Speaking Up For Water:
Water Protectors, Storytelling
& Science
Supported by NSERC Science Odyssey
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THIS EVENT!
In case you missed it, please enjoy the recording of our official launch event held May 12, 2021.
We are especially grateful to the three speakers who shared their inspiring voices, stories, and calls to action for water protection: Waneek Horn-Miller, Jill Heinerth, and Dorene Bernard.
The inspiration and connections shared from this evening resonated well beyond our organization. Thank you to everyone who tuned in live and supported this event in one way or another, you all helped infuse passion and inspiration into the next generation of water protectors.
SPEAKERS
Waneek Horn-Miller
Waneek Horn-Miller is a bear clan mohawk mother of three from the communities of kahnawake and Ohsweken. She has worked as a sports commentator for CBC and APTN, and has become a strong advocate for sport, fitness and wellness. She also has traveled extensively throughout North America as a motivational speaker sharing her journey from the front lines of the Oka Crisis to the Olympics with indigenous and non-indigenous audiences.
As one of Canada’s few Aboriginal Olympians, Waneek has used her passion and experiences in sport to influence Aboriginal and non-aboriginal leadership towards making Sport and Wellness a community building priority. Waneek has been a brand ambassador for Manitobah Mukluks for 8 years and she currently is the Vice President of Innovation and Client Relations for Indigenous Financial Solutions.
Jill Heinerth
Jill Heinerth is an underwater explorer, writer, photographer, speaker, and filmmaker. She has led expeditions into icebergs in Antarctica, volcanic lava tubes, and submerged caves worldwide. Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Her memoir, INTO THE PLANET, has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the New York Times.
Her children’s book THE AQUANAUT is a Blue Ribbon Selection for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Jill is a Fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Divers Hall of Fame, and the Explorers Club, which awarded her with the William Beebe Award for ocean exploration.
Dorene Bernard
Dorene Bernard is a traditional Mi’kmaq grandmother from Sipekne’katik, Mi’kmaki. She is the mother of 4 and grandmother of 9, who inspire her to work to promote cultural teachings, Mi’kmaq history, treaty rights and teachings of the water. She is a pipe carrier, water walker, water protector, and volunteer grassroots grandmother, working for social justice for women and the environment. She draws her strength and courage from the Indigenous women in her life; Survivors, Elders, teachers, leaders, movers and shakers who inspired her to work for the good of all Creation.
Her inability to create change in her 15 yr. career in Child Welfare had her leave and begin her own healing journey, then to Community Support work with Residential School Survivors and families and her MSW Degree in Aboriginal Field of Study 2013. She was the Coady Chair on Social Justice at Coady International Institute in 2017, at St. Francis Xavier University in NS, where she focused on Indigenous perspectives on Indian Residential Schools, Child Welfare, Mi’kmaq Treaty Rights, Environmental Racism, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/Girls, and Climate Justice and protection of the water.
SUPPORTED BY
This event is part of Science Odyssey, Canada’s biggest festival of science and technology with over 1000 activities for explorers of all ages. We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for making this event possible and the team at
Exploring By The Seat Of Your Pants for their technical platform support!
SUPPORT RIPARIA
As a new organization, any of these simple actions go a really long way for us:
-
Follow & engage with us on Instagram
-
Subscribe to our newsletter
-
Contribute to our fundraising campaign (Or share with someone who can!)
-
Last but not least, any action for water is a huge support to our overall mission. If you are inspired in any way to take action locally, we would be thrilled to hear about it.