Reconnection Vision

08/31/2026

🪶 Traditional Knowledge Feature: Soul of the Mother Lodge

Founded by Diane Longboat (Kahontakwas), a member of the Turtle Clan of the Mohawk Nation, Diane is a well-known ceremonial leader and respected Elder. The lodge located in Ontario focuses on traditional Indigenous knowledge systems, spiritual teachings, and healing. The lodge hosts women’s and men’s healing ceremonies, customized retreats, Nation Building, and Spiritual Warrior of Peace training. Soul of the Mother creates space for people to reconnect with ceremonial teachings and traditional ways of knowing. They also offer visits to First Nations communities throughout Canada and the U.S.

Soul of the Mother is an Indigenous-led spiritual lodge rooted in original Indigenous wisdom, ceremony, and the restoration of connection to the Creator, Ancestors, Mother Earth, and one another. Their offerings centre healing, spiritual growth, cultural renewal, and the responsibility each person carries within their family, community, Nation, and the natural world.

Through their lodge and community visits, Soul of the Mother offers women’s and men’s healing ceremonies, customized retreats, Nation Building, and Spiritual Warrior of Peace training. Their teachings draw on practices such as purification lodges, fasting, prayer, rites of passage, Ancestor ceremonies, sharing circles, time on the land, and dream/ vision help. It serves as a spiritual home for many initiatives and a reminder to remember the original instructions of creator.

To learn more visit: https://www.soulofthemother.org/

08/30/2026

♥️ Leave No One Behind

As our communities continue to experience devastating loss, we remind you to find that fire within you and share it. Be a light. Be a source of strength. Keep showing up for one another. 🔥

Sending love, light, and warmth to all our relatives facing difficult times.

Inside each of us lives a fire. A sacred light that connects us to our spirit and our purpose. There are seasons when our fire burns fierce and strong, illuminating everything around us, and there are seasons when it grows tired, smoldering beneath the weight of life.

This is the beautiful rhythm of being human, but it is also where our community finds its strength. When your flame is burning bright, it isn’t meant for you alone; it is your responsibility to sit beside those whose flames have grown dim.

We are called to share our light, to breathe life back into the flames of our relatives, and to pass our torch on in times of need. A fire only thrives when it's shared. When we use our light to rekindle someone else's, we ensure that no one is left behind.

08/29/2026

🫶 Learning to Slow Down
🪶 Written by: Sarina Sydney

"Learning to slow down has not been easy.

I am someone who cares deeply about helping others and making a difference in my community. When opportunities come up, my first instinct is to say yes. Whether it is supporting family, helping youth, applying for new positions, or taking on community projects, I want to be involved. The challenge is remembering that I cannot pour from an empty cup.

When I slow down, I notice things I would normally miss.

I am more present in conversations, more patient with myself, and better able to appreciate the small moments in life. Instead of constantly focusing on what comes next, I can enjoy where I am right now.

Slowing down has taught me that rest is not a reward that must be earned. It is a necessity."

📖 Read Full Blog: https://reconnection.vision/blog/learning-to-slow-down-by-sarina-sydney

💬 What do you notice when you slow down?

08/28/2026

🪶 A Journey of Reconnection | Paddling by Canoe to Moosehide Gathering

The journey to the 2026 Moosehide Gathering brought together paddlers from across Yukon, including Teslin Tlingit Council, Carcross/Tagish First Nation, Kwanlin Dun First Nation and the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, who all made the journey to the historic Moosehide Village by canoe.

The journey carried the teachings and traditions of Tlingit canoe culture forward, with Master Tlingit Carver Wayne Price bringing the vision to life through the sharing of traditional canoe knowledge and teachings with the next generation of paddlers and carvers. Among those carrying these teachings forward is Reconnection Vision Fellow Skaydu.û Jules, whose connection to culture reflects the importance of knowledge being transferred between generations.

The Nacho Nyak Dun paddling group made its journey to the Moosehide Gathering, travelling from Mayo over seven days after two months of planning. The group was guided by Reconnection Vision Fellow Kadrienne Hummel, who described the experience in one word: “reconnecting.” Despite long stretches of paddling into headwinds and rain, she said the difficult journey made arriving at the celebration even more meaningful.

The paddlers arrived together at Moosehide Village. Their arrival was part of the traditional canoe protocol with the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Nation, where visitors entering by canoe sang in Northern Tutchone and Tlingit to ask permission to enter Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in traditional territory. As permission was granted, the canoes entered while paddlers on the water and people on shore sang together. The gathering also highlighted the powerful healing that can come through travelling together on the land and water. Donna Johns, the Carcross/Tagish First Nation’s lead paddler, led her group on a nine-day journey from the end of Lake Laberge down the Yukon River. She described the journey as historic, saying it was likely the first time her First Nation had made the journey since before settler contact. For Johns, bringing youth onto the water is part of bringing back culture and the healing, and the sense of belonging and pride that come with it.

✨ Reflection by Skaydu.û:

As a canoe family, we came together as one.

Master Carver Wayne Price’s North Tide Yaakw Ḵwáan flag flew high and proud in our hearts. We paddled with the traditionally carved healing Yaakw [dugout], carved by Wayne himself. “From bark to the boat launch” he tells us, bringing back this way of life one dugout at a time. To slow down and heal together.

We paddled 260 miles on the upper Yukon River in the Jibba dugout and our five canoes, embarking in Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation’s land. We came from all over to paddle on this healing journey, from across Alaska and the Yukon: Selkirk First Nation, Kwanlin Dün First Nation, Dakwäkäda [Haines Junction], Ḵéex̱ ʼ Ḵwáan [People of the Kake area], Xudzidaa Ḵwáan [People of the Angoon area], Natasahéeni Ḵwáan [People of the Carcross/Tagish area], and Deisleen Ḵwáan [People of the Teslin area].

