[image description: illustration of people’s faces and “Leading Transformative Changes as Acts of Resistance: Feminists Deliver International Women’s Day, Monday, March 8, 2021 3 to 4:30 pm PST] The graphic design is by Bella Illustrations.
For centuries, women and people whose identities have been marginalized have been leading resistance movements against oppressive systems, and many have succeeded in creating lasting impacts in the name of human rights. Whether it be through strong blockades against colonial priorities; grassroots political advocacy and even running for a seat in the political arena; marches that start with a few and continue on with thousands decades later; taking charge and creating community-based solutions—the persistence and courage of community leaders have paved the way to transformative changes.
As we reap the benefits of the sacrifices and lifetime’s work by community members and activists who came before us, many of us continue to fight in the intersecting struggles we face. How can more of us contribute towards systemic and transformative changes to ultimately abolish white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism?
This International Women’s Day, Feminists Deliver celebrates movements and community building. We are honoured to have the following panelists join us to reveal their journey so far, and what lies ahead towards achieving equitable, anti-oppressive, and just realities:
- Moderator: Rhiannon Bennett (she/her)
- Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham)
- Tasha Spillett (she/her)
- Tai Simpson (she/her)
- Siobhan Barker (shavon/Sio/they/she)
- Lyra McKee (she/her)
Please scroll down to read more about our panelists.
Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the panel.
Feminists Deliver is a coalition based in unceded territories in what colonially borders British Columbia, where the genocidal impacts of European colonizers span centuries and continue to haunt the realities of Indigenous peoples today including residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, as well as the governmental, religious and police authorities’ control of family systems, resources, and access to services. More than 200 distinct First Nations as well as Métis people, with at least 30 different languages and approximately 60 spoken dialects reflect the diversity of the peoples, cultures, and spaces we currently occupy.
Collectively, we also acknowledge the Indigenous peoples from the rest of colonial Canada as well as other nations, as we continue to struggle and rise together for the liberation of peoples that proponents of colonialism (including its effects of patriarchy, capitalism, heteronormativity, ableism to name a few) continue to oppress.
❓What are some accessibility considerations?
We will be providing CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) service (real time closed captioning). We acknowledge that this event will be conducted in a colonial and trade language, English. We aspire to host these webinars in various languages as language should not be a barrier to accessing information, however at this time, we are faced with limitations as a grassroots organization that make it challenging to provide accurate and good information in other languages. We also acknowledge that internet and tools to tune in are privileged; we’re doing the best that we can in the situation that we’re in. Internet should be a utility, not a luxury item. Thank you for joining us in our journey as we work towards more equitable spaces.
❓ How can you tune in?
➡️ Zoom – a link will be provided to registrants
➡️ Facebook Live – You can watch via Feminists Deliver’s Facebook page on the day of the event
➡️ Teleconferencing – numbers will be provided to registrants
About Feminists Deliver
Feminists Deliver is a grassroots collaboration of BC-based Two-Spirit people, non-binary folks, Indigiqueer, trans women, lesbian women, and cis women and girls, and the organizations that support them. Membership of Feminists Deliver is diverse and inclusive of all people experiencing marginalization on the basis of gender. Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
OUR PANELISTS
Rhiannon Bennett (she/her)
Rhiannon Bennett (she/her) is Musqueam Indian Band member, and she has been working with children, youth and families for over 20 years in a variety of roles with overarching themes of her work being decolonization. In 2014, she was the first Indigenous person elected to the Delta Board of Education. Following that, she was inspired to launch a consulting firm with her running-mate to continue her work in the community.
Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham)
Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham) is the spokesperson for the Gidimt’en check-point on Wet’suwet’en territory. She holds the name in Cas Yikh (grizzly house) and has been living on and occupying the territory since 2014 with her husband and children. Gidimt’en check-point has been an Indigenous reoccupation site since 2018 which has been raided twice by militarized RCMP, once on January 7th 2019 and again on February 5th, 2020, as a result of grassroots resistance to the Coastal Gaslink pipeline project which would bring fracked gas from northeastern B.C to an LNG terminal near Kitimat. Sleydo’ has a masters degree in Indigenous Governance from the University of Victoria and is heavily involved in the Wet’suwet’en clan governance system.
You can also find Yintah Access on Instagram.
Tasha Spillett (she/her)
Tasha Spillett (she/her/hers) draws her strength from both her Inninewak (Cree) and Trinidadian bloodlines. She is a celebrated educator, poet, and emerging scholar. Tasha is most heart-tied to contributing to community-led work that centres on land and water defence, and the protection of Indigenous women and girls. Tasha is currently working on her Ph.D. in Education through the University of Saskatchewan, where she holds a Vanier Canada Award.
In her work as a doctoral student, she is weaving in her cultural identity, and commitment to community to produce a body of research that echoes Indigenous women’s demands for justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People. Her work is a continuation of the resistance against the assault of colonialism that she has inherited.
An active member of Manitoba’s Indigenous community, Tasha is a ceremony woman and a traditional singer.
Tai Simpson (she/her)
“The Storyteller” is Tai Simpson‘s name in the Indigenous language of the Nez Perce Tribe. Tai studied Sociology and Political Philosophy at Boise State University. In the community, she serves as an organizer for the Indigenous Idaho Alliance and works as a Social Change Advocate with the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence. As an antiracism activist and community leader, she uses contemporary and traditional Indigenous storytelling to champion radical inclusion, equity, and liberation.
You can find Tai on Instagram.
Siobhan Barker (shavon/Sio/they/she)
Siobhan (sha-von/they/she), is of a stolen people living on the stolen, unceded, and ancestral land of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. As a gender-fluid person of mixed African-Indigenous-Latinx-European ancestry living with disability they recognize and value the many intersectionalities that contribute to furthering decolonization practices. Siobhan is a published and Nationally recognized bilingual writer and performer. Siobhan’s community and artistic work, explores relational justice in many forms. A Justice/Equity/Diversity/Inclusion(JEDI) speaker on organizational change, a facilitator with an emphasis on Disability Justice, Body Liberation and Food Justice with Hogan’s Alley Society, The Federation of Black Canadians, Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals, Community Food Centres Canada, and through consultancy.
You can find Siobhan on Instagram.
Lyra McKee (she/her)
Lyra McKee is a white settler trans woman who moved to Coast Salish territories from the States 5 years ago. She is the community-based Co-Executive Director of PACE Society, a grassroots nonprofit in the Downtown Eastside for, by and with sex workers of all genders. Lyra holds a B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies from Dartmouth College and an M.A. in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice from the University of British Columbia. Lyra brings lived experience of sex work, poverty, homelessness, and drug use to any space she occupies and aspires to be an advocate for herself, her communities, and her peers.
You can find Lyra on Instagram.
