Description

Join us for a powerful and thought-provoking Chamber Connections on September 23rd at the University of the Fraser Valley in Chilliwack. 

Featuring keynote speaker Linda Kay, who will share narratives on the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). 

Her talk will shed light on this national tragedy while drawing important connections to the upcoming Orange Shirt Day (Sept 30) and the broader work of Truth and Reconciliation. More information to come. 

Thank you to our Event Sponsors: The University of the Fraser Valley, Enbridge & Prospera Credit Union.

📍 UFV | 5:00–8:30pm

Draft schedule – times may shift with the flow of the evening

5:00–6:15pm | Welcome & Networking

6:15–6:30pm | Drumming & Procession to Gathering Space

6:30–7:30pm |  Performance with Linda Kay

7:30–8:30pm | Close the evening with the opportunity to connect over Linda’s storytelling, while enjoying fresh Bannock and networking with one another. 

Biography of Linda Kay Peter - Our Guest Speaker
 Facilitator /Advocate /Activist

Linda is a Cree/ Ojibway elder born in Red Lake Ontario, a northern mining community. She now resides in British Columbia where she has been a band member of the Seabird Island First Nation for the past 55 years.

She is a mom, Kokum (grandmother in Cree), great kokum, artist, fashion designer, old style jingle dress and traditional dancer, an advocate for Indigenous issues, Cree/Ojibway language, and Murdered Missing Indigenous Women & Girls (MMIWG). Linda spent 30 years working in program administration, setting up new initiatives in Aboriginal health, exclusively for Indigenous people.

Since she retired in 2016, she spends her time advocating for her people, facilitating MMIWG workshops and creating coats, jackets, vests, formal wear, regalia and buckskin. One of her buckskin dresses was worn by Ashley Callingbull (actress, model, facilitator, entrepreneur) when she won the Mrs. Universe pageantry in Belarus, Russia.

Linda has been fortunate to have been invited to showcase her clothing across Canada, Montana, New York City, Paris France, Luxembourg and Australia. This also enabled her to create more awareness about MMIWG internationally in Luxembourg, Australia and Greece. Linda has always provided youth with opportunities to become involved in MMIW events and the fashion industry where many have travelled with her modeling on an International stage.

As well as facilitating workshops on MMIWG and other Indigenous issues, Linda teaches sewing, buckskin classes and shares her culture through her fashions, and participates in cultural activities such as Powwow dancing, drumming and singing.

Always an advocate for Indigenous people, Linda utilizes her fashions as a way of creating more awareness to help address the MMIWG crisis situation of Indigenous women across Canada. She does this to be a voice for those who did not get justice and for her Mom who survived an attempted murder.