EMMA Talks: Decolonial Love: Building Resurgent Communities of Connection

Kelsey Cham Corbett is a community organizer, activist and settler of Chinese and Irish descent. Being involved with projects like the Purple Thistle has brought depth and insight into trying to understand what the hell is going on in the world. The former Surrey gangster, punk, national karate champion, roller derby coach and player has since focused on starting education-based projects, such as FARMcamp – a youth summer camp on Cortes Island – and a grassroots bioremediation course for young people to learn how plants, mushrooms, and bacteria can be used to clean up contaminated land. Kelsey currently lives in East Van with all the people a person could want in their life – an awesome partner, a best friend, and a 6-year-old best bud. Kelsey is currently organizing with the grassroots environmental justice group Rising Tide and is co-founding the Surrey Youth Space – a youth-run drop-in space focused on art, music and activism.Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is “a gifted writer who brings passion and commitment to her storytelling and who has demonstrated an uncommon ability to manage an impressive range of genres from traditional storytelling to critical analysis, from poetry to the spoken word, from literary and social activism.” Leanne is the author of three books; Dancing on Our Turtle’s Back, The Gift Is in the Making and Islands of Decolonial Love, and the editor of Lighting the Eighth Fire, This Is An Honour Song (with Kiera Ladner) and The Winter We Danced: Voice from the Past, the Future and the Idle No More Movement (Kino-nda-niimi collective). Leanne holds a PhD from the University of Manitoba and has lectured at universities across Canada. She is of Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg ancestry and a member of Alderville First Nation.