Vanier College's Women's & Gender Studies Presents Intersections: International Women's Week 2021
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INTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 1
Vanier College’s Women’s & Gender Studies Presents
Intersections: International Women’s Week 2021
MARCH 8-12, 2021
We acknowledge that the place in which we work and study is situated within the unceded lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka
(Mohawk) peoples, part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. There is also a strong historic presence of Anishinaabe peoples
in what is now known as the Greater Montreal area. Tio’tia:ke, or Montreal, has also long been, and continues to be, a
gathering place for many First Peoples from all directions. We honour and thank the traditional custodians of this land and
strive to work for the success of future generations.
INTRODUCTION
If the past year has taught us anything, it is that the inequities of the world we live in have become much more pronounced
than at any other time since this century began. From the widespread death and injury wrought by Covid-19, to the seemingly
incessant reports of anti-Black violence at the hands of the police, to the systemic (some might say overt) racism in our health
institutions made stark by the horrific experience of Atikamekw patient Joyce Echaquan, to name but a few, the pain felt
particularly by minoritized communities has been relentless, like an onslaught of harm coming from many directions.
Events such as these cannot and must not be viewed in isolation, however; the reasons they occur are complex and
complicated, and thus require complex and complicated analyses of how and why they come about in order to devise
concrete and workable measures that lead to the weakening of the various structures that perpetuate social and economic
stratification both locally and globally. With this in mind, Vanier College’s Women’s and Gender Studies Committee proudly
presents Intersections: International Women’s Week (IWW) 2021, which highlights the feminist theory of intersectionality,
described by racialized feminist scholars Avtar Brah and Ann Phoenix (2004) as a
concept…signifying the complex, irreducible, varied, and variable effects which ensue when multiple axis [sic]
of differentiation— economic, political, cultural, psychic, subjective and experiential—intersect in historically
specific contexts. The concept emphasizes that different dimensions of social life cannot be separated out
into discrete and pure strands. (p. 76)1
To emphasize the necessity of deploying an intersectional framework when examining oppressions of marginalized
communities and populations, the organizers of this year’s edition of IWW have made the decision to offer a line-up of
speakers and performers comprised solely of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized peoples. With this roster, we hope that
attendees to the various sessions will be able to learn from the research presented and the experiences and perspectives
shared by individuals who identify with a broad spectrum of genders, ethnicities, religions, abilities, sexualities, ages, and
races—and all of their intersections.
1
Brah, A. & A. Phoenix. (2004). Ain’t I a woman? Revisiting intersectionality. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 5(3), 75-86.INTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 2
4 p.m.-5:15 p.m.—Listen Up: Vanier Students and Alumnx
SNAPSHOT SCHEDULE Speak Out on Race and Gender
(Detailed Schedule follows) Public Zoom Link:
https://zoom.us/j/92840794711?pwd=b1pmT1BaRzQ0bW
Monday, March 8 tNbWlRdWdENFZVZz09
10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m.—Let’s Get Moving!: A Dance
Passcode: 190269
Workshop with Joseph Audain
Webinar ID: 928 4079 4711
Public Zoom Link:
https://zoom.us/j/96739009952?pwd=WlY2UkxGY0dyem
4 p.m.-5:45 p.m.—Talisman Theatre presents: Habibi’s
NPSHgzczA1eXdWQT09
Angels: Commission Impossible
Passcode: 781435
Second of two screenings of recorded play performance
Webinar ID: 967 3900 9952
from Talisman Theatre
Public YouTube link: https://youtu.be/bnOQNXxPJyE
12 p.m.-1:15 p.m.—Making Art Out of Life: A
Conversation with kimura byol-nathalie lemoine Wednesday, March 10
Public Zoom Link: 10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m.—Theatre of Indigeneity: A
https://zoom.us/j/96288278422?pwd=eGZGbmJ4MFhjWX Conversation with Yvette Nolan
pVM1BuVjk3NlVSdz09 Public Zoom Link:
Passcode: 518076 https://zoom.us/j/97551069784?pwd=VTJVc2M4VXJUZUZ
Webinar ID: 962 8827 8422 1dFRtbWVDNkdEUT09
Passcode: 704906
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.—Harm Reduction Is a 2Spirit Webinar ID: 975 5106 9784
Disability Justice!
Public Zoom Link: 12 p.m.-1 p.m.—Anti-Black Racism: Types and Effects
https://zoom.us/j/91205023402?pwd=cDFieW40cDJlQmEr Public Zoom Link:
TVVnc1RMSUhKZz09 https://zoom.us/j/95745216953?pwd=L0ptLzlobzZnbmRo
Passcode: 151802 Z0YxOXloR3ZMUT09
Webinar ID: 912 0502 3402 Passcode: 522004
Webinar ID: 957 4521 6953
4 p.m.-5:15 p.m.—A Force to Be Reckoned with: Black 1:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m.— Speaking Truth to Power: A
Women in Education Roundtable Discussion on Racialized Women in Politics
Public Zoom Link: Public Zoom Link:
https://zoom.us/j/93235372320?pwd=MlVmWXVFdVFiNlJi https://zoom.us/j/96353208231?pwd=ckllN0FwYXdScjdR
VHhoQjdoa1RnQT09 WGxHS1VzWFpvQT09
Passcode: 156352 Passcode: 291991
Webinar ID: 932 3537 2320 Webinar ID: 963 5320 8231
Tuesday, March 9 4 p.m.-5 p.m.—Two-Eyed Seeing: A Different Kind of
12 p.m.-1:45 p.m.—Talisman Theatre presents: Habibi’s
Indigenous World View
Angels: Commission Impossible
Public Zoom Link:
First of two screenings of recorded play performance from
https://zoom.us/j/97858691323?pwd=OUVyZXVnbjZQOX
Talisman Theatre
UxZ3NFR0poZ0pWdz09
Public YouTube link: https://youtu.be/ngwmzmTCKNo
Passcode: 447492
Webinar ID: 978 5869 1323
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.— Art as the Animate: A Highlight of
Contemporary Onkwehon:we Art Practices as Part of a Thursday, March 11
Living Culture 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.—Making A Seat at the Table: A
Public Zoom Link: Conversation with Podcasters Martine St-Victor &
https://zoom.us/j/99205022468?pwd=S25QRndwbmE5OT Isabelle Racicot
BFNFBNak5DRXZFdz09 Public Zoom Link:
Passcode: 004415 https://zoom.us/j/96930359020?pwd=VGJQdURQMEx5cn
Webinar ID: 992 0502 2468 Z1YWV4VjQyemNLUT09
Passcode: 744125
Webinar ID: 969 3035 9020INTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 3
1 p.m.-2 p.m. Co-designing a Brighter Future through Friday, March 12
Community-Driven Engineering: A Conversation with Dr.
