Conference Overview
Friday, November 25th, 2016
8:15am – 8:45am – Registration Opens
9:15am – Opening Prayer Elder Skip Dick
Traditional Welcome-Bradley Dick
Drum Song- Nicole Mandryk & Brianna Dick
Housing keeping Items
9:45am – Keynote Speaker-Harlan Pruden
10:30am- Nutrition Break/Information Sessions
11:15am- Speaker Ivan Coyote
12:00pm- Lunch at VNFC
12:30pm- Information Booths
1:00-2:30pm- Workshops Session A
2:30-3:00pm-Nutrition Break
3:00-4:30pm- Workshops Session B
4:30pm – End of the Day- Door prize draw
Saturday, November 26th, 2016
9:15am – Panel Presentation – Chase Blodgett, Ariya Bliss and Martin Moorberg
10:00am- Nutrition Break
10:30am- Workshops Session C
12:00pm- Lunch at VNFC
12:30pm- Information Booths-Grand Prize Draw
1:00-2:00pm- Closing Entertainment
Speakers and Workshop Presenters
Harlan Pruden – Keynote Speaker
Harlan Pruden (nēhiyaw/First NationCree) is a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia's Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, where he is focusing on historical representational of Two-Spirit (LGBT Native) people. Harlan works with the Two-Spirit community locally, nationally and internationally. He is the Managing Editor of TwoSpiritJournal.com, an interactive multi-platform Two-Spirit media/news site. He is the former Director of NYC's NorthEast Two Spirit Society and serves as the principal Two-Spirit consultant to USA Federal Agency Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center. In August 2014, Harlan was appointed by President Obama to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS where he works to provide advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary of Health & Human Services and the White House. Harlan also serves as an Honorary Committee Member of the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services at the University of Alberta, Canada, and in the spring of 2013, Harlan was appointed to be an American representative to the International Indigenous Peoples Working Group on HIV/AIDS.
Ivan Coyote- Speaker
Ivan Coyote is the award-winning author of ten books, the creator of four short films, and has released three albums that combine storytelling with music. Ivan is a seasoned stage performer and long-time road dog, and over the last eighteen years has become an audience favourite at storytelling, writer's, film, poetry, and folk music festivals from Anchorage to Amsterdam.
The Globe and Mail newspaper called Coyote "a natural-born storyteller" and the Ottawa Xpress once said that "Coyote is to Canadian literature what kd lang is to country music: a beautifully odd fixture."
Ivan often grapples with the complex and intensely personal issues of gender identity in their work, as well as topics such as family, class, social justice and queer liberation, but always with a generous heart, a quick wit, and the nuanced and finely-honed timing of a gifted raconteur. Ivan's stories remind of us of our own fallible and imperfect humanity while at the same time inspiring us to change the world.
Ivan's 11th book, Tomboy Survival Guide, will be released in the fall of 2016 with Arsenal Pulp Press.
Chase Blodgett- Speaker/Panel Presenter
Chase Blodgett is an activist, educator, speaker and consultant on matters pertaining to gender and sexuality. Chase is the leading Transgender Human Rights activist in the Yukon Territory and is engaged in National dialogues. He was a crowd favorite at the Moving Trans Histories Forward Conference in Victoria BC, the largest transgender conference in Canadian History. He is one of 34 “youth” named to CC-UNESCO’s Youth Advisory Group which allows him to insure that trans and non-binary voices are included in National and International dialogues aimed at eliminating gender based oppression. Chase is the founder of All Genders Yukon, a support group for individuals who are exploring gender identity, and for the folks who love them. He works at grassroots levels alongside Senior policy advisors. Chase advises Government Ministers, Political parties and has delivered training to Whitehorse Mayor Dan Curtis and his staff. Chase holds a vision for a world in which all individuals are free to express their gender fully and without limitation. Chase’s story of love and acceptance through the Whitehorse Women’s Hockey Association has been featured on Rogers Hometown Hockey with Ron McLean and the #Hostwithpride AirBnB campaign which received over 2 million views and spread their message of love with the world.
Ariya Bliss- Panel Presenter
Ariya grew up in the rural prairies of Northern Alberta and left home young to pursue some of her never ending “big dreams”.
