Shelby Gagnon is a 2-Spirit Anishinaabe/Cree artist from Aroland First Nation but has lived in Thunder Bay for most of her life. She has been learning and revitalizing the practice of hide tanning in Northern Ontario, alongside other community members and has attended multiple hide camps including Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning. Through involvement with community-engaged organizations and projects involving food sovereignty and security, BIPOC youth advocacy, 2SLGBTQ+ collectives, she uses multi-disciplinary mediums to express and share her holistic feelings. Shelby’s work explores individual and collective healing by connecting and living in reciprocity with the Land. By working with youth, activists and other artists, she is dedicated to expanding her knowledge and contemporary take on traditional methods of art, food and healing practices with and for the community.