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.— COVID-19 and Black Life: A
Vicki Komisar
Conversation with Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden
Public Zoom Link:
Public Zoom Link:
https://zoom.us/j/97799854135?pwd=TDhYdVp0QUdnL2x
https://zoom.us/j/91627411173?pwd=QThnMXk4ZVQ5dk
2MC92MWNqMHNsUT09
FjZ215TE9rTm1lZz09
Passcode: 987069
Passcode: 142779
Webinar ID: 977 9985 4135
Webinar ID: 916 2741 1173
4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.—If You Want My Opinion…: A
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.— Moose in the Room: Time to Talk
Roundtable Talk with Habibi’s Angels: Commission
about Indigenous Male Violence
Impossible’s Creative Team
Public Zoom Link:
Public Zoom Link:
https://zoom.us/j/99202695115?pwd=bXY2QU4xd09Hcm
https://zoom.us/j/92831757108?pwd=bkNtUmx2MENqT
12Y1B0VHVOYlhFdz09
WVNY25ORTdhTjc0Zz09
Passcode: 191757
Passcode: 809080
Webinar ID: 992 0269 5115
Webinar ID: 928 3175 7108INTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 4 DETAILED SCHEDULE Monday, March 8 10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m.—Let’s Get Moving!: A Dance Workshop with Joseph Audain Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/96739009952?pwd=WlY2UkxGY0dyemNPSHgzczA1eXdWQT09 Passcode: 781435 Webinar ID: 967 3900 9952 We will be doing some warm ups, followed by an Afrobeat Hip Hop routine. Lots of laughs and interactions. And we’ll definitely be sweating! Hosted by Natalie Carlino, Sociology. Joseph Audain has been dancing for 22 years and has taught dance for the past 9 years. His repertoire of dance styles includes hip hop, classical ballet, contemporary, and jazz. 12 p.m.-1:15 p.m.—Making Art Out of Life: A Conversation with kimura byol-nathalie lemoine Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/96288278422?pwd=eGZGbmJ4MFhjWXpVM1BuVjk3NlVSdz09 Passcode: 518076 Webinar ID: 962 8827 8422 Multidisciplinary artist-activist kimura byol-nathalie lemoine speaks about the influence of zer history as a queer Korean-born adoptee on zer artistic practice and activism. Interviewed by Colleen Ayoup, Communications: Media, Studio Arts. kimura byol-nathalie lemoine (키무라 별 – 나타리 르뫈 – 木村 ビヨル – ナタリー レムワンー) is a conceptual multimedia feminist artist who works on identities (diaspora, ethnicity, colorism, post-colonialism, immigration, gender), and expresses it with calligraphy, paintings, digital images, poems, videos and collaborations. kimura*lemoine’s work has been exhibited, screened, published and supported nationally and internationally. as curator, has developed projects that give voice and visibility to minorities. This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021. Sponsored by the Open Door Network 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.— Harm Reduction Is a 2Spirit Disability Justice! Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/91205023402?pwd=cDFieW40cDJlQmErTVVnc1RMSUhKZz09 Passcode: 151802 Webinar ID: 912 0502 3402 Indigenous scholar Dr. Percy Lezard gives a presentation on the issue of accessibility from a 2Spirit perspective. Hosted by Alan Wong, English. Dr. Percy Lezard’s teachings and responsibilities as a Sqilxw person require that they prioritize accountable and flexible collaborative work in teams and ensure all written work has an oral component and connected to the land. They have clear direction from their communities to invest in work that has clear, tangible outcomes for marginalized people and priority populations. As a result, they have aligned themself as a consultant, team member, and research designer in several community-based research partnerships. Along with a research portfolio, they also bring grounded experience and knowledge of Indigenous teaching pedagogies and methodologies, student mentorship, and student success program development with a focus on enhancing Indigenous excellence. As a person who lives with both a learning and physical disability (hard of hearing), they are firmly committed to creating safe, supportive, and accessible learning environments that foster student success as they identify. Dr. Lezard always grounds their learning environments in disability justice framework, from course design to evaluation and community engagement. They are always learning new ways to incorporate interactive and adaptive technologies within the physical learning environments. Their background includes over thirty years of field experience as an activist, community organizer, and Indigenous helper with and in HIV/AIDS, and as a trainer and crisis counsellor for young folks and with strong relations with many Indigenous communities, both urban and on reserve, as well as engaging in solidarity work with other communities of colour and across multiple marginalities. They have worked in both mainstream and Indigenous social service agencies and at several post-secondary institutions. Wherever Dr. Lezard goes, they bring a specialization in Indigenous knowledges, 2Spirit
INTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 5
pedagogies, anti-racist praxis, and Indigenous research methodologies, by supporting Black, Indigenous People of Color
(BIPOC) student success and engagement with multiple internal and external stakeholders. Moreover, they combine these
theories, research approaches, and frameworks of understanding to create relationships that honour treaty. Their focus is on
ensuring the reciprocal relationship culture is fostered and supported within higher education spaces.
This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021.
