Discovery Night February 2026 – ORTA member Jessica Sherk will present Two Ways of Living on the Land

Discovery Night
Join us for an inspiring evening of connection and curiosity at Discovery Night—a social gathering featuring thought-provoking speakers and presentations from both local voices and global perspectives.

ORTA member Jessica Sherk will present:

Two Ways of Living on the Land: Why Our Current Systems Create Harm — and What Accompliceship Can Look Like is a Discovery Night presentation inviting hikers and nature-lovers to explore the contrast between dominant modern systems focused on ownership and extraction and Indigenous worldviews grounded in relationship, responsibility, and reciprocity. The session examines how these systems shape our connection to land, why their impacts are uneven—particularly for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ people—and what non-Indigenous community members can do to move from awareness to respectful action and accompliceship.

Led by Jessica Sherk, an Anishinaabe and mixed European municipal public servant and Senior Project Manager in Indigenous affairs focused on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ (MMIWG2S+) crisis and community-driven safety and justice, the talk offers practical reflections on how caring for land and caring for people are inseparable.

Location: Ballantrae Community Centre. 5592 Aurora Rd, Whitchurch-Stouffville, ON L4A 7X3
Cost: $10 at the door helps to defray the cost of the hall and refreshments
What to Bring: Lug your own mug and bring a friend. Everyone is welcome. Open to members and the general public.
Time: 7-9pm