For this year's International Womxn’s Day we want to honor the many talented, brave, resilient womxn leading the charge in stewardship and in the environmental sector. We know that womxn’s voices are often the first ones advocating for the land but may not always be heard or recognized in top-down patriarchal societies. Womxn Bringing Knowledge to Practice Virtual Forum will shift that narrative and open a dialogue focusing on what these diverse womxn are doing in their work and lives. This forum aims to honor their hard work, tremendous care, and commitment to sustaining and strengthening connections between people and the land.

We will dive deep into what kinship and connection looks like from an intersectional lens and how diverse communities are building reciprocal relationships to the land. Let's celebrate these womxn as we amplify the importance of the work they are leading. Lastly, let's explore what inspires these womxn and how we can further push the limits today for a better future tomorrow.

Keynote Speaker:

• Larissa Crawford, Founder, Future Ancestors Services

Panelists:

• Martina Albert, Indigenous Community Liaison, Plenty Canada
• Kerry-Ann Charles, Environment Partnership Co-ordinator, Cambium Indigenous Professional Services (CIPS)
• Aranya Iyer, Co-Founder, Field Research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Diversified (FREED)
• Sriranjini Raman, Founder, Nurture
• Grace Saunders-Hogberg, UAV Drone Operator

Meet Larissa Crawford  - Keynote Speaker & Panelist

Larissa Crawford

Larissa Crawford proudly passes on Métis and Jamaican ancestry to her daughter, Zyra, and is a published Indigenous, anti-racism, and climate justice researcher, policy advisor, and restorative circle keeper with over 14 years of experience.

Larissa is also the Founder of Future Ancestors Services, an Indigenous and Black-owned, youth-led professional services social enterprise that advances climate justice and systemic barrier removal with lenses of anti-racism and ancestral accountability. Through an intergenerational, disabled, and queer team of professionals and advisors, they provide speaking, training, research and consulting services, and influencer and interview services to +300 diverse clients. They do this while centering decolonized and Indigenized practices, and are constantly reimagining how we can learn, relate, and work together in healthy ways.

Larissa's lived experience as an Indigenous and Black woman; a survivor of sexual violence and poverty; a person living with a chronic pain disability; having lived in both rural and urban settings; and as a young mother positions her to carry out her responsibilities as a future ancestor with unique insight and consideration. The perspectives she carries and amplifies are frequently undervalued, and as of late, her role at Future Ancestors Services Inc. has become her most significant vessel of action in response to this reality.

In 2022 Larissa was honoured with the York University One to Watch Alumni Award, in Complex Canadaʼs 20Creators Who Will Shape the Next 20 Years of The Culture, and in 2020-21 in Women of Influenceʼs Top 25 list; in Refinery Canadaʼs 29 Powerhouses; as York Universityʼs Top 30 Under 30 Alumni; in Huff Postʼs 26Indigenous Influencers to Follow; and with the Pollution Probe Equity in Sustainability Award. She supports international brands such as Merrell, Nike, and The Body Shop, in better serving and representing her communities.

Meet Martina Albert  - Panelist

Martina Albert

Aaniin Boozhoo! Martina Albert ndiziinikaaz, Ajiijaak ndoodem, Deshkan Ziibiing ndonjibaa miinwaa Ukrainian-Anishinaabekwe ndow (My name is Martina Albert, I am a member of the crane clan, I am from Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and I am a proud Ukrainian Anishinaabe woman). I currently work as an Indigenous Community Liaison with Plenty Canada, working on the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. I am a young professional in the environmental sector and recently graduated with an Honours B.Sc degree in Environmental and Resource Sciences from Trent University. I also graduated from Fleming College’s Ecosystem Management Technology program where, in my final year, I acted as program president and was competitively selected to participate in a semester abroad contributing to the maintenance and management of Pidwa Wilderness Reserve in South Africa. I was also selected to complete a field placement in Parismina, Costa Rica contributing to marine turtle conservation and research. During the summer months between school, I would work within my community for our Treaties, Lands and Environment Department contributing to source water protection, waste management programs, Species at Risk monitoring, and community education and engagement. I am passionate about braiding together Indigenous ways of knowing and aspects of western sciences in the spirit of Ethical Space and Two-Eyed Seeing to do my part in the continuation of all life. My hobbies and interests include beading, painting, hiking, camping, and canoeing.

Meet Kerry-Ann Charles - Panelist

Kerry-Ann Charles

Kerry-Ann Charles is a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, a proud mom of 2 boys and has been a Team member of Cambium Indigenous Professional Services (CIPS) since 2017 as the Environment Partnership Co-ordinator.

