Shanese Steele is a 27 year old, fat, queer, Mukaade Anishinaabe Kwe (Afro-Indigenous person) with ties to the Nbissing, Metis communities and Trinidad and Carriacou, Grenada and a member of the Crane Clan. She is now living on the traditional unceeded territory of the Omàmiwini (Algonquin), but grew up on Edoopikang, which is the Anishinaabemowin word for North York. Over the last 10 years Shanese has been focusing her work on bridging the gap between the Black diasporic Indigenous community and Indigenous communities belonging to Turtle Island. She is passionate about youth led initiatives that don’t only centre youth voices but also allows them to play a part in shaping the organizations, institutions and societies around them. Shanese is the Rural Program Manager and will be working to support, advocate, uplift and connect the voices of youth living in rural communities.
