Embark is thrilled to be joined by Belinda Li (Vancouver Food Justice Coalition) and Leona Brown (Gitxsan and Nisga’a Independent Cultural Facilitator) for an exciting afternoon of strengthening food sovereignty in our communities! Belinda and Leona will guide us through an engaging discussion on local food justice efforts and how we can contribute to creating more just and resilient food systems. Plus, we’ll be prepping microgreens while expressing our vision for food sovereignty through a fun mural painting activity!

Land Acknowledgement

Embark Sustainability’s work takes place across the unceded homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), kʷikʷəƛw̓əm (Kwikwetlem), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo, and Tsawwassen Nations. We greatly encourage our community members to reflect on the lands they are tuning in from; learn whose lands you occupy through native-land.ca.

AGenda

• 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Presentation 
• 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM | Meal Break
• 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | Mural Painting & Microgreens Preparation
• 3:45 PM – 4:00 PM | Wrap-Up and Questions

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS

Belinda Li (she/her)
Belinda is a Co-Founder of Food Systems Lab and currently a PhD candidate in Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University. Building on her diverse experience in consulting, international development, and grassroots organizing, she uses a combination of participatory design and data-driven approaches to develop, test, and evaluate solutions to improve food system sustainability from farm to fork.

Leona Brown (she/her)
Leona is a Gitxsan and Nisga’a mother of three children, of the Fireweed House and Killerwhale Clan. She is an Indigenous Independent Cultural Facilitator. Leona gained three years of training in Land and Lives around Indigenous Culture with the Resurfacing History Program coordinated by Jolene Andrew. This work has become Leona’s Healing Journey, the grassroots teachings and knowledge is shared with her children as it is important to know who we are and where we come from and how we live in with the Lands and Waterways around us.

As a Gitxsan Refugee in the unceded territories of Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh, Leona has been taking on land based work here in the city and thrive as a great ambassador to the work Resurfacing History has taught he around Indigenous food and resources that we harvest in the city. Leona advocates at every opportunity with School Boards, City of Vancouver, and Vancouver Parks Board for all opportunities for Indigenous People to relearn our culture on the lands and waterways that we live on and actively talk of Reconciliation.

Pablo Vimos (he/him)
Pablo is an organic master gardener with a degree in Landscape Ecology. He has been managing Embark gardens for a decade, facilitating hands-on activities on how to grow food, plant and maintain gardening beds, and build wildlife habitats. He loves sharing his knowledge to help others start their gardening journey.

Vancouver Food Justice Coalition 
The Vancouver Food Justice Coalition formed to create space for community-based organizations and those with lived and living experience to join forces and engage in meaningful policy and systems change work. We aim to advance food justice advocacy with community knowledge – working through a community-driven, collaborative, and cross-sectoral movement building that support systems change work.

Event Accessibility

Embark Sustainability events are free and open to Embark members which includes Simon Fraser University undergraduate and graduate students, as well as Embark Associate Members. For this event, you will have to register with your active SFU email.

This event will be held indoors at SFU Burnaby in the SUB Ballroom (located on the 5th floor of the SUB). Accessibility details to note include:

• The fifth floor of the SUB is accessible via elevator and hosts accessible washrooms, including a single-stall all gender washroom.
• We aim to host a scent-free space. Please refrain from wearing scented products in attendance of this event.
• Unfortunately, we cannot provide ASL interpretation at this time. However, we can provide a copy of the facilitator’s script.
• Sturdy, armless chairs will be available for those looking to sit during this event.
• Attendees are free to opt in and opt out of activities as suits their needs throughout the event, including exiting and re-entering the event space.

We aim to make our events accessible to as many of our community members as possible. If we can take further action to make this event accessible to you, or if you have any questions, please contact our Director of Engagement, Marie, at engagement@embarksustainability.org.

Community Agreement

By registering to attend this event, you are agreeing to be respectful when listening to and communicating with others, and be mindful of the space you are taking up amongst your peers.

Embark Sustainability does not tolerate violence or aggression against others on the basis of race, ethnicity, place of origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or ability. Please also refer to people using the introductions they provide and do not assume pronouns/gender/knowledge based on someone’s name or appearance.

If these agreements are broken by someone, we will have to ensure the safety of our community members by removing them from the event.

Questions

If you have any questions about this event, please contact our Food Justice Coordinator, Simran, at food@embarksustainability.org.