Pop-up event set for Thursday at Mulroney Hall

By Corey LeBlanc

ANTIGONISH – A student-athlete with the STFX X-Women rugby program not only tackles opponents but also important societal issues; both with equal ferocity.

Julia Baniak, a prop-hooker with the White and Blue, also serves as president of the StFX Indigenous Student Society.

As part of the Moose Hide Campaign, one of the events planned on campus to raise awareness around the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), the 21-year-old has recruited not only her teammates, but also student-athletes from the other X-Women and X-Men varsity teams to help get the message out.

"It is really important," the Cree woman from St. Albert, Alberta, whose home reserve is Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, said about having the support of STFX Athletics for the initiative.

She explained that the visibility of student-athletes not only on campus, but also in the broader community will be crucial to help spread the word about the Moose Hide Campaign – one of the events that will take place as part of Red Dress Week, a collaborative initiative of the StFX Indigenous Student Society, StFX Indigenous Student Affairs Officer and StFX Students' Union."

"STFX Athletics continues to support student-led initiatives, and is very proud of the work that our student-athlete and campus leader Julia Baniak has done with the Moose Hide Campaign," Krista McKenna, STFX Athletics manager, varsity athletics and communication, said.

She added, "Julia's teammates and the greater student-athlete body will proudly wear their pins to raise awareness in ending gender-based violence, an important societal issue."

They have been donning the important symbols across campus and around the broader Antigonish community throughout the week, including during a Moose Hide Campaign pop-up, which will take place on Thursday, March 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Mulroney Hall.

As outlined on the Moose Hide Campaign website – moosehidecampaign.ca – at the "heart" of the initiative is the pin, "a small square of moose hide that we offer as a medicine for a social illness impacting all Canadians – namely domestic and gender-based violence against women and children, and particularly Indigenous women and children – and it acts as a symbol of solidarity in standing up against violence towards women and children in Canada."

The pins, along with information cards are described as a "free gift of medicine."

Recipients are asked to share a photo wearing a pin on social media and tag the campaign (@Moose_Hide_Campaign), carry extra pins with them to share with those who ask about it and donate towards moose hide pin production and distribution.

The Moose Hide Campaign, an Indigenous-led grassroots campaign that started more than a decade ago in BC, "recognizes that all forms of violence are unacceptable, regardless of gender."

Noting the "positive effect" of the initiative, one that continues to grow, Baniak – a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics student – said that the moose pin is a great way in which to "start the conversation," something that is so important.

The Moose Pin Campaign pop-up will take place one day after what promises to be a powerful and thought-provoking MMIW Red Dress Panel, which is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26, from 7-9 p.m., at StFX's Coady West Dennis Hall.

Barbara Sylvester (Membertou Mi'kmaw Nation), Chief Annie Daisley (We'koqma'q Mi'kmaw Nation) and A'Leah Young (Red Tribe Boxing Club) will be panelists for the discussion, which will also include a poetry reading by Victoria Lafford, along with a mini art exhibit, mental health resources, snacks and more.

Earlier in the Red Dress Week, the Red Dress Collection was displayed over a two-day period, along with a dress smudging and set-up ceremony.

Baniak agreed that the week-long celebration is important part of "taking a stand" on these important issues.

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