Opening and Closing

Conference Opening

Monday December 6th
10:00am PST | 11:00am MST | 1:00pm EST

Join us on the first event of the gathering where Makram Ayache, conference curator, and Veronica Johnny, Indigenous Guide, Helper, and Little Elder, will welcome participants and audiences to our virtual space. This event will offer an opportunity for an overview of the week’s events, land and treaty reflections, acknowledgements, and recognition, followed by an offering by Veronica to send us into our spaces in kind, abundant, and accountable ways through prayer, music, and reflection.

This gathering will be ASL interpreted.

Conference Closing

Friday December 10th
3:00pm PST | 4:00pm MST | 6:00pm EST

Join us as we close the gathering and prepare to carry the conversations forward into and beyond the digital world. Makram Ayache, conference curator, will offer gratitude and closing remarks followed by Veronica Johnny, Indigenous Guide, Helper, and Little Elder, who will share some new music in celebration of 2-Spirit, Queer, Trans, and Non-Binary communities.

This gathering will be ASL interpreted

Little Elder, Helper, and Guide

Veronica Johnny

Veronica Johnny is a Cree/Dene multi-disciplinary, 2-Spirit, artist-entrepreneur and arts educator. Ms. Johnny is a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and presently lives in Northern Ontario.

Veronica founded The Johnnys, a multi-award nominated rock’n’roll band, with partner Dave Johnny. The Johnnys released their 4th album, Leathers and Feathers in June 2020. She’s the rhythm guitarist, lead singer and band manager.

Their all-Cree single, Nisakihtan Kiya Kisoskatowin, climbed to the Top 10 on the Indigenous Music Countdown. Currently, Leathers and Feathers single is #9!

As a singer-songwriter, at Veronica Johnny Music, she mixes acoustic guitar with hard rock and hand drum rhythms. She’s an Indigenous Woman Entrepreneur, engineer, producer, manager, musician, artist, digital storyteller, hand drummer and singer.

Veronica also offers virtual workshops and healing events through her INDIGENous arts EDucation business called IndigenEd, with the intention of creating; understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people; safe spaces where individuals can do their healing; and facilitating land-based, art-focussed events.