What We Carry Forward. Lessons the Land Taught Us Last Year

This time of year invites reflection, especially here in the North, when the cold settles in and temperatures dip towards minus 50 degrees Celsius. As things slow down and the seasons shift, we find ourselves thinking about what the land has shown us and what lessons we are ready to carry forward. Before moving into what comes next, we take a moment to listen and acknowledge the teachings that stayed with us.

Last year, our strongest teachings came from being on the land together. Harvesting, listening, learning, and remembering - Indigenous knowledge is nurtured in these moments. It’s carried through hands, stories, and shared experience. When people gather on the land, curiosity and learning happens naturally.

The Birch Camp we hosted in Mayo was a clear example of this. People were excited to join, eager to learn, and ready to (re)connect. Youth, Elders, and community members showed up with openness. Some carried teachings passed down through family. Others came seeking that connection for the first time. All were welcomed as the land held us. Harvesting birch teaches care and patience. You learn quickly that you cannot take without a reciprocal relationship. We listened before we harvested and only gathered what was needed. We gave thanks. These teachings are not separate from life or work. They shape how we treat the land and how we treat one another.

Working with plants reminds us that Indigenous knowledge is living knowledge. It changes with the seasons while staying grounded in responsibility. Learning happens through doing. Through stories shared while hands are busy. Through laughter, quiet moments, and respect for the teachings being passed on. We also saw how excited people are to build futures that feel aligned. There is real interest in Indigenous made, handcrafted, and sustainable products that come from the land in respectful ways. People want work that feels connected and carries meaning. This matters, but it also carries responsibility.

In November, we came together on the Traditional Territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council for the Regenerative Economies Gathering. Community members—each connected to this work in some way—joined in circle to explore how communities can create new economic opportunities that care for the land, support cultural knowledge, and provide meaningful livelihoods for future generations. Regenerative economies focus on giving back to the land and community, rather than taking from them, building systems that are sustainable, respectful, and guided by Indigenous ways of knowing.

During the gathering, participants received Tsú nī tsʼä̀wtī są̀ tsī (The Plants Teach Us), a Northern Tutchone plant guide created through a collaboration between The Yukon Soaps Company and Cherish Fairclough, Plant Knowledge Keeper and Writer. The guide reflects shared knowledge and responsibility, reminding us that plants are teachers and relatives first. We also shared our new film "Regrounded" produced by Shot in the Dark Productions. To learn more about this project in depth, you can now view the film here: Regrounded 

Our time together began with a Silverberry workshop led by Elder Nyla Klugie. Working with the plant materials grounded us as hands created, stories were shared, and intentions were set. Care begins before any product is made, starting with how we arrive, how we listen, and how we hold space for one another.

Over the following days, conversations guided by facilitators Nadia Joe and Alanna Quock explored cultural impacts, community readiness, land and infrastructure, and the importance of capacity and partnerships. We held space for both the possibilities and responsibilities that come with this work.

What we carry forward from last year is trust in these teachings. The land shows us how to move responsibly. Culture shows us how to move respectfully. Together, they offer a path forward that supports both community well-being and future generations.

As we move into the new year, we do so with gratitude. For the teachings, for the Elders and knowledge keepers who guide us, for the people eager to learn, and most of all, for the responsibility to carry this knowledge forward in a good way.

We look forward to more opportunities to continue learning together.

Są̈wté sōk hēdän sóthän. I am learning from the land.