the land through walking?” The second chapter discusses the context of walking art as it applies to this project; it presents accounts of a range of aesthetic and political walking practices that influenced this project. The third chapter presents the project’s theoretical context, including theories of place and space; Indigenous theories of land and cosmology; and object-oriented ontology, affect theory, and Indigenous critiques of those ways of thinking. The fourth chapter explores the project’s methodological touchstones: writing by William Least Heat-Moon, Nick Papadimitriou, and Iain Sinclair; psychogeography; solo walking practices; creative nonfiction; and photography. Finally, the conclusion suggests future directions which this research could take—and would have taken, had the pandemic not made working with others so difficult during the past two years. As much as everyone is tired of the pandemic, it’s important to acknowledge that it may have been the greatest influence on this project, which changed significantly in response to the challenges presented by Covid-19.