Women's History Month Panel

 "Shanese Indoowaaboo Steele is an Afro-Indigenous, Fat Femme living and learning on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg people and the Dish With One Spoon Wampum. With a Black father from Trinidad, with roots in Carriacou, Grenada and a Mixed mother of French and Native ancestry with ties to Nipissing First Nation and the Red Sky Independent Métis Nation, Shanese navigates the world as an Afro-Anishinaabe Kwe. Being Black, Native, Queer and Fat in a world that says all of these things should not exist. A published writer Shanese uses writing as an outlet to express her fears, joy and dreams. She has also spent the last 10 years as an activist facilitating workshops, creating curriculum, giving training's and guest speeches on Black and Indigenous Issues. Founder of the non-profit Aazhganan Project, Shanese works to educate Racialized and Indigenous peoples on their shared histories."

Sheneice Brown is a 28 year old Scarborough native who is a proud black woman and member of the LGBTQ+ community. Sheneice taught for 3 years in Daegu, South Korea and during that time her wanderlust was sparked, she was able to travel to many countries in Asia such as Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia to name a few. Once she returned home she continued travelling and exploring different LGBTQ+ events, it was at this time she became passionate about showcasing Queer Women of Colour who also enjoyed travel as well as encouraging Queer women of Colour to travel. Sheneice went on to create Queer Queens Travel (QQT) in June 2019 a travel group dedicated to planning and executing group trips for QWOC! Alongside her business partner Shanoira Lewis this platform has gone on to provide QWOC with inspiration, a safe group to travel with as well as travel tips to help keep QWOC safe while abroad.

 Ocean Cherneski - Boozhoo, Waabshki-Memengwaa ndizhnikaaz. Ma’iingan ndodem. Biigtigong Nishnaabeg ndoonji. Anishinaabe-kwe ndaaw. Hello! My Anshinaabe name is White Butterfly and my English name is Ocean. I come from Pic River and Pic Mobert First Nation and my clan is the wolf clan. Ocean is an Anishinaabe woodland style artist from North Western Ontario raised by the Martiarch’s of her family. She is currently studying her Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies at Trent University. Ocean comes with a background of digital art, painting, drawing, beading, and sewing. Her Anishinaabe territory, community, and identity has a strong influence in the art she creates consisting of viabrant colours, florals and woodland style dancer’s. She also creates art through jingle dress and scrub dancing at pow wows across Turtle Island. Ocean is a strong advocate for Indigenous people and a respected community member, who to date has been award two highly esteemed awards by Trent University: the “Louise Garrow Prize” from Peter Gzowski College and the First People’s House of Learning (2019) and the “Peter Gzowski Student Excellence Award” from Peter Gzowski College (2019). Ocean continues to advocate and work for her communities through her various art forms and community work. More of Ocean’s art can be seen at oceankiana.com Chi-Miigwetch