Sponsored by the Open Door Network
4 p.m.-5:15 p.m.—A Force to Be Reckoned with: Black Women in Education
Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/93235372320?pwd=MlVmWXVFdVFiNlJiVHhoQjdoa1RnQT09
Passcode: 156352
Webinar ID: 932 3537 2320
A roundtable discussion featuring five impressive Black women involved in Quebec public education in various capacities
talking about the ways that hegemonic structures of race and gender in this province affect Black students, educators, and
others stakeholders both systemically and overtly and what the potential solutions are to ensuring that privilege, bigotry, and
discrimination no longer obstruct teaching and learning. Moderated by Danielle Altidor, French.
• Dr. Sabrina Jafralie is an educator, consultant, activist, and co-founder of the Centre of Civic Religious Literacy. She
has led an impressive career as a secondary school teacher and a university course lecturer in her 20 years working in
both the United Kingdom and Canada. Her research includes teacher education, curriculum design, religious literacy,
and purposeful dialogue. Dr. Jafralie received her Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Concordia University and
a Ph.D. in Teacher Education from McGill University in 2017. In 2018, she received the Certificate of Achievement for
the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Her recent academic work has explored the link between
curriculum design to include religious literacy, anti-racism, and purposeful dialogue. In addition to her teaching and
research, Dr. Jafralie does substantial activism. In 2019, she was awarded Activist of the Year by ByBlack.com.
Recently, in 2021, Dr Jafralie was recognized by the CBC as a Black Changemaker in Quebec for continuous efforts in
creating an equitable and inclusive society.
• Writer, painter, and scholar, Dr. Stéphane Martelly was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and now lives in Montreal.
Through a profoundly transdisciplinary approach, she confronts theory, critical reflection, and art in her work. She has
published poetry [La Boîte noire suivi de Départs 2004] and children's tales [Couleur de rue, 1999, and L'Homme aux
cheveux de fougère, 2002]. Her pictorial works is showcased in the digital art book Folie passée à la chaux vive
(Madness Spent in Quicklime), Publie.net, 2010. Her scholarly work notably include working in the Montreal based
Life Stories of Montrealers Displaced by War, Genocide and Other Human Rights Violations as a researcher and main
coordinator at the Center for Oral History and Digital Storytelling, Concordia University. She also wrote a monography
on Haitian poet Magloire-Saint-Aude [Le Sujet opaque, 2001] and several articles on Caribbean literature. Her main
essay in research-creation is Les Jeux du dissemblable. Folie, marge et féminin en littérature haïtienne contemporaine,
Nota Bene, 2016. Her recent publications are La Maman qui s’absentait, Vents d’Ailleurs, 2011; Inventaires,
Triptyque, 2016; and L'enfant gazelle, Remue-Ménage, 2018 (recently translated to Little Girl Gazelle, LLP, 2020). As a
guest publisher, Dr. Martelly just launched a book series of works by Black women writers in Montreal called
"Martiales" at Remue-Ménage, a long-standing feminist press in 2020. As a Professor in Creative Writing and
Research-Creation in the Literature department of L’Université de Sherbrooke, her continuing interest remains the
possibility and limits of creation and interpretation as well as research-creation and creative writing.
• Shanice Nicole is a Black feminist educator, facilitator, writer, and (out)spoken word artist. Her debut children's book
Dear Black Girls was recently published by Metonymy Press in February 2021, and she is also the curator of free
community resources such as Jobs & Things and All Black Everything in Montreal. Shanice Nicole believes that
everyone has the power to make change and dreams of a freer world for us all. To see what else she has to say, check
out @ShaniceNicoleSpeaks on Facebook and Instagram.
• Allison Saunders is a mother, an “Accidental Activist”, a Digital Content Strategist at Concordia University, and more.
In 2020, she was appointed as a co-opted commissioner at the Lester B. Pearson School Board to assist with their
commitment to fighting racism in their schools and centres. She is also a Board Member of the Black
Academic Scholarship Fund (BASF), whose main goal is to contribute to the enhancement of the Black community of
Montreal by supporting Black students in their pursuit of post-secondary education. She also recently joined the
Board of Directors of Overture with the Arts (OWTA), a non-profit organization that uses the arts as a vehicle for
education and creative exploration and where students are introduced to elements of history, social and culturalINTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 6
change, and other issues facing today’s young people, as well as different genres of entertainment. Recognizing the
need for change in her community, Allison co-organized the West Island Takes a Knee anti-racism protest in June
2020 and continues to use her voice to work towards a diverse and inclusive community in which all citizens feel
welcome.
This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021.
Tuesday, March 9
12 p.m.-1:45 p.m.—Talisman Theatre presents Habibi’s Angels: Commission Impossible
First of two screenings of recorded play performance from Talisman Theatre
Public YouTube link: https://youtu.be/ngwmzmTCKNo (Please note that while this is a YouTube link, it will only be active
during this time slot, so it cannot be accessed at any other time).
Profound, poetic, and deliciously quirky—The play is a living x-ray of Montreal that lays bare its foundations, ancient and
modern. A meta-experiment on the collectivity with contrasting feminist visions. From its outermost shell—a volley of letters
between writers that are hired to write a piece to be performed by women of colour—to its innermost core—a plot to destroy
The Machine—the play's true target is tokenism. All of this in a city that can't even align its streets with the four points of a
compass! Audience be warned: you're invited to a scratchy celebration of Montreal. The action begins when a pair of non-
binary artists belonging to “visible minorities” are commissioned to write a bilingual play focusing on the themes of Quebec,
feminism, history of women, love, and immigration … Nothing less! But one author complains: "I'd rather die than write the
multicultural feminist show. [...It] feels like I'm feeding some monster." The other replies: "I don’t wake up thinking: 'How
diverse I feel!' [...] Let's blow up those categories." And intersectional chaos seizes their writings! The authors construct a
labyrinthine system of characters and situations to trap and expose Habibi, a "tentacular diversity-feminism-data-eating
machine" that feeds off their content. Montreal is seen through a myriad of perspectives: the blocked writer surviving on
coffee and cigarettes, the young immigrant resisting the established order, the elderly Arabic-speaker with her hands plunged
in the earth, and a mischievous aquatic sprite that has more than one string to her bow. When Habibi finally imprisons their
characters in her Diverse Play Factory, the authors manage to turn the tables causing her self-destruction. The questions
Habibi’s Angels: Commission Impossible gestures towards are: How do we deal with tokenism and the harm caused by self-
serving, colonialist gatekeepers? How can we fight an oppressive elite to create a real democratization of arts and culture?
