This year's International Women's Day theme is Embrace Equity in Nogojiwanong/ Peterborough and will be observed in two parts.
You can register for the downtown rally on March 8th here.
The second event will be a hybrid community event, exploring Diverse Youth Voices in Leadership. Doors open at 5:30 pm and will feature an acoustic set by Shannon Roszell, followed by the Ragin' Grannies. There will also be a banner-making activity led by Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle. The event will run from 6:00 until 8:00 PM EST.
Featuring guest speaker: Cheyenne Sundance! Cheyenne is the owner/executive director of Sundance Harvest and a full-time farmer of a three-location farm spanning three acres in south western Ontario. Her CSA is produced by over 20 farmers who she directly and closely mentors. Cheyenne Sundance started her farm in 2019 due to a lack of awareness of fair pay and discussion on a diversity of concerns of equality in agriculture from the worker, youth, Black and women’s lens. She is the inaugural president of the National Farmers Union Black, Indigenous and People of Colour caucus. She has also successfully started up the Sundance Harvest Black Business and Farm sister incubator program and its sister - which is fully subsidized for new Black farmers. Cheyenne has no previous farming or educational experience as she left high school. Cheyenne has never worked on a farm before starting Sundance Harvest at 22. She has true working-class roots and a deep interest in workers' rights, community land trusts, and the idea of the commons for the betterment of all.
We also express gratitude that Janet McCue, Anne Taylor, and Sarah Lewis will be attending and sharing with us. We also appreciate Simone Zhu of the BIPOC Growers Collective for acting as moderator for the Q+A portion of the event.
“Sarah Lewis (she/her) is an Anishnaabe Kwe (Ojibwe/Cree) spoken word artist, activist, musician, community organizer and mother. She has ancestral roots in Curve Lake First Nation, Ontario as well as Pukatawagon, Manitoba. She was appointed as Peterborough’s inaugural Poet Laureate in 2021 and has been featured on CBC Arts, Global News, and stages across the world.
Sarah utilizes poetry as an act of resistance, giving voice to the resurgence of Indigenous communities and how Indigenous people are reclaiming their identities, culture, strength and sovereignty. She encourages other aspiring poets to speak their truth, and to envision a decolonial society where sexism, the patriarchy, capitalism and racism do not exist.”
Deepest thanks to our community partners for their generous support including the Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan- Peterborough Chapter, Champlain College, Community Race Relations Committee of Peterborough, Diverse Nature Collective, Fleming College, Green Up, Lady Eaton College, New Canadians Centre, OPIRG Peterborough, Professor Stephen Hill, Soroptimist International- Peterborough, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Society (SAFSS), The Centre for Women and Trans People, The Seasoned Spoon, Trent Oxfam, Trent University Department of Gender and Social Justice, Trent University School of the Environment, and Trent WUSC- SRP.
