[van-announce] Jessica Yee Lecture: Friday, January 27 (SFU Harbour Centre)

[Charlotte Kates]

*January 27, 2012            *



*“Marginalization Doesn’t Happen by Accident: Colonialism and Violence from
the State”*

* *

*An Open Lecture by Jessica Yee*


**

*Sponsored by the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies at
Simon Fraser University and Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social
Sciences
*





*Details*

Time: 7 PM – 9.00 PM

Location: SFU, Harbour Centre, Room 1400

This talk provides a context of historical and present colonization and
gendered violence against Indigenous peoples by the Canadian state. It
takes up the question of why Indigenous women are five times more likely to
die of violence than any other race of women in Canada and how this can be
understood in light of state violence, inaction, and complicity. While
commenting on the recent decision of the UN to launch an inquiry into the
cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women due to the inaction of
Canada, the talk will contextualize this decision and offer thoughts on
Indigenous communities and their struggles for survival and long histories
of resistance.

 *Speaker Biography*



*Jessica Yee *is a proud Two Spirit youth, Jessica Yee is the founder and
Executive Director of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, the first and
only organization of its kind in North America by and for Indigenous youth
working within the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health
throughout the United States and Canada. Jessica is currently serving as
the first Chair of the National Aboriginal Youth Council on HIV/AIDS, as
well the International Indigenous HIV/AIDS Working Group, the first North
American youth representative at MenEngage International Alliance for
Gender Equality, and she is the North American co-chair for the Global
Indigenous Youth Caucus at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues. She sits on a number of national and international boards and
collectives including SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice
Collective, NativeOUT, Women on Web/Women on Waves, and Maggie’s: The
Toronto Sex Workers Action Project

She is a strong believer in the power of youth voice and agency, and you
can see her writing on sites like Racialicious, or watch her monologues
about activism and justice on TV Ontario. She is the author and editor of
“Sex Ed and Youth: Colonization, Communities of Colour, and Sexuality” and
“Feminism FOR REAL: Deconstructing the Academic Industrial Complex of
Feminism” released in February 2011. She has received numerous awards and
recognitions for her work including being the 2010 recipient of the
national Harmony Movement award, the 2009 recipient of the YWCA Young Woman
of Distinction, a 2009/2010 National Aboriginal Role Model for the National
Aboriginal Health Organization, named one of 20 International Women’s
Health Heroes by Our Bodies/Our Blog, and was recently awarded the Miziwe
Biik Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneur Award for her founding of the Native
Youth Sexual Health Network. She is also the 10th anniversary Distinguished
Visitor to Women’s Studies at the University of Windsor and the youngest
person to ever be appointed.



To attend, please register by clicking here:
http://cgi.sfu.ca/~hccweb/cgi-bin/OnlineRegistration/site/event/detail.php?id=414
.



This event is part of RWW CHAIR LECTURE AND WORKSHOP SERIES or Spring 2012:
"Resisting Gendered and Colonial Violence Against Women"

For more information: http://www.sfu.ca/gsws/News/JessicaYee/index.html or
email Dr. Dana Mohammed Olwan, Ruth Wynn Woodward Junior Chair, at
dolwan at sfu.ca.






-- 
Charlotte L. Kates     charlotte.kates at gmail.com