And what does this new world that we are resisting look like?
Cast: Chadia Kikondjo, Aida Sabra, Lesly Velazquez, Emilee Veluz and France Rolland (voice). Director: Sophie Gee.
Choreographer: Claudia Chan Tak. Set Design: Lyne Paquette. Costume Design: Sophie El Assaad. Lighting Design: Leticia
Hamaoui. Sound Design: Maria Elena Stoodley. Video Designer: Amelia Scott. Stage Manager: Alessandra Tom. Assistant
Designer: Zoe Roux.
Talisman Theatre was founded in 2006 by two graduates of the National Theatre School of Canada, Lyne Paquette, now its
Artistic and Executive Director, and Emma Tibaldo now the Artistic and Executive Director of Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal
in 2008. Talisman’s mission is to produce professional English-language premieres of contemporary Quebec plays.
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.—Art as the Animate: A Highlight of Contemporary Onkwehon:we Art Practices as Part of a Living
Culture
Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/99205022468?pwd=S25QRndwbmE5OTBFNFBNak5DRXZFdz09
Passcode: 004415
Webinar ID: 992 0502 2468
In this talk, Onkwehon:we artist and activist Iako'tsi:rareh Amanda Lickers presents the different ways that artists from their
community have merged the traditional with the contemporary to create new and unique forms of expression. Hosted by
Cheryl Donison, Communications: Media, Studio Arts.
Iako'tsi:rareh Amanda Lickers (she/they) Six Nations Seneca is an emerging artist (@skrimpskrap) and contributor to the Land,
Body, Defense Environmental Violence Tool Kit (http://landbodydefense.org/uploads/files/VLVBToolkit_2016.pdf) released by
Native Youth Sexual Health Network in partnership with Women’s Earth Alliance. They are a public educator and facilitator
building capacity alongside many campaigns for land back over the last decade. In her experiences enduring, witnessing, and
naming land trauma, Iako'tsi:rareh's work is shaped by her understandings of Terra Nullius as rape culture. Iako'tsi:rareh is aINTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 7
consultant for the Intercollegiate Decolonizing Network and they support the bi-annual vigil for Missing & Murdered
Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans & 2 Spirit relatives as part of Missing Justice at the Centre for Gender Advocacy, Concordia
University.
This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021.
Co-sponsored and co-hosted by the Communications: Media, Studio Arts Dept. & Open Door Network.
4 p.m.-5:15 p.m.—Listen Up: Vanier Students and Alumnx Speak Out on Race and Gender
Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/92840794711?pwd=b1pmT1BaRzQ0bWtNbWlRdWdENFZVZz09
Passcode: 190269
Webinar ID: 928 4079 4711
Vanier students past and present gather to discuss their experiences of race and gender and their intersections at the College
as well as other educational institutions. Moderated by Leila Bdeir, Humanities.
• Theresa Decius Timothee is a second-year Vanier college student studying General Social Science. She was born to
immigrant parents from the Caribbean. She attended Rosemount high school where she graduated as valedictorian.
She is now planning to continue her education by studying political science at university. Her main interests and
hobbies include public speaking, playing the saxophone, and spreading awareness about issues that affect people of
colour. She is part of the cadet program where she holds the highest rank (Warrant Officer First Class), commanding a
squadron of over 80 cadets. She has also won multiple awards within the program for categories such as public
speaking, music, and leadership. She has spent the last two summers as a camp counselor for the cadet program
teaching cadets about leadership and becoming a valuable member of society.
• Casey Goodleaf is 19 years old. She is in her third year at Vanier College studying Early Childhood Education. She is
half-indigenous, specifically mohawk. While she does not live on the reserve, most of her family does, so she did grow
up there and has many amazing memories. Vanier college ignited her interest in raising awareness about and fighting
for Indigenous rights.
• Mitchell Rae graduated from Vanier College with a major in International Studies and a Certificate in Women’s
Studies and is currently completing his Masters in Sociology at Concordia University. His work focuses on critical race
studies and whiteness, asking how commercially available genetic ancestry tests influence the development of white
racial identity. Before this, he received his Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies in
Sexuality at Concordia as well. Outside of academia, Mitchell Rae is heavily involved in community spaces, working at
Gender Creative Kids, being a co-founder of ChamPaint MTL, and organizer of Access X Praxis.
• Jasmine Roberts started her journey at Vanier College in the fall of 2013. Her experience at the institution was pivotal
in shaping her career, goals, and perception of life. At the time, the sustainability movement was shaping into a
powerful drive for change at Vanier. Jasmine became intoxicated by its ability to transform the world into a more
compassionate environment and, soon after, chose to dedicate her career to the cause. Outside of her academic life,
she volunteered with the On Rock community, serving those who would teach her skills, knowledge, and lessons that
she would use throughout her lifetime. She also was a member of Vanier’s Sustainability Club, which helped her
achieve a Major in Sustainability as she pursued her DEC in Pure and Applied Science. In 2016, she was accepted into
McGill’s Bioresource Engineering program. The career path was a perfect fit as it combined creative thinking with
technical problem solving. It would also allow her to solve problems that impacted her society, something that she
believed was so empowering. Some of her prized accomplishments came from her extracurricular activities, such as
helping her team win bronze at the Quebec Engineering Competition in both the Re-engineering and Engineering
Games Consulting categories. By the end of her B.Eng studies, her passions developed towards water management
and sustainable city development. Jasmine is currently employed as an Estimating and Energy Efficiency Specialist at a
company that utilizes streetlights as resources and designs smart buildings and cities. Her next ambitions are to
complete a LEED Green Associate certificate and two LEED AP certificates as well as join a watershed management
ground in Québec.
