March/Break! – Activating Artists for the Climate

Artists for Climate & Migrant Justice and Indigenous Sovereignty is so excited to invite you to take a little March Break together. This will be a full weekend for artists and activists to gather to learn, build community, and engage in arts activism projects. We are getting ready to take the streets and smash the status quo. That’s right, it’s… March/Break!

AT THIS EVENT WE’LL:
– Learn from some powerful and inspiring Indigenous artists and activists
– Meet like-minded people and spend time together imagining and creating
– Brainstorm ideas for arts-based protest activities and form teams that can make them happen
– Address the climate crisis through the power of storytelling and imagining the world as it could and should be

At the end of the day, we hope you will come away with concrete actions that you can carry out. We are building our community of comrades who can create arts-based protest actions, and who can show up to animate them at whatever level of engagement we are each capable of. Together we’ll be ready to March! and Break!

ALL are welcome at this event, whether you have identified as an artist or activist in the past or not.

DETAILS:
– We are meeting at Trinity-St.Paul’s United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts (427 Bloor St. W)
– Lunch will be provided
– We welcome anyone who is interested, whether you have identified as an artist or activist in the past, or not
– Feel free to drop in for any part of the event, although in-depth participation is encouraged

SATURDAY (10am to 5pm, plus evening social)
Morning: Two workshop sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to learn from wonderful Indigenous knowledge-sharers, as well as from each other
~ Lunch ~
Afternoon: Breakout groups working on existing and new arts activism projects
Evening: “Campfire” social and singalong

SUNDAY (1pm to 4:30pm)
Community bagel brunch
Continued work on projects, opportunities for peer knowledge-sharing
Performance/share-back opportunity

COST
This is a CIYL (Contribute If You Like) event. The cost to put it on is about $16 per person. If you are able to contribute the cost of your attendance, or more to help cover costs for others, great. There is absolutely no requirement to contribute.

Please register so we can keep track of numbers and access needs! Registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdla-I4nlVaR1_5895sYvFnI-XM8wvitmM7Iy7AwYvImuBJGA/viewform?usp=sf_link

ACCESS
> Washrooms and main meeting rooms at TSP are wheelchair accessible via an entry ramp. Some “breakout” spaces are only accessible by stairs and groups will be assigned spaces accordingly.
> There is a gender neutral washroom
> The atmosphere for the day will be focused, but relaxed – feel free to come and go as needed
> All ages are very welcome
> If you require any other accommodation to help participate in the event, let us know in the RSVP form.

If you have any questions at all, send us a message at [email protected].

Trinity-St. Paul’s sits on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Wendat peoples, and we are so completely grateful and stoked to be able to do this work on the land where people have been telling stories & caring for the land and water for thousands of years, and continue to do so.

Dayna Nadine Scott | Fire in the Ring

Fire in the Ring | Settler Law and Indigenous Jurisdiction on an Extractive Frontier

Dayna Nadine Scott | Friday March 6, 2020 | 3-5PM | Sidney Smith Hall, Room 5017 | 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON

Using the case of the much-hyped “Ring of Fire” mineral deposits in Ontario’s far north and the remote Anishinaabe communities with everything at stake in the decision of whether to “open up” their homelands to mining, I imagine a mode of relating for settler and Indigenous legal orders that is not inevitably colonial. Instead of collision and conflict, it is imagined as a plural legal order based on Treaty principles. To achieve it, we will need explicitly anti-colonial tactics – breaking down and working against the colonial structure of prevailing legal regimes designed to further extractivism by denying Indigenous jurisdiction. I will offer some inspiration from research collaborators on the ground in Neskantaga First Nation, in the heart of the Attawapiskat River watershed, who are lonely holdouts to the “Ring of Fire”– stubbornly clinging to a different notion of their people’s futures on the land, their legal obligations to protect it, and their political authority to decide.

