Coralee Buchanan
Manager
Coralee is a Yukoner for life with a few stints down south, but Yukon always calls her home. She is of Metis descent on her Father’s side, from Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Alberta. She has two amazing children who have grown into remarkable young adults and a partner born in Alberta but grew up in Watson Lake. She has two huskies who keep her on her toes 24/7.
She dedicated her life’s work to working with children and supporting families. She has a degree in Early Learning and has studied Yukon First Nations history and governance. She is currently completing a social work program through the University of Regina.
She enjoys working with the Early Years as it allows her to continue to work with young families, building on their strengths to create strong cultural foundations for their children to grow up feeling more confident in their identity as Indigenous members of society.
Mary-Jane Oliver
Early YEARS RURAL COODInator
Mary-Jane is Manitoba Metis via her mother and Scottish/Irish on her father’s side. She comes from a family of 11 children with Catholic parents. MJ’s dad was in the Air Force, therefore their family lived in various parts of the country while growing up and gradually settled in Alberta.
As a young woman, MJ was a legal surveyor for 10 years and continued surveying part time to pay the bills while in university. MJ then worked with high risk youth one summer and realized she had a passion for empowering people. She switched her field of study from recreation to social work.
MJ and her then young family moved from Alberta to the Yukon in 1993 looking for adventure. She found even more as she quickly believed she had ‘come home’. MJ embraced Yukon life and raised her children with a very strong value of connection to the land. This value of connections extended to her social work practice and she recognized the need to have an empowering lens with the families she worked alongside.
Moving forward 25+ years - after her journey as a social worker, MJ very much wished to continue working with children and families. Subsequently, she came on board with YFNED in July 2021 at Early Years’ inception.
Barbara Curtis
early years visitor - Whitehorse
Barbara is the grandchild of four Eastern European immigrants. She was born and raised in Willowdale (northern Toronto) and moved to the Yukon in the ‘80s. In spite of being homesick almost every day for over 36 years, her three creative, Whitehorse born and raised sons call the Yukon “home” … and so here she stays. She has extensively volunteered in the community over the years with literacy programs and adult tutoring, several arts organizations, in her sons’ elementary and secondary schools, and other community groups, as well as celebrating her heritage with a local culturally relevant society.
Barbara has 27 years of hands on experience working with Yukon families and youth, and most recently seniors as well. She loves that she gets to work in a proactive and supportive role. Over the decades this has provided her with some amazing opportunities…including driving a pregnant mom to the hospital to have her baby!
Having spent the last 19 years working for a school-based family support program, Barbara now loves working with the YFNED Early Years program. Celebrating the strengths of our young families, working together to encourage and overcome challenges, and being a part of their journey as strong, Indigenous role models for their children…for if we want our children to be a success, our families need to be succeeding.
Kendra Hotson
early years visitor - watson Lake
Kendra is originally from Kelowna, BC, but has lived in Watson Lake on the traditional lands of the Kaska Dena since 2008. She has two amazing children and is grateful for every day she is able to raise them in such a beautiful territory.
Kendra has completed all her post-secondary schooling and training in child development and Early Childhood Education.
Throughout her working career, Kendra has always always found positions that allow her to fulfill her passion for working with children and families. Some previous jobs include: education assistant, early child educator, and Coordinator for the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP).
Kendra is drawn to working with YFNED because she believes it is important for every child in the Yukon to have the same access to education and supports no matter who they are or where they live. She also admires how First Nations culture and tradition are at the roots of YFNED’s wrap-around services and programs.
Outside of work, Kendra loves to spend most of her time with her family, involving her two boys in hobbies and adventures such as paddleboarding, exploring, camping, sewing & beading, and playing guitar. She also enjoys curling up with a book or tv show after a long day.
Cultural Coordinator - Whitehorse
Good day. I’m a born Yukon First Nation and have Tagish Kwan, Southern Tutchone, and German running through me. I’m from the Wolf Clan - the youngest out of the George and Gladys (Burns) Huebschwerlen family. I was rested out on the Carcross road with a traditional life style: hunting, trapping, gathering, the best lifestyle with my parents and family anyone could ask for. I still live a traditional lifestyle out on the land. It is where my heart is the happiest close to family. I have one son that is going to be 32 this year.
