In this session, Cree knowledge keeper Marilyn Dykstra invites visitors who have completed the two years of full moon teachings to rejoin again to continue their commitment.

The summer solstice, when daylight reaches its fullest expression, can be understood as a time of gathering, gratitude and shared strength. These values resonate deeply with the summer solstice as it amplifies energy, not only physical light but also clarity, truth and renewal in relationships. The solstice calls people back to the community to check in on one another and to celebrate life’s continuance. We recognize our survival has always depended on collective care and community responsibility.

Connecting these teachings to reconciliation invites a deeper reflection on how communities, especially Indigenous and non‐Indigenous peoples, can move forward together. The brightness of the solstice can be seen as a metaphor for truth‐telling, a necessary step in reconciliation, while the nurturing aspects of the Egging Moon remind us that healing is a gradual and relational process, much like tending to fragile new life.

Reconciliation, like the seasonal cycle, requires a strong understanding of our foundational poles. By grounding ourselves in these teachings, community becomes not just a place of belonging, but also a practice of accountability, where people work together to restore relationships, honour Indigenous knowledge systems, and ensure that future generations inherit a more just and caring world.

Method of teaching

The method of teaching will utilize Indigenous pedagogy as well as incorporate traditional tea and burning traditional medicines. Participants will discover their relatedness and interconnection with human rights and balance.

This workshop is part of a monthly Wahkowtowin and Ways of Being series led by knowledge keeper Marilyn Dykstra. Each month, we will explore a variety of moon, pole and tea teachings in the Inninewak (Cree) tradition.

Wahkowtowin – which translates to kinship – highlights how relationships, communities and the natural world are all interconnected.

Participants will discover and reflect on their connections with each other, with balance and with human rights through teachings and a traditional tea.

Traditional helper Peyton will support the teachings while she continues her learning journey within Wahkowtowin.

Marilyn Dykstra

Marilyn Dykstra is a status Bill C31 First Nations woman from northern Manitoba. She has been immersed in a working matriarchal system that practised Indigenous ways of thinking and being since she was born. Alongside her family, she has participated in many peaceful social justice movements.

Marilyn uses her matriarchal knowledge as a foundation for her work in the Indigenous community, which has been ongoing for over thirty years. She still follows her matriarchal teachings, but she has also spent her life learning traditional knowledge and passing the teachings on.

She is a pow wow dancer and knowledge keeper, and she carries the responsibility of a bundle. She happily participates in naming ceremonies, sweats, pipe ceremonies, moon teachings and more.