Dayna Nadine Scott is cross-appointed between Osgoode Hall Law School and the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York. She was awarded the York Research Chair in Environmental Law & Justice in 2016. Prof Scott researches in the areas of resistance to extraction; the regulation of pollution; gender, toxics and environmental health. She is the PI on the current SSHRC-funded project, “Consent & Contract: Authorizing Extraction in Ontario’s Ring of Fire” and was also part of the SSHRC Partnership Development Grant, “Reconciling Sovereignties: New Techniques for ‘Authorizing’ Extraction on Indigenous Territories” led by Professor Shiri Pasternak, in partnership with the Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade (INET) and MiningWatch Canada.

Toronto is in the ‘Dish With One Spoon Territory’. The Dish With One Spoon is a treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee that bound them to share the territory and protect the land. Subsequent Indigenous Nations and peoples, Europeans and all newcomers have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship and respect.

Sidney Smith Hall (100 St. George Street, Toronto, M5S3G3) is an accessible building, with a ramp located at the Huron Street entrance. Closest TTC locations: St. George and Spadina stations, the 510 Spadina streetcar at Harbord Street, and the 94 Wellesley/Ossington bus at St. George Street.

Intersections website event posting: https://intersectionstoronto.com/portfolio/dayna-nadine-scott/

LAND BACK: Emergency Benefit Show

This show is in Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en and the Unist’ot’en and Gidimt’en camps. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Unist’ot’en Legal Fund.

BAD WAITRESS:
https://badwaitress.bandcamp.com/releases

HÄXAN
https://haxanto.bandcamp.com/

CELLPHONE
https://cellphone100.bandcamp.com/

BLEEDING OUT
https://bleedingout416.bandcamp.com/

RENUNCIO
https://renuncio.bandcamp.com/releases

$10 NOTAFLOF / 9PM / 19+
ACCESIBLE VENUE (Just a small lip in the doorway)
NO GENDERED BATHROOMS

LINK TO THE LEGAL FUND FOR THOSE WHO AREN’T ABLE TO ATTEND:
https://unistoten.camp/support-us/donate/

A Land Defenders Reflections From Wet’suwet’en

A Land Defenders Reflections from Wet’suwet’en featuring Eve Saint & Performing artists.

Eve Saint is a land defender and one of the four that was arrested at the Gitdumt’en Checkpoint 44 during the RCMP raid on Wet’suwet’en territory February 7th 2020. Eves father is the Herediatry House Chief of that particular territory (House of Casiyeh) Gitdumt’en Clan. Eve left her Toronto life behind when the Wet’suwet’en received the news of the interlocutory injunction decision in favour of Coastal GasLink pipeline. She stood with her father as the Hereditary Chiefs evicted Coastal GasLink out of Wet’suwet’en territories. Eve will share reflections from the frontlines.

The evening will also feature the following performing artists:
Kara Jade
Jennifer Murrin
Siez Swift
Briskool

This event is a fundraiser for the Wet’suwet’en Legal Fund.

This event is organized by the Youth, Community and Activism Initiative (Equity Studies), New College, University of Toronto.

Kitchen Table Climate Conversation Training Day

Time to have a conversation! What does it mean to be in a ‘climate emergency’? and how do we respond, as individuals, as a community? what do we expect of our politicians? Scientists tell us we must cut our fossil fuel emissions by at least 7 % per year, and so far emissions are increasing. How can we do this? We are encouraging everyone to host a discussion at their kitchen table, or other community location, inviting family, friends and neighbours to participate. On Feb 15th ClimateFast and the GTHA Climate Hub will provide a training day for potential hosts and facilitators at Friends House in Toronto. Please register if you can join us! Our goal is to see dozens, hundreds, even thousands of conversations spread across the province. Working together we can make this happen!

On June 22nd 70 people came together to launch this program and many conversations have happened across the province since then. We’ve developed a model agenda, a values questionnaire, and all the materials you will need are available on our website. This training provides skills training and the opportunity to practice leading a climate conversation.

Registration $20 requested donation which will cover all expenses for the day including handouts, refreshments and a vegan lunch. If you can afford an additional donation we will add it to our travel fund to enable volunteers from other parts of Ontario to come to Toronto. Please note: pay what you can tickets are available. If cost is a barrier please email [email protected] To register please register here and also email [email protected] so we can provide you with more information about the day.

