On May 31, our Early Years team hosted our 4th annual Welcome Baby celebration at the KDCC. There were 44 babies born between May 2024 and May 2025 registered. Elders Jerry Soltani and Sara Lenny presented each little one with a special headband made of hide, beaded by Kelly Silverfox

Please note: The Family Day this Saturday at Ämà Kú is postponed. Please speak to your Visitor for details.

All families with Indigenous kids aged 0-5, whether registered with our program or not, are welcome to attend our drop-ins. There will be snacks, activities, beading and knitting supplies, and a chance to see our space and meet the Early Years team.

If you have any questions about the monthly activities, email EarlyYears@yfned.ca, call 867-667-6962 ext. 123 or check out www.yfned.ca/EarlyYears.

We are located at 420 Range Road!

Join us in June and July for upcoming family feasts.

Saturday, June 14 - Noon-2pm - KDCC

Saturday, July 12 - Noon-2pm - KDCC

And in other Nutrition Program news, we were happy to be part of Bear Witness Day, bringing bear-shaped cookies to all Whitehorse schools.

May 10th is Spirit Bear's birthday. And Spirit Bear is the symbol of Jordan’s Principle. Spirit Bear was a stuffed animal that Cindy Blackstock brought with her to court when fighting for the case that would become Jordan’s Principle. We honour Jordan River Anderson with Bear Witness Day.

You can learn more at yfned.ca/jordansprinciple

In late May, we hosted a visit from Brent Mansfield, a teacher from Lord Roberts Elementary in Vancouver, B.C. and a Lunch Lab food security advocate/specialist. The purpose of Brent’s visit was to assist with supporting Yukon youth in advocating for school food programs and food security issues in the North. He led letter-writing and poster-making campaigns, as well as an “awareness run” with students from both Hidden Valley and Whistlebend schools. He then continued the 25 km run down to MP Hanley and Minister McLean’s office to deliver student letters about the importance of school food programs.

Brent was also able to take time last Thursday and visit YFNED’s land based learning site, Ama Ku, as well as 3 Brudders farm-where YFNED operates our Food Sovereignty program. He was absolutely amazed at the land based curriculum and cultural sharing that was taking place.

YFNED and CYFN are supporting the YFN Elders Gathering, June 9 & 10 at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre.

Intention(s) of the Yukon Elders Gathering:

• To bring Elders together to provide direction on how we need/should address the addictions, unhoused and violence within our Traditional Territories

• Discuss and provide recommendations of prevention for our children

• Bring communities together and strategize necessary resources/partners and build a plan of action

• Panel presentations & resources

Funding is available for two Elders from each rural Yukon community. First Nations can fund travel for any additional Elders who wish to participate.

To register, email: sierra.devilliers@yfned.ca

On May 1st, "For Our Children: A Review of Systemic Racism in Yukon Education" was officially released.

After over a year of public engagement, research and data analysis, YFNED and the Yukon Child & Youth Advocate Office tabled the report in the Legislature.

Thank you to all the youth, families and educators that shared their stories with us. And thank you to the First Nations Education Commission who requested us to do this work and continue to fight for a more equitable education system for all youth in the territory.

Thank you also to Megan Guna Jensen and Cole Pauls whose art and illustrations bring the review to life.

Read the full report here: www.yfned.ca/racismreview

A big shout out to our First Nation Education Advocates! Last week was a busy one for our team. We were visited by a record-breaking 187 students this week at our land based campus, Ämà Kú, and still supported cultural programming to students in schools (Holy Family School, Christ the King, Jack Hulland School) and helped with the grand opening of Ǹtsǟw Chù Kets’edän Kų̀ Traditional Camp at Porter Creek Secondary School.

It takes a team and we are so appreciative of the efforts of our staff in connecting students to the land and to their language.

Earlier in May, YFNED had the honour to welcome over 100 educators from Hidden Valley and Elijah Smith elementary schools at Ämà Kú.

This special PD day for teachers, principals and education assistants, offered these school teams a fun-and-informative orientation on how they can teach land-based learning with the support of YFNED's team of Elders, youth and advocates.

A highlight of the day was the "Alumni Panel" where former students from these two schools were able to share with their previous teachers all the little and big things they did that made such a huge difference in their lives, renewing the motivation for teachers to keep at it -- and celebrate the fruits of their labour.