Pursuing paths of impact: an Indigenous experience at the frontline
Location: Beaty Museum Allan Yap Theatre (Basement, 2212 Main Mall). Please check in at front desk on main floor before going downstairs.
No food or drinks allowed in the Theatre.
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Talk summary:
What do we hold precious today? What are we willing to do to protect them? For Kwekwecnewtxw Watch House Elder Jim Leyden and an Indigenous-led collective of volunteers at the Mountain Protectors, the bases of their work are the love for this land and waters, and the obligations to future generations who will inherit this place. The federally-owned Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion (TMX) project not only violates Indigenous rights, but poses serious threats to climate change, biodiversity, and rights to clean and sustainable coastline and environment. As oil spills are inevitable, the Mountain Protectors arose out of a necessity to surveil, document, and report ongoing TMX activities to hold the Crown corporation accountable. Jim will tell his personal stories working at the frontline, and share his perspectives on community-engaged research, and how to do it well.
Bio:
Jim Leyden is a traditional Indigenous land defender and water protector with Anishinaabe and Irish-Italian ancestry. Invited by Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Elders, he became the Elder at Kwekwecnewtxw (Coast Salish watch house) on Lhuḵw’lhuḵw’áyten (Burnaby Mountain) since 2018. His role is to conduct ceremonies to keep peace and monitor activities of the Trans Mountain tank farm and pipeline expansion project. He was trained in social work and has extensive experience supporting addiction recovery and expanding Indigenous programs in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) and beyond.