Mother Earth nurtures us, and with all the gifts given, it is our responsibility to pay it forward and give back what we can. In Sea Smart's final session of the Clean Water Champions webinar series, we are honoured to have Tasha Beeds, Morgan Guerin, (secəlenəχʷ) and Marilyn Baptiste speaking about their connection to water and their work to protect the land and waters of their people. Join us to learn from these inspiring leaders and open your heart to integrate Indigenous perspectives in your lives.
If you are an environmentalist, a scientist, or a concerned member of the public, join us for our Connection to Water: Integrating Indigenous Perspectives webinar in our Clean Water Champions series to learn about caring for our land and water from inspirational Indigenous community members.
These are interactive webinars that include guest speaker presentations, a Q&A, and breakout room discussions post-webinar for people interested in connecting.
Speakers Bio
Tasha Beeds is a Cree, Scottish-Metis, and Bajan academic. She is a Mide-Kwe and a Water Walker. Tasha was recently an assistant professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Sudbury. She is also the Ron Ianni Fellow at the University of Windsor's Faculty of Law where she guest lecturers for the Indigenous Legal Orders Institute. Tasha has walked about 7000 km as a way to raise awareness about the state of water systems in Canada and the United States. Her first walk, in 2011, was around Rice Lake, Ontario which led to her participation in lengthier journeys, including a walk that involved carrying water from the Atlantic Ocean, beginning in Matane, Quebec and ending at Madeline Island, Wisconsin.
Morgan Guerin, secəlenəχʷ, is a community leader, elected as the Councillor for the Musqueam Indian Band. Morgan was born on Musqueam territory and raised by his parents and grandparents on the Musqueam reserve. From a young age, he learned to hunt, fish, and recognize the importance of his land. Morgan was an Aboriginal Fishery Officer, where he saw the impacts of land development on our waterways and ocean, and has been a strong advocate for land and water protection. Morgan is also an artist with previous exhibitions at the Museum of Vancouver, and he continues to share his knowledge, expertise and teachings on coastal practices.
Marilyn Baptiste is the former chief of Xeni Gwet’in First Nation and one of four Indigenous conservation leaders of the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership. Marilyn grew up hunting and fishing in the Nemiah Valley, where her father was chief, learning how to fish with a dip net on the rivers for wild salmon. Responsibility to protect our land, our waters and our future generations was paramount in Marilyn’s education, and so when a mining company was planning to drain Fish Lake, she took action. The communities’ effort to oppose the mine was successful, thanks in large part to Marilyn Baptiste. In 2015, Marilyn was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize.
Sea Smart
This webinar is hosted by Sea Smart, a Vancouver-based charity whose mission is to inspire and empower people to love and protect our ocean. We deliver online programs, beach cleanups, school workshops, and summer camps, among other impactful programs and events that help connect people to nature and learn about ocean sustainability.