• Tristin Qautsiaq Tukalak-Mount was born in Puvirnituq, Quebec. He is 19 years old, having grown up in Kuujjuaq for
the first twelve years of his life before he and his family moved to Montreal permanently in 2013. Now, he is studying
music full-time in the three-year program at Vanier.
This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021.INTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 8 4 p.m.-5:45 p.m.—Talisman Theatre presents Habibi’s Angels: Commission Impossible Second of two screenings of recorded play performance from Talisman Theatre Public YouTube link: https://youtu.be/bnOQNXxPJyE (Please note that while this is a YouTube link, it will only be active during this time slot, so it cannot be accessed at any other time). For description of play, please see first screening scheduled earlier in the day at 12 p.m. Wednesday, March 10 10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m.—Theatre of Indigeneity: A Conversation with Yvette Nolan Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/97551069784?pwd=VTJVc2M4VXJUZUZ1dFRtbWVDNkdEUT09 Passcode: 704906 Webinar ID: 975 5106 9784 Renowned and prolific Indigenous theatre artist Yvette Nolan shares stories from her career as well as her thoughts and reflections on her creative process in relation to producing work that addresses key issues such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) and residential schools that have had a significant impact on the historic, contemporary, and even future existence of First Peoples. Interviewed by Alan Wong, English. Yvette Nolan (Algonquin) is a playwright, director, and dramaturg. Plays include BLADE, Annie Mae’s Movement, The Birds (a modern adaptation of Aristophanes’ comedy), The Unplugging, Gabriel Dumont’s Wild West Show (co-writer), the libretto Shanawdithit, the play for film Katharisis, and the short film A Common Experience (w. Shane Belcourt). She co- created, with Joel Bernbaum and Lancelot Knight, the verbatim play Reasonable Doubt, about relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan. She is currently working with Maria Campbell, Marilyn Poitras and Cheryl Troupe on Tapwewin - Her Inquiry, on the opera Sophia with Tim Brady, and the opera Namwayut with Marion Newman, Ian Cusson and Parmela Attariwala.. From 2003-2011, she served as Artistic Director of Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto. Her book, Medicine Shows, about Indigenous performance in Canada was published by Playwrights Canada Press in 2015. She is an Artistic Associate with Signal Theatre. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Policy at Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021. 12 p.m.-1 p.m.—Anti-Black Racism: Types and Effects Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/95745216953?pwd=L0ptLzlobzZnbmRoZ0YxOXloR3ZMUT09 Passcode: 522004 Webinar ID: 957 4521 6953 There are many different types of anti-Black racism. They can vary from flagrant to covert, from malicious to "well- intentioned", from interpersonal to systemic. This workshop given by Che Cherrilyn Birchwood will present the research, history, and psychosocial effects of anti-Black racism on individuals and communities. Hosted by Alan Wong, English. Che Cherrilyn Birchwood is a multi-disciplinary healer, creating practices and spaces to serve communities in a variety of ways including: crisis intervention; individual and group therapy; community mental health workshops and panels; meditation and yoga; and organising important socio-cultural events, such as both Montreal and Winnipeg’s first ever Dyke Marches. They have worked in mental health and social services for the past 15 years and are in the final year of a PhD in Psychology with a specialisation in Clinical Research and Intervention. Their thesis focuses on improving mental health communication through image-based knowledge mobilisation. In clinical work, they meld history, sociology, and psychology, giving weight to social determinants of health such as race, gender, ability, and trauma. Sponsored by the Open Door Network (ODN)
INTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 9
1:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m.—Speaking Truth to Power: A Roundtable Discussion on Racialized Women in Politics
Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/96353208231?pwd=ckllN0FwYXdScjdRWGxHS1VzWFpvQT09
Passcode: 291991
Webinar ID: 963 5320 8231
This roundtable discussion brings together racialized women with a variety of roles and backgrounds in different levels of
government to talk about their experiences of and perspectives on race and gender in politics. Moderated by Alan Wong,
English.
• Celina Caesar-Chavannes is a business consultant, coach, and international speaker. She holds a Bachelor of Science
from the University of Toronto, an MBA in Healthcare Management, and an Executive MBA from the Rotman School
of Management. She currently serves as the Sr. Advisor, EDI Initiatives, and Adjunct Lecturer at Queen’s University,
and her forthcoming book, Can You Hear Me Now?, published by Penguin Random House Canada, will be available on
February 2, 2021. She is the former Member of Parliament for Whitby, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau, and Parliamentary Secretary for International Development. Before entering politics, Mrs. Caesar-
Chavannes was a successful entrepreneur and recipient of both the Toronto Board of Trade’s Business Entrepreneur
of the Year and the Black Business and Professional Association’s Harry Jerome Young Entrepreneur Award. During
her term as a Member of Parliament, Celina was awarded: Champion of Mental Health Parliamentarian Award by the
Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health; Ontario Black History Society, Daniel G. Hill Award for
Community Services (2017); and Black Parliamentarian of the Year. She was also featured in the April 2018 edition of
O (Oprah Winfrey) Magazine in an article titled “What would you stand up for?” and was named Chatelaine
Magazine’s Woman of the Year (2019). She can be followed on all social media platforms @iamcelinacc
• Diplômée en droit, Cathy Wong est devenue la première femme présidente du conseil municipal de la Ville de
Montréal et première personne d’origine chinoise élue à Montréal, et conseillère de ville dans le district Peter-McGill
(arrondissement Ville-Marie) en novembre 2017. Puis, en juin 2020, elle est devenue la toute première responsable
de la lutte au racisme et à la discrimination de l'histoire de la Ville de Montréal, en plus de se voir confier les dossiers
de la diversité et de l'inclusion en emploi, de la langue française au sein du comité exécutif. À l’âge de 27 ans, Cathy
devenait la plus jeune présidente du Conseil des Montréalaises depuis sa création, et a occupé le poste d’agente de
développement jeunesse pour les YMCA du Québec. Après avoir présidé le Jeune Conseil de Montréal et le Forum
jeunesse de l’île de Montréal, Cathy a aussi siégé comme membre du c.a de la Société du 375e anniversaire de
Montréal, Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec, Théâtre Jean-Duceppe, ainsi que des comités consultatifs
d’Élections Canada et de MaTV. Jusqu’en 2017, Cathy était chroniqueuse pour le quotidien Le Devoir. On a aussi pu
l'entendre aux émissions Pas de midi sans info, Médium Large, PM et Plus on est de fous plus on lit, sur les ondes d'ICI
Radio-Canada. Elle a également co-animé les émissions Les Oranges Pressées et Droit de cité sur les ondes de CIBL.