For the past several years Ariya has spent most of her days working in the Health and Wellness sector practicing, studying and teaching Yoga.
After skydiving and driving down the Oregon and California coast last year on a soul searching adventure; Ariya came to terms being a two-spirited/transgender woman and is adventuring out on a path of much more happiness, freedom, and joy. Ariya is currently enjoying her life as a cosmetology student in Victoria BC and exploring her First Nations ancestry by being more involved in community and hopes she can inspire youth to love themselves and create a life they love.
Martin Morberg- Speaker/Panel Presenter
Martin Morberg is a 2 spirited Tlingit and Northern Tutchone young man from the Yukon Territory. He is currently living in Victoria, BC and works for Vancouver Island Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Society and is a Youth Mentor on the National Indigenous Youth Council on Sexual Health and HIV. Martin has recovered from addictions that lasted over 17 years and believes that his lived experiences will play a vital role in his dream to become the help he needed so badly while growing up as a youth at risk. He is looking at pursuing a career in Social Work and is passionate about working with aboriginal youth in addictions and in the field of HIV/AIDS activism.
Bodhi and Carol Thompson Gardner – Presenters
Along our own spiritual paths, we have gathered deep meaning and purpose in creating what we call spiritual family, honouring all relations through the daily practice of giving & receiving. Our passion is people and the discovery and re-discovery of their inner strengths.
Bodhi brings with them experiences of community connection through their work as a Counsellor both on an individual basis as well as in a group therapeutic environment.
Carol brings with her the gift of understanding and compassion through the use of energy and sound, supporting those who are determined to reunite with and reclaim their heart. Together, we have created a synergy that supports the whole of the individual and as a result have been witness to many coming into themselves and standing in their truth of who they really are in this world.
Over the years we have created safe space for people to learn and grow together both individually and in a group environment. As allies of Community, it is an honour and privilege to be given opportunities to work within various communities and assist in the unfolding of the gifts that have been lost along the way.
In this experience, we will facilitate a journey to guide you to a safe space within yourself so you may hold safe space for yourself & others. Allies welcome!
Niki Hodgkinson-Presenter
Niki Hodgkinson is a Superhero. At 31, she’s strong and athletic, positive and powerful. She’s ridden the Tour de Rock, a 1,100 KM bike journey in which she conquered every monster hill on Vancouver Island, helping to raise more than $1 million to fight childhood cancer. She’s a cop. Before that she was a youth worker. Before that, growing up in Victoria, she was a basketball player whose game took her all over North America and Australia. She identifies as Queer, and has been advocating for LGBTQ2+ rights for over a decade. But here’s the deal: Niki knows she’s not really a Superhero. Nobody is. We all have stuff going on in our lives. What’s important is how we handle the stuff. Niki wants to talk to you about wellness, about how awesome it is to discover we have the power to make the choices that let us not just survive, but thrive. She’s big on mentorship too, on the value of putting positive people in your life and knowing when to turn to them for support. And she’s excited about being able to share this with you today.
Heather McKenzie-Presenter
Heather McKenzie is the Youth Outreach Educator at AIDS Vancouver Island. She offers workshops to youth throughout the South Island communities, discussing topics like sexual health, harm reduction, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, safer tattooing and piercing, and more. She works on-site at the AIDS Vancouver Island office and is available for one-on-one education, support, and referrals. She also runs two 8-week training series per year: one for queer and trans youth, and the other for youth who use drugs. She is a cis, femme, white settler who was born on the traditional territory of the Songhees First Nation. She provides education for youth around HIV, Hepatitis C, healthy sexuality, and harm reduction. She works across greater Victoria with various pockets of youth to promote greater levels of health and wellbeing for all young people in community.
Renata Hindle- Presenter
Renata Hindle is the Manager of the Suicide Education & Awareness Program at NEED2 Suicide Prevention Education and Support. Renata has a background in supporting youth and other community members in mental health, drugs and alcohol and emergency preparedness.