She is proud to have been able to serve her Community for over 17 years in various capacities including a term as Councilor, by-law development and implementation, waste management, housing, water, transportation, education as well as childcare and was the Environment Co-ordinator for her last 8 years of service where she helped to develop and sustain the Environment Department.

She has had great success in initiating and building relationships with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous environmental and other organizations, developing partnerships to co-ordinate and carry out various environmental activities with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners as well as promoting education and Community involvement in all environmental initiatives within all sectors of society. As a result of this work, Kerry-Ann has gained international recognition and has been asked to speak across Canada, in the US and Mexico in the area of Indigenous perspectives on environmental initiatives. Most recently she was asked to speak at COP27 as the Indigenous Lead for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Kerry Ann’s wide range of career experiences give her a unique perspective that can be very valuable when assisting others wishing to find their balance of operations and carrying out of their environmental responsibility.

Meet Aranya Iyer- Panelist

Aranya Iyer

Aranya Iyer is an ecologist who first got interested in conservation because of her connection to migratory birds. She co-founded Field Research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Diversified (FREED) to increase access to field research and naturalist skills for other Indigenous, Black and/or Racialized undergraduates. FREED had a great inaugural year in 2022 and will be running in 2023 with additional pilot programs across Ontario. She also currently works for conservation research at WWF-Canada.

Meet Sriranjini Raman- Panelist

Sriranjini Raman

Sriranjini Raman is passionate about reconnecting youth and children to nature and creating opportunities for youth leadership. Named one of Canada's Top 25 Environmentalists under 25, she is the founder of Nurture: a program that aims to create opportunities for all youth to learn how to grow their own food and practice land stewardship. Sriranjini is completing her degree in Environmental Resource Studies & International Development at the University of Waterloo and is a Social Innovator at Green House, a social impact incubator. Her interests include education, capacity building and leadership opportunities for youth in food and climate literacy. She is a CJ-JT Fellow working towards resource mobilization for scaling up climate justice projects that empower youth.

Meet Grace Saunders-Hogberg- Panelist

Grace Saunders-Hogberg

Grace Saunders-Hogberg works as a UAV Operator and gathers earth observation data by drone, to help companies better understand natural areas to protect, restore and monitor.

Her love for Mother Earth was seeded by stories shared by her Jamaican parents, who grew up in rural villages; her high school geography teacher from Tuktoyuktuk; and from watching her TV idol, Lieutenant Uhuru on the original Star Trek series.

As a serial learner, Grace has undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Urban Planning, as well as a Master's in Environmental Studies, with a focus on Water Management. A long-time advocate for equitable access, Grace has presented several workshops on engagement and representation at decision-making tables.

Meet Sam Whiteye - Host

Samantha Whiteye is a community leader from Eelūnapéewi Lahkéewiit. She is very passionate and dedicated to her work within Southern Ontario and the Indigenous Communities she actively serves. Samantha comes from grassroots immersed experiences which she utilizes her lived experience and understandings to create space, advocate and lead conversations centering on Truth and Reconciliation. Leading with an ethical two eyed seeing approach Samantha demonstrates leadership as a changemaker in the environmental sector.

Samantha is very knowledgeable and connected to her Lunaapeew/Lenape culture as she continuously weaves the medicine and teachings into her work and daily lifestyle. She is also passionate about ancestral seed sovereignty and hopes it helps build bridges back to identity for her people.

Over the past year Samantha has worked closely with Carolinian Canada Coalition and continues her work in a new role as Indigenous Leadership Director to help shift the narratives in conservation.

Registration Details:

Womxn Bringing Knowledge to Practice

Registration is $50 with sliding scale. Save $70 when you purchase all Forum Series Events, or become a Carolinian Canada Member and save even more ($20 per Forum session) - Join Today.

Funds raised through ticket sales help to equitably pay our speakers, and to support Carolinian Canada's Indigenous Leadership program.

Please use the sliding scale to pay what you can if you are BIPOC and don't have the means to attend, or if you would like to pay more to assist others to attend.

Carolinian Canada acknowledges that we live on the traditional territories of many nations including the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee, the Lunaapeew, the Wendat and the Mississauga; and the rights and treaties of the many, diverse Indigenous people who live here now.

We commit to the teachings the Two Row Wampum and the One Dish One Spoon Wampum; and our duty to reconcile, learn more and create safe spaces for Indigenous and non-indigenous perspectives to meet and discuss the issues that matter to everyone.

Carolinian Canada is supported financially by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, 3M, WWF-Canada, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Greenbelt Foundation, City of London, London Community Foundation, Pillar Non-Profit Network, many partners and donors.

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