Spring Equinox 2024
Aaniin all!
Since our last newsletter, we’ve been busy! And thus, our Spring Equinox Newsletter is coming to you a little later than planned, oop.
The Indigenous Youth Affirmation Deck is LIVE!!
First proposed to our Core Team in February 2021 by then-youth leader Shane Forrest, the Indigenous Youth Affirmation Deck has been stewarded by many hands, including our Core Team and a Media Arts Justice dream team of Jamey Boisvert and Zephyr McKenna. Brought into the world through NYSHN’s pool of community-given donations, we’re so excited to share these lovingly made affirmations with you all.
Order FREE copies as an Indigenous youth here (we’re shipping them out monthly!) to receive by mail. Working for an org with $$$ budget? Hit us up at the same link for order & invoicing information!
On that note— do you know any great print shops on the West Coast or the prairies? Got a cousin who knows a cousin? Hook us up! Our West Coast & Edmonton teams are looking for regional printers for future orders of NYSHN resources.
In the meantime, enjoy this behind-the-scenes shot of photography-assistant Data crashing our IYAD Tkaronto photoshoot:
NYSHN Tkaronto assistant Data the cat. Photo courtesy Zephyr McKenna
Other updates from before the Spring Equinox…
January 2024 saw a team of 5 youth leaders heading over to Sioux Lookout to run the Sexy Health Carnival for youth in the high school and staff at their First Nations Health Authority.
They asked for no photos with the youth, so enjoy this picture of Metis youth leader Jamey in the hotel room with our dildo-ring-toss board! Shout out to the Edmonton team for dreaming that up <3
Lookit those dildos!
In March 2024, the Core Team and Grandturtles trekked with our participants from NYSHN’s trial community internship to Tla-O-Qui-Aht for some respite and reflection.
We’re so proud of our Community Interns for their courage in embarking on this one-of-a-kind project with us, and we’re excited to share some of what they dreamed up in the coming months!
Presenting to the group chat like….
Grandturtles (NYSHN relatives over the age of 30) facilitated many sessions as a part of our time together, including a zine-making workshop run by MJ Laing. Have a look at some of what we made!
Photos of zines that were made, and MJ holding their niblet during our visit at the aquarium
Kleco kleco to Opitsaht and the Tla-O-Qui-Aht peoples for hosting us to visit with you and your lands for the week <3.
Not to brag but our youth leaders saw humum in the tide pools in town and we lost. our. minds.
As part of being good guests & visitors, NYSHN team members observed COVID safety protocols throughout our visiting, including rapid antigen testing & respirator masking indoors.
That’s all for now, so we’ll leave you as always with a selection of memes from our Core team meetings this season!
Maybe don't let the Southern Ontario Anishinaabe choose the site of your coastal gathering
We all felt really great about the choice, tho
RIP to that booklist :’)
February-March was *bananas*. Next year we’re retreating to the bush for the end of fiscal.
Baby went to the aquarium instead. Go baby!