Qeerposium-Presenter
Queerposium is made up of an adhoc group that forms to produce each individual event. We strive to bring together everyone under the rainbow and the people that love us to engage in community building activities. As a group we encourage inclusive, cross-community engagement with a ‘play while learning’ attitude.We acknowledge that we are on unceded Coast and Straights Salish Territories, Lekwungen and Songhees Homelands.
We’ve committed to functioning under the safer spaces guidelines which can be found Here.
We are pro-accessibility, our events are held in accessible spaces with gender-neutral single user washrooms.
Victoria Sexual Assault Centre-Project Respect-Presenter
Alexa Robin is a giant Trans ‘glamazon’ who’s been involved in activism, education, and community support work for years. She is the Trans Inclusion Coordinator for the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, and runs some local Trans, Two-Spirit, and Gender Diverse support groups.
Kyle Shaughnessy-Presenter
Kyle Shaughnessy is a Metis, trans, queer storyteller and social worker who grew up in northern arctic settlements and rural BC. He has supported transgender youth and their families in varying capacities since 2001 and has strong background in youth education and queer & trans community building. Kyle is the First Nations & Families Educator at TransCareBC, and is currently completing a Master of Social Work degree at Dalhousie University, where he is focusing his studies on decolonizing postvention strategies with trans and Two-Spirit youth.
Hep C BC Team
Laurel Gloslee has been the Peer Educator for the Hepatitis C Project at AVI for one year, and recently became a board member of HepCBC after volunteering during the past year. She had Hep C for 25 years before being cured by the third treatment attempt. She still deals with Cirrhosis but is happy to be doing work in the community to share knowledge about Hep C, and to be available for her son who is now a young adult.
Dawn Clouthier is a mother, and now grandmother, who was diagnosed with HIV and Hep C in 1994. She was treated and cured for Hep C in this past year with the 12-week Harvoni treatment.She is currently volunteering, providing peer support, and is Board Chair at Vancouver Island People with AIDS Society. She has dedicated the last 20 years to the HIV-poz community, and was also recently a staff member of HepCBC; she now assists HepCBC with public outreach as a volunteer. Her background includes Counselor training and the Positive Leadership Development Institute’s Leadership Program. Dawn has worked with Positive Women’s Network to support people living with HIV/Hep C, and also wrote an article about dual-diagnosis for Positive Living magazine.
John Mackie is currently Volunteer Coordinator of HepCBC and has lived-experience with Hepatitis C. He got the virus from a blood transfusion at birth and lived with it up until he was 19, when he underwent successful treatment. John's young life was dramatically affected because of this; he suffered health problems and was met with stigma from others due to the lack of awareness regarding Hepatitis C. John now works at helping to educate people about the realities of Hepatitis C. He and his wife just celebrated his 30th birthday.
Workshops
Nov 25th, 2016 Session A- 1:00pm-2:30pm Choose One only
Harlan Pruden Talking Two-Spirit - Sharing Circle
Harlan will host an interactive Two-Spirit sharing circle for participants to discuss and ask questions.
Ivan Coyote-Write On!
A writing and storytelling workshop for youth. Learn from the author of eleven books, and the creator of four short films and three albums how to get those ideas and stories out of script out of your head and on to the page. Bring your ideas for poems, screenplays and novels, a pen, some paper and your own brave and creative heart.
Chase Blodgett-Gender Stereotypes
This workshop will examine stereotypes that lead to gender based oppression. Participants will explore how stereotypes surrounding masculinity and femininity limit, constrain and oppress all of us. Through an LGBTQ2+ lens participants will increase their awareness of how these stereotypes influence and impact the Queer community. This workshop is interactive and participatory in nature.
VSA Project Respect
VSA Project Respect offers a two-session interactive workshop for youth 12-19. The workshop, led by a multi-gendered facilitation team, educates youth about what sexualized violence is and why it happens, and explores what we can all be doing to prevent it from happening in the first place. Using fun games, interactive discussion, role plays, and other activities, our workshops create a space for participants to explore their role in creating safer communities. Participants will challenge gender stereotypes, develop the knowledge and language to express their sexual values and boundaries, and practice being an active bystander. Youth are challenged to think critically about messages they receive from the media and their peers about sexuality.