Reconnection Vision

10/16/2026

📖🪶 New Blog: Seed #6: Uphold Culture
Written by Carissa Waugh - Ékè Éwe

In this blog, Carissa Waugh shares her journey of discovering the meaning behind her traditional name, Ékè Éwe. Given to her at 16 years old in honour of her great-grandmother Emma Shorty, Carissa reflects on how her understanding of this name grew over time and how it strengthened her connection to her family, culture, and identity.

Through her experiences with the Yukon First Nations Climate Action Fellowship, she shares the unexpected connections that helped her understand the significance of her name and the responsibility that comes with carrying it. Her story explores what it means to uphold culture, honour those who came before us, and use our voices to make a difference in our communities while continuing to pass our traditions on to future generations.

"It wasn’t until the beginning of the Yukon First Nations Climate Action Fellowship that I started introducing myself with my traditional name — I still did not know the meaning of my name, but I did realize it was so important to acknowledge."

📚 Read Full Blog: https://reconnection.vision/blog/seed-6-uphold-culture

10/13/2026

🌿🗓️ 2 Weeks To Go!

The countdown is on for the Northern Youth Climate Gathering, happening October 28–30, 2026, in Whitehorse, Yukon!

Hosted by Indigenous Climate Action, with co-hosts Reconnection Vision and To Swim and Speak with Salmon, the gathering will bring Indigenous youth together for time on the Land, storytelling, cultural teachings, climate science 101, advocacy, and more!

Participants will receive the full agenda soon. 🌱

Registration is now closed, and we look forward to coming together to share knowledge and explore how Indigenous youth are leading climate action across the North.

10/08/2026

🌱 Language is the Spirit of Our People: Uphold Culture

Culture is a pathway back to who we are. It lives in our languages, stories, teachings, traditional practices, relationships and the knowledge carried forward by our Elders and ancestors.

This month, we’re reflecting on what it means to uphold culture and the responsibility each of us has in keeping our languages and ways of knowing strong.

“Language is the spirit of our people said out loud. An art form spoken with intent to call us back to our ways when we stumble off trail. Our language calls us back to who we are - as people.”

—  Reconnection Vision Ambassador Ryan Kyikavichik

Our Ancestors’ language, stories and actions were purposeful and had meaning. There were stories for place names, harvesting techniques and all of our skills. Nothing was wasteful or done without intention, even their words.

💬 How do you continue to uphold culture?

10/05/2026

You are speaking. We are listening.
🌱 Reconnection Seed: Uphold Culture

In September 2021, we hosted our first Reconnection space at Nänkäk Ch’ëholay (Land of Plenty) camp in Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Territory, in partnership with TH. The camp brought together Knowledge Keepers, Elders, community members, youth, and leaders for activities such as drum making, plant medicine, and traditional food teachings. The camp marked a new chapter as we began stepping up to lead others. We learned the strength and skill required to hold space for others while navigating the tension between our healing journeys and developing the YFN Climate Action Plan. Through this, we learned about the challenges of practicing our culture in today’s world.

Indigenous cultures provide tools, understandings, and teachings to transform our worldview so we can walk as whole people and live in good relation. Our Ancestors’ languages, stories, and actions were purposeful, connecting us to the Land and our communities. Indigenous languages, creativity, art, song, storytelling, ceremony, and skills for self-reliance are essential for future generations. Knowledge Keepers and community champions must be valued as leaders, teachers, counsellors, and caregivers, with cultural knowledge and life experience valued alongside formal education. Through our matriarchal, clan-based societies, we carry great strength and teachings that can guide a more connected future.

Questions:

💬 How can we support and ensure wellness for community champions?

💬 How do we equitably balance multiple worldviews and ways of doing and being (including Matrilineal, heart, and spirit-led approaches) in how we live, learn, and work?

💬 How do we create the space and time that is required to relearn and value skills and hands-on doing so that we can reclaim our self-reliance?

10/02/2026

🪶 You are Speaking, We are Listening

We are inviting Yukon/NWT/Northern BC First Nation youth aged 18-35 to share their voice with Reconnection Vision as guest blog writers.

Write a blog post about something that matters to you, inspired by one of the 10 RV Seeds.

There are 4 Seed themes remaining:

🌱 Stop Planning, Start Doing
🌱 Centre Community
🌱 Take Risks, Share Power
🌱 Grow Leaders

Speak from the heart. ♥️

Your story, your perspectives, and your experiences all matter and deserve to be heard. You will work with one of our team members ahead of time to edit your blog and make sure it all looks and sounds good to you before we publish - you will be supported throughout the process. Read other blog posts written by Northern Youth here: https://reconnection.vision/blog

$100 honoraria paid. No writing experience necessary.