I graduated from FH Collins in 1994 and attended the teen parent center. I have a variety of courses, training, and experience with child care, bush life, and working with elders. I love to cook/bake, sew, and live off the land.
I have been with YFNED as an Early Years visitor and cultural coordinator since 2021. I started at Donny Burns camp out on the Annie Lake Road as a traditional cook with my common law partner, Andy.
I love watching the meteor showers, hunting, and spending time with family.
Bree Josie
early years visitor - oLD CROW
Bree Josie lives and works in the community of Old Crow, in partnership with the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation to coordinate the Old Crow Early Years program. Bree has a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistic Anthropology and a Masters of Arts in Historical Linguistics. Prior to joining YFNED, Bree worked at Yukon University’s Alice Frost Campus in Old Crow and taught Early Childhood Development courses. Bree and her husband Paul have two young Gwich’in children and focus on raising them in the traditional way and teaching them their traditional language. Bree’s family has a commercial dogsled team and enjoy being on the land at their Driftwood River camp.
Megan McKenna
A/intake coordinator & early Years visitor
Lynn Rice-Rideout
early years visitor - Whitehorse
Lynn is originally from Newfoundland and Labrador. She grew up in a small mining community on the Northeast coast and her grandmother belonged to the Mi’kmaq Nation. Lynn moved here to the Yukon with her son and husband in 1997, although she occasionally misses home, she now considers herself a Yukoner.
She majored in psychology and graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Arts, and has a Diploma in Early Childhood Education. Lynn enjoyed her time working at Nakwaye Ku Daycare and has lots of experience working with children from all ages. Her passion is helping and supporting children’s growth and learning in all developmental domains.
Lynn’s joined the YFNED team to share her experiences and skills with families and intern, learn about the diversity in cultures.
She is interested in outdoor adventures such as paddling, camping, hiking, as well as spending time with her family.
early years TRAINER
bio to come!
Shawna Thompson
early years TRAINER
Shawna lives and works in Whitehorse. She is of Norwegian descent on her mother’s side and Romani Gypsy and English on her father’s side. Originally from Dawson City, she has called the Yukon home for the majority of her life.
Shawna has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Thompson Rivers University and a Bachelor of Elementary Education from the University of British Columbia. She has also been a BCRPA certified fitness instructor for over 25 years.
Her interests include fitness, long distance running, reading, writing poetry, gardening and spending time with her husband, three sons and two cats.
Peyton Kirkpatrick
early years visitor - Whitehorse
Peyton was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon. She has been working in the early childcare field since she was in high school and has a passion for working with children and building meaningful relationships. Peyton started her journey after attending classes at Yukon College where she went on to work as a support worker at Dusk’a Head Start Family Learning Centre for three years. From there, she moved to a few other positions before finding her place at YFNED. She knows that at YFNED, she can use her super powers to help support families in her community.
When Peyton isn’t putting her whole heart into her work, she is most likely outside exploring the land, enjoying the lakes, paddle boarding, fishing, camping and hiking.
Priscilla Shorty
early years visitor - Ross River
Hello, I’m Priscilla Shorty from the crow clan of Kaska First Nation, Ross River, Yukon. I was born in Whitehorse, Yukon and raised in Ross River, the only child to Dennis and Elizabeth Shorty.
I come from a large family that was taught to be kind and humble, from my grandparents Alex Shorty and Elsie Shorty (Jules). I have also spent number of summers at Little Salmon Lake with my other grandparents, Don Taylor and Annie Ladue.
In 2007, I left Ross River to become an RCMP officer, where I did training in Regina. After 12 months of training and training on the job, I left the position. After that I worked for more than 5 years with a catering company called E.S.S. Canada compass, working my way up to be Health and Safety Manager, spending time in the oil sands of Fort McMurray, training in the Health and Safety Department.
I moved back to the Yukon in 2016. My life and exploring options in the world, has brought me to working for YFNED Early Years program. I love what I am doing and working with families. This journey has brought me closer to my community and families where I focus on cultural content with the Early Years program.
There are also Early Years programs that we help facilitate, but are administered by their First Nations:
Pelly Crossing: Amber Baker, Early Years Visitor
Teslin: Nicole Fox, Early Years Visitor
Atlin: Katy Rittwage, Early Years Visitor