Indigenous Women Outdoors and the Matriarch Movement invite you to join us for a special event that honours the summer solstice and celebrates National Indigenous Peoples History Month – a time of illumination, renewal, and deep connection to self, spirit, and community.
This free, full-day event is open to Indigenous women (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis), two spirit, or non-binary, and those on the gender continuum. The day brings together a powerful circle of matriarchs, knowledge carriers, and Indigenous movement facilitators to guide us through an intentional journey of joy, empowerment and reclamation.
We give our thanks to The Wallace Venue as the venue sponsor for this event.
The day will start with an opening song performed by drummer and singer Lydia Williams. Next, we will ground in ceremony with an opening smudge and sharing circle, co-facilitated by Founder of the Matriarch Movement, Shayla Stonechild and knowledge carrier, Kelly White. This grounding moment invites us to connect with the energy of the solstice, while honouring the land, our ancestors, and one another as we set our intentions for the day ahead.
The morning continues with “Powwow Expressions,” a movement-based class led by Nyla Bedard that introduces the teachings of powwow dance styles, including jingle dress, fancy shawl, and traditional. This class encourages joyful expression, reconnection to the body, and cultural revitalization through rhythm and movement.
After a nourishing lunch catered by Salmon n’ Bannock, we move into a breathwork workshop with Malina Dawn, whose trauma-informed, culturally rooted approach helps participants access deeper layers of emotional release, nervous system regulation, and insight. Through the breath, we remember our bodies as sacred and return to our center with awareness and care.
In the afternoon, Shayla Stonechild leads a heart-opening Hatha Vinyasa yoga practice inspired by the four directions of the Medicine Wheel. This session integrates Indigenous teachings, music by Indigenous artists, and opportunities for partner-based reflection, offering a space for embodiment, relational healing, and celebration of the solstice.
We close the day with a final sharing circle, a space to reflect, express gratitude, and carry forward the wisdom, teachings, and medicine received. Here, Malina will bring her drums—all gifted to her over the years so she can share the traditional healing energy of the drum circle to close out our day together through voice, song and prayer. If you have your own native hand drum, you are welcome to bring it or borrow one of hers.
This gathering is a return “wahkohtowin” to community, to intention, to Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Each part of the day invites you to move, breathe, listen, and share in a space where your story, your presence, and your healing journey are honoured.
We give our thanks to our friends at lululemon and Supported Soul for their partnership and contributions to this event.
Kelly White is an award-winning media producer, Indigenous Elder Advisor, and lifelong activist from the White Owl Clan of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, working on Musqueam territory. With over 45 years of advocacy for Indigenous rights, she founded the Indigenous Veterans Day March in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and co-founded IndigiKnow. Kelly helped lead the 2018 Guinness World Record for “Most Nationalities in a Drum Circle” and currently advises Vancouver City Hall and the Vancouver Police Department. She is a graduate of Vancouver Film School and Capilano University’s film programs.
Shayla Oulette Stonechild (she/her) is a Red River Métis and Nehiyaw iskwew (Plains Cree woman) from Muscowpetung First Nation and the Founder of the Matriarch Movement, a platform, podcast, and non-profit dedicated to Indigenous wellness, representation and inclusion. As lululemon’s first Indigenous global yoga ambassador and the first Indigenous person on Yoga Journal’s cover, she has led large-scale wellness events across Turtle Island. Shayla is also an award-winning media host and storyteller, recently winning CBC’s Canada Reads, co-hosting ET Canada’s Artists & Icons, and receiving the Indspire Award for First Nations Youth. With over 800 hours of yoga training and collaborations with brands like Adobe, Meta, and Sephora, Shayla continues to advocate for matriarchy, language revitalization, and Indigenous rights through wellness, storytelling, and media.
Nyla Bedard (Tahltan, Kaska, French, Scottish) is a multifaceted performing artist currently residing in North Vancouver. She’s an actor, writer, powwow dancer and workshop facilitator. Nyla started to dance at powwows when she was a tiny tot and now has almost 40 years of experience. She shares her knowledge by teaching the various powwow styles, sharing the dance steps and the history. Since 2011, in partnership with Raven Spirit Dance Company, she started the popular Powwow Bootcamp series and now facilitates powwow workshops for all ages in the lower mainland.
Malina Dawn (she/they) is a queer métis and nehiyaw iskwew (Cree Métis woman). She weaves together the world views of indigenous wisdom and yogic knowledge. She is a Yoga teacher, breath work therapist, writer, drum carrier and song catcher and loves to share ceremony through indigenous ways of being. She is a strong voice for decolonizing wellness by teaching how to use indigenous ways of life appropriately and as medicine for healing physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. She has a knack for speaking to truth with courage, honesty and a good sense of humour to create capacity for ones journey in the depths of the human experience. She is currently living, learning, unlearning and loving life on the traditional unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, (Vancouver, BC).
Lydia Williams
Hal7h Skwáyel ta newyáp, Good Day to you all, Chum-7a-Naught kwi á kweshámin sna, Lydia Gagnon (Williams) kwi en sna. I currently reside in the village of Yekwaupsum IR #18 here in the town of Squamish BC. I am honoured and proud to drum and sing and open space for your group on the traditional territory of my ancestors here in K’emk’emeláy or which now is known as Vancouver, BC. Chen kwenmantumi! I am grateful, & I am looking forward to being in community with you all again!