Elle fut l’une les concurrentes de l'émission télévisée La Course Évasion autour du monde en 2011. Entre 2012 et
2016, elle a contribué aux efforts de reconstruction du YMCA d’Haïti à Port-au-Prince. Ses nombreux engagements lui
ont valu en 2009, le prix Hommage Bénévolat-Québec remis par le ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, le
prix Femmes de mérite du Y des femmes de Montréal (2014), ainsi que le prix « Personnalité de la diversité 2014 » de
l’agence de presse Médiamosaïque. En 2016, elle fut récipiendaire du Prix Reconnaissance dans la catégorie « Jeune
professionnel » de la Young Chinese Professional Association (YCPA) et le prix des Administrateurs de la relève dans la
catégorie « Administrateur de la relève » du Regroupement des jeunes chambres de commerce du Québec (RJCCQ).
Elle reçut aussi le Prix de la relève du Conseil des diplômés de l'UQAM en novembre 2016.
• Dr. Bochra Manaï has a Ph.D. in Urban Studies from the INRS-UCS. She studied the spatializing of the Maghrebi
community in Montreal and the public perception of this ethnicity in Montreal’s urban space. Her interests or
research include ethnicity, immigration and cohabitation in the city space. After her doctoral studies, Bochra hopes to
research the question of radicalization in Quebec, France and Tunisia to better understand how this process is
constructed, especially in the media. She was recently named the City of Montreal’s first-ever Commissaire à la lutte
au racisme et aux discriminations systémiques.INTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 10
4 p.m.-5 p.m.—Two-Eyed Seeing: A Different Kind of Indigenous World View
Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/97858691323?pwd=OUVyZXVnbjZQOXUxZ3NFR0poZ0pWdz09
Passcode: 447492
Webinar ID: 978 5869 1323
As a Kanien'kehá:ka woman from the community of Kanehsatà:ke, Kailey Nicholas has grown up surrounded by nature and
learnt about the importance of respecting the environment and all of its inhabitants at an early age, which fuels her passion
for her studies today. She is an advocate of Two-Eyed Seeing, which encourages learning to see the world from one eye with
the strengths of Indigenous knowledge systems and from the other eye with the strengths of mainstream/Western knowledge
systems, and to use both these eyes together for the benefit of all. Hosted by Jacky Vallée, Anthropology
Kailey Nicholas is a first-year student at Bishop’s University pursuing a BSc in Biology in the Biodiversity & Ecology
concentration. She is pursuing a double minor in Indigenous Studies and Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (SAFS) and is
an active member of the Indigenous Cultural Alliance (ICA) and the Indigenous Student Association (ISA) while working as one
of the Turtle Island Interns on campus. She obtained a DEC in Environmental & Wildlife Management from Vanier College,
where she graduated in 2020 with a certificate in Indigenous Studies and a minor in Sustainability.
This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021.
Sponsored and co-presented by the Vanier College Indigenous Studies Program.
Thursday, March 11
10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.—Making A Seat at the Table: A Conversation with Podcasters Martine St-Victor & Isabelle Racicot
Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/96930359020?pwd=VGJQdURQMEx5cnZ1YWV4VjQyemNLUT09
Passcode: 744125
Webinar ID: 969 3035 9020
Martine St-Victor & Isabelle Racicot, hosts and producers of the CBC podcast A Seat at the Table, share details of their popular
show as only insiders can—from the origin of their friendship to the germination of their idea for the podcast to the process
that goes into producing A Seat at the Table, these local BIPOC+ women will take you behind the scenes of their politically-
minded program. Interviewed by Toby Moneit, Business Administration & Commerce.
• Martine St-Victor is a communications strategist. She heads Milagro Public Relations Atelier, which she founded over
15 years ago. She broadcasts on Radio-Canada, the CBC, and RDI. She also co-hosts and co-produces A Seat at the
Table on CBC Podcasts. On occasion, she contributes opinion pieces in La Presse and is a weekly columnist at the
Montreal Gazette. Martine sits as a Trustee on the Boards of Séquences magazine, the Pensionnat du Saint-Nom-de-
Marie Foundation, and the KANPE Foundation as well as the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, in addition to
serving as Chair of its Communications Advisory Committee. Martine is the Diversity and Inclusion emissary for the
Start-Up Festival and is a founding member of the Black Opportunity Fund. Martine is a member of the 2020
Excellence Québec cohort. She founded Je Love Haiti Apparel Atelier and is its Creative Director. @MartineMontreal
• Isabelle Racicot a un parcours exceptionnel dans le paysage médiatique québécois et canadien. Bachelière de
l’Université Concordia en études des communications et des médias, grande curieuse des autres, rapidement elle sait
qu’elle veut devenir animatrice. À titre d’animatrice, de collaboratrice, de co-animatrice ou encore de chroniqueuse
régulière, on la retrouve au micro d’émissions phares de nombreuses radios, notamment à Plus on est de fous, plus on
lit (Ici Première). À la télévision, sa présence brille tant à Salut Bonjour! (TVA) qu’à l’animation de l’émission de
télévision et du balado Les dix de 2020 (Radio-Canada), dont elle est aussi productrice. Coanimatrice de la
baladoémission A Seat at the Table (CBC Radio) avec son amie Martine St-Victor, elle aborde avec brio les questions
d’actualité avec des personnalités de tous les horizons. Bouleversée par le décès brutal de Georges Floyd aux États-
Unis, Isabelle pousse sa réflexion sur le racisme systémique dans le documentaire Pour mes fils, mon silence est
impossible (RadioCanada). La multidisciplinarité d’Isabelle transcende le paysage médiatique. Passionnée de mode,
elle lance en 2015 la boutique en ligne Picoum.com qui propose une sélection de produits coups de cœur créés par
des designers et des entreprises du Canada, puis la plateforme numérique Etail21, en 2018. Dans The Montreal
Gazette, on dit d’Isabelle qu’elle est « la Oprah du Québec ». Nul doute que son humanité et sa grande empathie
expliquent cette puissante comparaison.INTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 11
This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021.