Weekly Strike for Climate Justice

This Friday, January 31st, Fridays for Future Toronto will be demanding our federal government to reject TECK during our weekly strike. If the government chooses to go forward, this tar sands project will prevent Canada from reaching its Climate Emissions reductions targets (which we are already not on track to meet), destroy the habitat, and infringe on the rights of indigenous communities.

“The Teck Frontier is the largest open-pit tar sands mine ever proposed. If built, the Mine would be on Dene & Cree territory in Treaty No. 8 in an area with little to no industrial development. These lands and waters are home to one of the last existing, free-roaming, disease-free herds of wood bison. This area is also directly along the migration route for the only wild population of the endangered whooping crane, in close proximity to many of our communities, and 30 km from the boundary of UNESCO World Heritage site Wood Buffalo National Park— an area valued and protected for its cultural and biodiversity.” – Indigenous Climate Action
——–
Join us at Queen’s Park (South) to demand climate action! Bring your signs, family, and friends!

What are our demands?
We demand the the inclusion of historically disenfranchised voices in this necessary transition, the implementation of strong environmental protection policy and the setting of bold emissions reduction targets so that Canada reaches net zero emissions by 2040. We also demand a rapid implementation of the UNDRIP principles and for the federal government to uphold its promises to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.

If you would like to speak, marshal, or have accessibility needs. Please contact us at [email protected]

Accessibility: The nearest TTC station is Queen’s Park Station on Line 1

For all of the demands please check the link below:
https://fridaysforfutureto.wixsite.com/fridaysforfutureto/about

Reject TECK Rally

This Friday, January 31st, Fridays for Future Toronto will be demanding our federal government to reject TECK during our weekly strike. If the government chooses to go forward, this tar sands project will prevent Canada from reaching its Climate Emissions reductions targets (which we are already not on track to meet), destroy the habitat, and infringe on the rights of indigenous communities.

“The Teck Frontier is the largest open-pit tar sands mine ever proposed. If built, the Mine would be on Dene & Cree territory in Treaty No. 8 in an area with little to no industrial development. These lands and waters are home to one of the last existing, free-roaming, disease-free herds of wood bison. This area is also directly along the migration route for the only wild population of the endangered whooping crane, in close proximity to many of our communities, and 30 km from the boundary of UNESCO World Heritage site Wood Buffalo National Park— an area valued and protected for its cultural and biodiversity.” – Indigenous Climate Action
___

What are our demands?
We demand the the inclusion of historically disenfranchised voices in this necessary transition, the implementation of strong environmental protection policy and the setting of bold emissions reduction targets so that Canada reaches net zero emissions by 2040. We also demand a rapid implementation of the UNDRIP principles and for the federal government to uphold its promises to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.

If you would like to speak, marshal, or have accessibility needs. Please contact us at [email protected]

Accessibility: The nearest TTC station is Queen’s Park Station on Line 1

For all of the demands please check the link below:
https://fridaysforfutureto.wixsite.com/fridaysforfutureto/about

Zero Waste Cafe

Have you ever felt isolated speaking with friends about environmental concerns? Are you looking to make a difference but aren’t sure where to start? New to the topic? Few years into your zero-waste journey? Don’t have many friends/ family members who “get it”?

Join us on February 19th for a coffee & mindful climate conversation with our guest speaker Sophi from @yourecofriend! Sophi will be sharing the challenges and barriers she’s faced along her zero waste journey and how she’s overcome them!

Date: February 19, 2020
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Climate Ventures, 192 Spadina Ave. Toronto

Schedule:
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm- Welcome & Mingle
7:00 pm – 7:30 pm- Climate Conversation with Sophi
7:30 pm – 8:00 pm- Community Conversation & Tip Sharing

*Zero Waste Cafe is an inclusive, non-judgemental space where we can openly chat about our successes & frustrations, exchange knowledge, share tips, and come together to create a community around climate issues.

Sponsor:
Climate Ventures

Organizers:
www.wisebird.ca
www.collectiveimpactjourney.com