Onyx (Vanessa) Sloan Morgan

Onyx (Vanessa) Sloan Morgan grew up on lək̓ʷəŋən territories in Victoria BC where their interests in land and water, and how power dynamics impact our relationships to them, emerged. Their passion for this work led to Lheidli T’enneh territories, where Onyx had the pleasure of working at the Health Arts Research Centre and with communities across so-called northern BC. From organizing hip hop shows to wire tree making, the dynamism and power to use artistic expression to explore challenging topics and to imagine justice oriented futures is a central part of their research. Onyx continues to work with communities in so-called northern BC on community-led research projects, such as intergenerational impacts of resource extraction and youth-led research for healthy and justice-oriented environments and communities. As a queer and non-binary geographer of primarily Irish and Scottish ancestries who is currently an Assistant Professor in Community, Culture and Global Studies at UBC Okanagan on syilx Okanagan territories, their work attempts to foreground transformative relationships through the power of creativity and resistance.