Sponsored by MEES.
1 p.m.-2 p.m. Co-designing a Brighter Future through Community-Driven Engineering: A Conversation with Dr. Vicki Komisar
Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/97799854135?pwd=TDhYdVp0QUdnL2x2MC92MWNqMHNsUT09
Passcode: 987069
Webinar ID: 977 9985 4135
The 21st century presents several important challenges, including climate change, a global pandemic, social inequality, and
health consequences that are secondary to COVID-19, such as mental health challenges and frailty due to isolation. New ideas
and approaches are urgently needed to solve these challenges. This interview will discuss the importance of social and
community engagement in engineering and other STEM fields, and how incorporating a range of perspectives into innovation
can lead to more sustainable solutions. We will also discuss how you can get involved, and why your perspective is necessary
for co-designing a brighter future. Interviewed by Geeta Johal, Mathematics.
Dr. Vicki Komisar is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Digital Health Technology at the University of British
Columbia - Okanagan Campus. Her background spans Engineering Science, Biomedical Engineering, and Kinesiology. She uses
the tools of biomechanics to understand how people interact with their environment to maintain balance and avoid falls and
fall-related injuries, and uses this evidence to inform recommendations for safer built environment and assistive technology
design, especially for older adults. She collaborates with engineers, clinicians, researchers in the health and social sciences,
older adults, caregivers, and industry and government partners in her work. Her research findings have informed building
codes, product design standards, and occupational safety guidelines related to preventing falls and fall-related injuries in an
aging workforce.
This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021.
4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.—If You Want My Opinion…: A Roundtable Talk with Habibi’s Angels: Commission Impossible’s Creative
Team
Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/92831757108?pwd=bkNtUmx2MENqTWVNY25ORTdhTjc0Zz09
Passcode: 809080
Webinar ID: 928 3175 7108
Members of the creative team behind the Talisman Theatre production of Habibi’s Angels: Commission Impossible (see
scheduled screenings of recorded performance and description of the play above on Tuesday, March 9, at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.)
discuss how this very intriguing meta-play about life in Quebec at the intersections of race, migration, religion, and gender
came into existence. Moderated by Alan Wong, English.
• Hoda Adra is a spoken-word poet and filmmaker with a practice rooted in writing as resistance and self-inscription.
Born in Lebanon, raised in Saudi Arabia, and adopted by Montreal, this triangle inspired her first album, La liberté des
sens, a rhythmical account of an Arab female body crossing worlds way too fast. Using performance as a pledge
against erasure, Hoda examines notions of planetarity versus self-censorship through storytelling, somatic inquiry,
and the voice. Her writings explore gender apartheid, oral history, abortion, and politics of marginalization and their
links to feminine motricity. Poetically drawing on phenomena from childhood, psychogenealogy, and quantum
physics, Hoda seeks to transmit that our hearts – when constellated – can become spaces of collective reimagining.
Hoda is currently in residency at the M.A.I. and at Main Film and is an alumna of the Banff Centre’s Spoken Word
Program and New Media Institute. Her writing and video work have been supported by the Canada Council for the
Arts and the Conseil des Arts et des lettres du Québec. Performances and screenings include the Canadian Festival of
Spoken Word, Nuit Blanche, FQD, Place-des-Arts, FIFEQ, RIDM, Montreal Stop-Motion Festival, and les Halles de
Bruxelles, and she once brought home the silver medal from the Quebec Grand Slam. As an antidote to words, Hoda
can be found spilling paint. To stream her album: https://h-o-d-a.bandcamp.com/.
• Kalale Dalton-Lutale is a Black queer playwright and performer originally from Tkaronto/Toronto. Her work embraces
experimentation, mothers, loss ,and pop culture. Her current plays include Pinky Swear (Geordie Productions,
nominated for a Tom Henry Award, directed by Mike Payette 2017), Crybaby (presented by Black Theatre Workshop
and Playwrights Workshop Montreal, directed by Jesse Stong 2019), When We Were Young (Geordie Productions
Festival Reading, directed by Dean Flemming 2019), i am entitled to rest (New Words Festival Director by MurdochINTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 12
Schon, 2019), and Habibi’s Angels et la commission impossible (Talisman, directed by Sophie Gee). Kalale is a graduate
of the National Theatre School of Canada.