Through gusting head winds, rain and millions of mosquitos we made it to beautiful Moosehide celebration on the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in. Where we asked permission to come ashore and were greeted with warm smiles and songs echoing the shores.

My heart feels full and I am so honoured to have spent time with my relatives on this healing journey and cannot wait for the next pull together.

This trip would have not been possible for the Jibba dugout without the grassroots efforts and support of our communities and families.

You can find the full article about the journey on CBC News.

📷 Photos and video shared by Skaydu.û Jules

08/25/2026

Call for Steering Committee Member

Join the Reconnection Vision Steering Committee

Help guide a Yukon First Nations-led movement for climate action, wholeness, and reconnection.

Reconnection Vision (RV) is seeking passionate and committed individuals to join our Steering Committee and help shape the direction of our work.

About Reconnection Vision

Reconnection Vision is a Yukon First Nations-led initiative that supports youth, communities, and partners in advancing climate action through culture, land-based learning, leadership development, and whole-person wellness. We are currently implementing a new 5-year Strategic Plan and strengthening our organizational and governance structure to support long-term impact.

Role of the Steering Committee

Steering Committee members provide strategic guidance and oversight to the RV team. Members help ensure that our work remains grounded in Yukon First Nations values, community priorities, and our long-term vision.

We welcome applications from Elders, youth, knowledge holders, community leaders, professionals in helping guide this work.

Term

Two-year renewable term

No Honoraria

This is a volunteer opportunity

Learn More or Apply Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYQeXn1hCiHtZH9_Y8DI0e6nrKyL8AEqz9NA4Mx56Qn9dr1A/viewform?usp=header

08/21/2026

You are speaking. We are listening.
🌱 Reconnection Seed: Slow Down

We met in person for the first time at our Marsh Lake gathering in April 2021. As soon as we were together, we were laughing. Time flowed as it needed to, and we came together through song, ceremony, art, dreams, and the Land, guided by Elders and Knowledge Keepers. In this sacred space, we felt safe to speak our truth, explore spiritual guidance, and connect with the Ancestors. From this emerged the philosophy that Reconnection is Climate Action. Our journey has since moved through ups and downs—periods of hard mental work, healing, and stopping—but we understood that the Fellowship space and family would always be there for us. We were allowed to step away when life became too much, recognizing that a busy mind creates a worried heart, and a worried heart can’t make decisions.

Questions:
💬 How can we live within the Land’s energy flows and cycles, as our Ancestors did?

💬 How can we create openness for spirituality in our societies in a way that honours the global diversity of belief?

💬 How can we slow down our busy lives and normalize a healthy pace that includes regular stillness and adequate time for reflection and certainty?

08/16/2026

🌱 New Blog: Seed #4 Slow Down

In this blog, Carissa Waugh reflects on what slowing down has looked like in her own life. She shares a personal experience of learning to step back from always saying yes, making space for grief, and giving herself permission to rest and heal.

Through a difficult season of loss, Carissa realized that taking a break didn’t mean she was giving up. It meant creating space to care for herself, set boundaries, and return to the activities she loves with more intention.

Her reflection is a reminder that we are allowed to slow down and take care of ourselves.

"Slowing down isn’t giving up, it’s giving space for healing."

Read Carissa’s full reflection on the Slow Down Seed: https://reconnection.vision/blog/seed-4-slow-down

Reflection Question:
💬What would change if you gave yourself permission to mourn, rest, and heal in your own time?

08/14/2026

🌿 Take a moment to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with yourself. 

We invite you to get comfortable and listen to this guided meditation by Carissa Waugh. She offers space to pause, quiet the mind, and simply be present.

Press play, get cozy, and give yourself a few moments of stillness. ✨😌

Save this meditation for future moments when you need to pause, reset, and reconnect. 💛

08/11/2026

Are you, or someone you know, interested in learning more about climate change adaptation work across the Yukon? Consider joining the Yukon Climate Change Committee for Adaptation (Y3CA) with Council of Yukon First Nations!

Climate change is impacting the land and waters across the territory and Yukon First Nation communities are leading the way in preparing for and responding to these impacts. 🌊🏔️

Are you, or someone you know, interested in learning more about climate change adaptation work across the Yukon? Consider joining the Yukon Climate Change Committee for Adaptation (Y3CA)!

The Y3CA is seeking nominations for:

➡️a Yukon First Nations government representative
➡️an Indigenous youth representative

Representatives will help review projects related to climate change preparedness in the North, the health impacts of climate change, and First Nation-led climate monitoring work.

✈️ Travel and accommodations for committee members are covered.
🗓️ The next Y3CA meeting is September 15 & 16.

For more information or to nominate someone, contact Ellen Preston, CYFN Climate Change Analyst, at [email protected] or call 867-393-9200 ext. 9222

08/10/2026

🌱🪶 New Blog | Learning to Slow Down
Written by: Sarina Sydney

Sarina reflects on what it means to slow down in a world that often celebrates being busy. She shares an honest reflection on mental health, burnout, healing, and personal growth—and the importance of creating space to breathe. Through her own journey, Sarina reminds us that rest is not a reward that should be earned, but a necessity so we can continue moving forward in a healthy and meaningful way.

"I am someone who cares deeply about helping others and making a difference in my community. When opportunities come up, my first instinct is to say yes. Whether it is supporting family, helping youth, applying for new positions, or taking on community projects, I want to be involved. The challenge is remembering that I cannot pour from an empty cup."

📖 Read full blog: https://reconnection.vision/blog/learning-to-slow-down-by-sarina-sydney

Sarina Sydney