Tonye Aganaba (@tonyeaganaba) is a multidisciplinary artist, musician, and facilitator in the unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Her new album, “Something Comfortable,” inspired by her battle with multiple sclerosis, serves as the score to AfroScience, an immersive performance and workshop series fusing live music, dance, visual art, digital media, and storytelling around identity, healing, and expression. Tonye’s Vancouver-based parents are originally from Nigeria and Zimbabwe, and she was born in the UK.

Cannabis, psilocybin, and occasionally DMT have been instrumental in helping her cope with a neurological disease. “I credit my connection to these medicines with changing the trajectory of my life,” says Tonye.

In partnership with Spirit Plant Medicine Conference, Tonye was awarded a Cosmic Sister Emerging Voices Award (CS EVA). She will participate in the panel “Rising Voices: Women of Color in the Sacred Plant Community,” on the main stage.   

Tonye was nominated by Emerging Voices Award recipient Vanessa Yuen.

Rising Voices: Women of Color in the Sacred Plant Community

Women of Color’s voices are greatly underrepresented in the psychedelic plant community, despite their demonstrated talent for, connection to, and keen interest in these profound medicines. Cosmic Sister is proud to sponsor the panel discussion “Rising Voices: Women of Color in the Sacred Plant Community,” on the main stage. Women of the Psychedelic Renaissance grant recipient and main stage speaker The Dank Duchess will moderate the panel, which includes Cosmic Sister Emerging Voices recipients interdisciplinary artist and storyteller Tonye Aganaba, plant food alchemist and chef and yoga instructor Sarinda Hoilett, urban gardener and community artist Sabrina Pilet-Jones, and performing artist and adventurer Vanessa Yuen.