📖 Whether it’s a story, reflection, or something you want to change in your community, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8AoT3TM1jGBu0-RAcObYIkAfTeem4HRTJslRmBZySLyTzMg/viewform?usp=header

09/30/2026

🪶🧡 Truth and Reconciliation is for Everyone

Reconnection Vision is actively working to uphold culture and empower Indigenous Youth as we reconnect with the ways of knowing and being that our nations were forcibly disconnected from, including our languages, ceremonies, land-based practices, and the foundations of our identity.

We know that Indigenous peoples’ connection to the land holds knowledge that can help guide us all back into balance with Mother Earth. By strengthening our connection to the land and the wisdom that the land holds, we create space for healing so that we can all become whole people.

We are sharing the Beaded Timeline Story as a way to demonstrate and reflect on the generations that came before us and the journey we have experienced. Each bead on this timeline represents one generation of people. As you move around the circle, you move through time. The continuous thread of beads represents the many generations before us who lived in balance, following natural law, traditional teachings, and a deep connection with the land and animals.

At the top, you’ll notice a small strand of beads separated from the circle. This part of the timeline represents a significant disruption in the circle of connection.

Take some time to explore the beaded timeline and reflect on what it means to reconnect with the knowledge, relationships, and ways of being that help us live in good relationship with the land and eachother.

🧡 Hear the Truth. Return to the Circle. Join the movement: https://reconnection.vision/

09/29/2026

As our Youth prepare to attend the 4th National Climate Gathering in October, we’re looking back at moments from the last gathering hosted by the Assembly of First Nations in 2024.

These conversations and connections continue to shape the work we’re doing through Reconnection Vision.

As we get ready to learn and share again this year, we invite you to reflect on the theme of this video: What heart work 🌿 ❤ are you being called to do for the land and your community?

Watch:

Catalyzing First Nations Climate and Conservation Leadership for Tr...

09/29/2026

🪶🌿 With the Land | Youth Guest Blog Writer Peter Greenland

We have asked Indigenous youth across the Yukon, NWT and Northern BC to use our RV Seeds as inspiration as RV Guest Blog Writers. Peter is writing about Reconnection Seed #5: Learning from the Land as his blog theme.

Peter is a Gwich’in outdoor adventure guide who has spent the past 10 years exploring ways to Indigenize outdoor adventure leadership. In this reflection, he shares honestly about his experiences on the land, the moments of connection and disconnection, and what he has learned through working alongside Indigenous communities, youth, Elders and knowledge holders.

"My dad was skilled on the land, so were my uncles and aunties. I was fortunate to have spent enough time with my Jiju (Grandmother) long enough to retain some fraction of her wisdom. This planted the seeds, to work on the land, for language, and for time with community that facilitated a pathway for me to explore myself and the world around me."

Read Full Blog: https://reconnection.vision/blog/with-the-land-by-peter-greenland

09/28/2026

🎙️✨️ NEW EPISODE

We’re excited to share the latest episode of Châyù with Skaydu.û.

Produced by The Reconnection Vision, Bark to the Boat Launch is a tribute to Master Carver Wayne Price and his ongoing work creating healing dugouts, totems, and healing spaces across Turtle Island.

Recorded out on the land while paddling 260 miles along the Upper Yukon River, this episode follows our journey in the Jibba dugout and five canoes, travelling from the beautiful Little Salmon/Carmacks country to the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Moosehide lands.

This journey would not have happened without Wayne’s dedication, teachings, and commitment to our people. His work continues to create pathways for connection, healing, culture, and community.

This is for you, Wayne.
We hold our hands up to you.

Our community, our spirits, and our hearts are uplifted by you all.

🎧 Listen now: https://chayuwithskayduu_reconnectionvision.buzzsprout.com/2165838/episodes/19821600-bark-to-the-boat-launch-master-carver-wayne-price

Skaydu.û Jules

09/27/2026

🌱 Community Feature | Land Needs Guardians

This month, our Reconnection Vision theme is aligned with Seed #5: Listen to the Land. For our community feature, we’re highlighting Land Needs Guardians, a movement supporting Indigenous Guardians programs and Indigenous stewardship across the country.

Indigenous Guardians are the “moccasins and mukluks” on the ground, caring for lands and waters, monitoring changes, restoring plants and animals, protecting cultural sites, and bringing Indigenous knowledge and science together to care for our territories.

“Take care of the land, and the land takes care of us.”

This campaign is guided by Indigenous Peoples’ vision for the land and waters. They are the true experts of their land and way of life and are best positioned to identify solutions that work for communities.

💬 Does your nation have a Land Guadian Program?

🌿 Learn more: https://landneedsguardians.ca/

Photos: Land Needs Guardians