• Sophie Gee is a director of mostly new creations which she presents under the name Nervous Hunter. Her
interdisciplinary performance Lévriers (MAI, Montréal, arts interculturels) was part of the 2019/2020 season of the
National Arts Centre and will be touring the Maisons de la culture in 2021. She is an artist in residence at Théâtre Aux
Écuries for the next two seasons where she will create her next piece, Bonnes Bonnes. As a freelancer, she has
directed The Tropic of X by Caridad Svich (Imago Theatre, Montreal), Habibi's Angels: commission impossible by Hoda
Adra and Kalale Dalton-Lutale (Talisman Theatre, Montreal), Fear of Missing Out by Michaela di Cesare (Geordie
Theatre, school tour), and Pluck'd (Montreal Fringe, Wildside Festival, and Vanier College). Upcoming: she will be one
of six directors for Théâtre I.N.K.’s next project Duos en Morceaux and also a creative collaborator on a project at
Théâtre Duceppe. A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada’s Directing Programme, Sophie strives for
ways to combine her love of text and story with the research processes of dance and contemporary art.
• Right after receiving her B.A in Theatre, Chadia Kikondjo began her professional career by embarking on the
2PlayTour, which was comprised of the shows the shows FOMO and The Water Chronicles, with Geordie Productions
in 2019. She also played in White (2019), which she also co-directed, as well as her most recent work, Black Balloon
(2020), with the Centaur Theatre's The Portico Project. In addition to being an actor, Chadia is a singer/songwriter,
with her most notable appearance being on La Voix 6 in 2018. As an artist, full-time bey-hiver, and part-time rent-
head, Chadia strives to create and support works that instigate conversations and challenges societal norms.
• Emilee Veluz is a Canadian-born Filipina and honours graduate of Dawson College’s Professional Theatre Program
(Dome Theatre). She has been working as a professional theatre, film, and TV actor for over 20 years. She has toured
Eastern Canada and USA with Geordie Theatre and is best known on stage for her role as June in the Governor
General Award-winning play Where the Blood Mixes by Kevin Loring and Twinkle in the Montreal hit play Miss
Orient(ed) by Nina Lee Aquino and Nadine Villasin, both produced by Teesri Duniya Theatre. Miss Orient(ed) was
voted Montreal Mirror’s Best Play, and Emilee was voted 2nd Best Local Actress that same year. She was recently
seen in Talisman Theatre’s production of Habibi’s Angels et la commission impossible. Selected TV and film credits
include Clouds, The Moodys, 19-2, Nine Lives, Broken Trust, and The Lottery.
This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021.
Friday, March 12
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.— COVID-19 and Black Life: A Conversation with Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden
Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/91627411173?pwd=QThnMXk4ZVQ5dkFjZ215TE9rTm1lZz09
Passcode: 142779
Webinar ID: 916 2741 1173
In this discussion, Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden addresses the impact of pandemics—specifically anti-Black racism and COVID-19—
on Black communities as well as the effects of anti-Black racism by Canadian Blood Services and Hema Quebec on Black
LGBTQ communities. Interviewed by Chris Gregg, Biology.
Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden, a Black queer femme, is the James R Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies, Faculty of Medicine,
and Associate Professor, Community Health & Epidemiology at Dalhousie University. Dr. Dryden engages in interdisciplinary
scholarship and research that focuses on Black LGBTQI people and HIV vulnerability within Black diasporic communities in
Canada; systemic/structural issues that affect health and well-being, including experiences with blood donation in Canada;
medical education; and Black health curricular content development.
This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021.
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.—Moose in the Room: Time to Talk about Indigenous Male Violence
Public Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/99202695115?pwd=bXY2QU4xd09Hcm12Y1B0VHVOYlhFdz09
Passcode: 191757
Webinar ID: 992 0269 5115
Why are we uneasy within the Indigenous community to discuss the level of violence Indigenous men inflict upon Indigenous
women? For many, this kind of discussion reinforces negative stereotypes attached to Indigenous men. Others believe that
focusing on violence committed by Indigenous men wrongly shifts attention to them and away from the violence white menINTERSECTIONS: IWW 2021 13 inflict on Indigenous women, while others still see it as a means of relieving the government of its responsibility. However, some Indigenous men have begun to acknowledge the level of violence Indigenous men have perpetrated against Indigenous women. This talk by Dr. Robert Alexander Innes discusses the “moose in the room” as a means of taking on violence within our communities and building healthier families and futures. Hosted by Jacky Vallée, Anthropology. Dr. Robert Alexander Innes is a member of Cowessess First Nation located in Treaty 4 territory. He is an associate professor and the Head of the Department of Indigenous Studies, at the University of Saskatchewan, located on the traditional homelands of the Treaty 6 First Nations and the Métis Nation. He is the author of Elder Brother and the Law of the People: Contemporary Kinship and Cowessess First Nation (University of Manitoba Press, 2013) He co-edited Indigenous Men and Masculinities: Legacies, Identities, Regeneration (University of Arizona Press, 2015) with Dr. Kim Anderson, Global Indigenous Health: Reconciling the Past, Engaging the Present, Animating the Future (University of Arizona Press, 2018) with Dr. Robert Henry, Amanda LaVallee, and Dr. Nancy Van Styvandale, Indigenous Celebrity: Entanglements with Fame (University of Manitoba Press, 2021), with Dr. Jennifer Adese, and The Arts of Indigenous Health and Well-Being University of Manitoba Press, Forthcoming 2021), with Dr. Nancy Van Styvandale, Jade MacDougall, and Dr. Robert Henry. This session will be recorded for future netcasting to members of the Vanier Community during the week of March 22, 2021. Co-sponsored by Vanier’s Indigenous Studies Program Thanks to the VCTA, the Open Door Network, the Indigenous Studies Certificate Program, MEES, Cristina Cugliandro and Imago Theatre, Marya Grant, Maggie Kathwaroon, Cheryl Donison, Jacky Vallée, Leila Bdeir, Lyne Paquette, Alyson Jones, Colleen Ayoup, Chris Gregg, Geeta Johal, Tina Verma, Toby Moneit, Natalie Carlino, Danielle Altidor, Nora Soukiassian, Alena Perout, Ivanka Hillel, Lisa Jorgensen, Matt Goldberg, Ara Karaboghossian, and all of our presenters for contributing time, energy, advice, and/or funds to this year’s edition of International Women’s Week!
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