Working Together by Dustin McKenzie-Hubbard
Dustin is a lifelong Yukoner, RV Ambassador and proud citizen of Champagne and Aishihik First Nations. He works as a Family Support Worker with Shäwthän Näzhì, where he helps deliver land-based programs that support healing, connection, and wellbeing through culture, community, and time on the land.
He is passionate about strengthening opportunities for future generations and believes that strong communities are built through connection, care, and supporting one another. Dustin lives in the Yukon with his family and is the proud father of two young daughters.
When people think about politics, myself included, they often think about the division. We think about debates, disagreements, and competing ideas or values that define our future. But my venture into politics began somewhere very different - it began with reconnection.
The seed of my journey was planted during my time with the Reconnection Vision. Our vision being rooted in healing, identity, culture, and relationship reminded me that meaningful change doesn’t happen through one person standing above others.
Change happens when people work together, when communities reconnect to the land and each other, and when individuals feel they belong to something larger than themselves.
That understanding continues to shape the way I move through community work, leadership, fatherhood, and political spaces today.
Community
Working in community has given me a place to support others, but it has supported me in return. It’s reminded me of who I am, where I come from, and what kind of future I want to help build.
FamilY
When I had children, my future started.
I began to think carefully about the kind of community they will grow up in, the opportunities they will have, and the values they will inherit. I want my daughters to grow up seeing collaboration instead of constant conflict. They will understand that leadership is not measured by power, but by responsibility to others.
“A healthy person creates a healthy family. A healthy family creates a healthier community. A healthy community creates a healthier world.”
—Dr Lee Brown, former Director of the Institute of Aboriginal Health
The work we are doing
Every community initiative tells a story. From language revitalization and emotional wellness programming to land-based healing and family support, each step is taken with care, collaboration, and relationship building.
The work I am involved with today focuses on creating spaces where people feel safe, valued, and connected. That might mean supporting families through difficult moments, helping youth reconnect to culture and land, or just taking my family to see the land I grew up on.
Community and Leadership
Through my work, I have learned that people thrive when they feel they belong, and sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply create opportunities for people to come together.
Simple things like gathering around a fire with family and elders to share stories. Things like a short fishing trip for the aunts and uncles to teach the children how to tie their fishing line.
At the heart of it all is the same thing: working together creates stronger communities.
Every person carries with them something valuable.
Elders carry teachings and lived experience only they know.
Youth bring creativity and new ideas.
Families carry resilience.
Community workers teach compassion.
Leaders hold responsibility.
None of these roles are more important than the other, they’re only meaningful when they work together.
This belief is what guides my path everyday. In community, leadership, and my journey into politics. I want to help build spaces where people feel heard, supported, and connected.
Forward
We are shaped by our communities and the support we give each other, the stories we share, and the relationships we build become the foundation for future generations.
Hope
My hope moving forward is simple: continue to help build safer communities rooted in culture, collaboration, and care. Communities where people are not left behind and where healing is possible. A community where leadership means serving others again.
Shawnithan - I appreciate you
Thank you for being part of my journey, even if we have not met, because you impact the people around you and I’m sure someone you’ve made feel safe has done the same for myself or others in my community.
