Born and raised in Treaty 2 territory on a farm gave Maraleigh a deep appreciation for rural and remote places. She doesn’t take for granted opportunities to travel North in Manitoba - a truly magical and massive land base - to spend time with family and friends near Flin Flon and Kinosao Sipi and to go wandering, hunting, and fishing. Maraleigh believes that many creative responses to the problems we face can be found in the bush and with the people who have raised families there for millenia. Maraleigh has an MA in Peace and Conflict Transformation studies which has supported her work with NGOs in Winnipeg for the last fifteen years. As a dancer, she believes in the importance of joyful community spaces that center movement, music, and connection.