Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
As the owner of Justine Chenel Designs and Silver Pennies Yarn Co, I embrace progressive values as the cornerstone of my creative ventures. My commitment to elevating diversity, promoting equity, and prioritizing inclusion at every opportunity is resolute. All makers are welcome in this community, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability, size, or age. I believe in cultivating a world of fiber arts that is just and fair, fostered by those who also believe in co-creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where makers feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique talents and spark creativity in others. Those who espouse bigotry, hatred, racism, misogyny, and other forms of oppression do not align with these values. I understand that this commitment is only as good as my own continuous education, collaboration, and examination of the systems of oppression we seek to dismantle. My hope is to create a more inclusive and innovative space where inspiration thrives and everyone can discover their own beauty and worth through knitting, making, and yarn.
Land Acknowledgement
I acknowledge that the land on which I reside and operate my business in Nevada City, in the Sierra Nevada foothills, rests on the site of the Nisenan ancestral homelands. Within the greater Nisenan territory are diverse groups speaking their own dialect, bound within their own geographies and unique cultural identities. The Nisenan people who today identify with the Nevada City Rancheria come from two language "districts" that encompass a territory with a vast east to west orientation.