Our Team



Chloe Dragon Smith

Co-founder

Chloe Dragon Smith was born and raised in Beghúledesche (Yellowknife), Denendeh (NWT). Of Métis, German, Dënesųłiné, and French heritage, her mother is Brenda Dragon and her father is Leonard Smith. Her maternal ancestors lived in relationship with caribou, travelling with the herds from areas around northern Saskatchewan and Alberta, through the NWT – Yellowknife and Fort Smith (where her mother and grandmother were raised). They thrived on the land now allocated as Wood Buffalo National Park, all the way up to the treeline and the tundra.

Chloe is passionate about relationships between Lands and peoples. She has a degree in Earth Science; however, she would say that she has learned most of what she knows from her family and her upbringing.  Her work varies, from on-the-Land learning, to Indigenous-led conservation, to dealing with climate change. She is passionate about revitalizing Indigenous systems – self-determined systems of living, learning, management, economies, and governance. As a mixed blood person, she feels a constant responsibility to bridge barriers and help support balance however she can.

Wendy Lahey

Co-founder

Wendy Lahey was born and raised in Burlington, Ontario by her Polish mother and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia father. Her mother, Phyllis Bryk, grew up on a farm in Hamilton, Ontario and her father Sandy Lahey, grew up in the rural fishing village of Main-a-Dieu, Cape Breton. Wendy had two parents with large families with traditions that centred on fish, music and large quantities of food from the garden or the farm. She is grateful to have been raised simply with strong values of love and compassion. Being non-Indigenous, she feels very fortunate to live on Yellowknives Dene Land, Chief Drygeese, Treaty 8 territory since 2004 with her husband where she is raising her two children. 

Wendy worked as a teacher for many years and is now an instructor of adults at Aurora College. Wendy holds bachelor’s degrees in science/math as well as physical and health education and holds a master’s in adult education, Indigenous health, and community development. She is interested in supporting a holistic approach to learning where children and educators appreciate and experience the deep value of Land-based learning.

Rachel Vander Veen

Educator

Rachel was raised in St Catharines, Ontario and is of Dutch heritage. Both sets of grandparents immigrated from Friesland to Northern Ontario soon after WW2. She is part a big family who created an urban oasis in their backyard, where  summer days were spent gardening, climbing trees and playing with the neighbourhood kids and, come winter, the skating rink became the gathering place. 

Since 2016, Rachel has lived on Chief Drygeese Territory, which includes North Slave Métis Territory and Land where countless other Indigenous peoples have traveled for many years. Prior to her move to Sǫ̀mbak’è (Yellowknife), Rachel lived on the territory of the Deh Gáh Got’îê First Nation in Fort Providence for 9 years, first volunteering, and then teaching at Deh Gáh School.  This is where she was first introduced to on-the-Land programming.  Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and in Education. In 2019, she took the Forest and Nature School Practioner Course, and was so excited to join Bushkids this past August, 2024. Rachel believes that all children should have access to the Land for teaching and learning that is rooted in local languages and cultures and continues to work to create these spaces and opportunities. She recently published The Land Outside My Window, a children’s book that models this hope, which was inspired by the work of the Bushkids team.

Rachel Cluderay

Educator

Rachel was born and raised in Somba K’e, Denendeh, where she continues to live today. She is a nehiyaw-English paddler, bush enthusiast, and advocate for land-based learning. In 2019, Rachel completed a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in Entrepreneurship, at the University of Victoria. She is also a Dechita alumni, having received a certificate in Community Land-Based Research.

Currently, Rachel is pursuing a Master’s in Indigenous Land-Based Education at the University of Saskatchewan, focusing her research on the resurgence of Indigenous canoe practices. She has been delivering land-based programs across the North since 2013 and is the co-founder and Project Director of Supporting Wellbeing, a training program designed to teach individuals how to respond to mental health challenges in land-based contexts.

Rachel is deeply passionate about helping Indigenous people strengthen their connections to the land, believing that these connections are foundational to the resurgence of Indigenous cultures, languages, and ways of being.

Read some of Rachel’s published work:

Cailey Mercredi

Educator

Cailey Mercredi was born and raised in Yellowknife, NT and is of Metis and Scottish heritage. Cailey’s maternal side has a long history in Scotland, having immigrated to Canada in the 1960s. Cailey’s paternal side of her family are from the South Slave area of the Northwest Territories and have resided in this area for centuries. Cailey’s upbringing and family life are largely centered around love and connection. Growing up with a huge extended family in the Yellowknife area, Cailey was always attending and helping at family gatherings where food was shared, elders were honoured and connections were deepened. Preparing food for others has always been an important part of Cailey’s life, something she tries to bring to Bushkids.

Cailey works as a Registered Massage Therapist, an End-of-Life Doula and a Birth Auntie. Her education and passions are fuelled by love and an innate desire for connecting with people on a heart-to-heart level. Cailey has two young children who she helps to guide through this world. She hopes her children will maintain a connection to the Land and to their ancestors. As a Bushkids team membership she gets to help others see the beauty of the Land, teach bush skills, and honour where we come.

Donovan Boucher

Educator

Donovan Boucher is from Rocher River, NT. He really enjoys the northern outdoors, living off the land, craftsmanship, hunting, trapping and fishing. He really loves the winters, we just need to dress warm and don’t stop moving! Donovan currently works half the season with the environment department at Ekati. 

Honeyrain Gahdele

Educator

Honeyrain Gahdele, also known as Cha La Gahdele (meaning “a lot of rain, rabbit blood”) was born in Yellowknife and raised in Łutsel Kʼe, Northwest Territories. A proud Denesuline woman and an Akaitcho Territory member. Honeyrain carries deep connection and respect for the land, community, dene (people) and cultural traditions that shaped her beliefs and values.

She is a graduate of the Early Learning and Childcare program at Aurora College, and she brings a strong foundation in child development along with a deep commitment to Dene ways of knowing and being.

Honeyrain grew up following the Dene Laws and practicing wellness through the land — values she continues to live by and share in her daily life. She is passionate about advocating for children’s wellness, cultural learning, and creating nurturing environments where children can thrive in connection with their identity, confidence, community and relations to the land.

Taylor Schear

Educator

My name is Taylor Schear, and I am from Norman Wells, Tłegohłi (Where there is oil), NT. I am a proud Sahtu Dene. My band is Rádelį Kó, Fort Good Hope, and I am a member of the Tłegohłi Land Corporation. My family background reflects the rich diversity of the Sahtu Region. I come from a mix of tribes, including:

  • K’áshó Got’ine – the “Thick Willow Arrow People,”
  • Sahtúot’ine – the “Great Bear Lake Dene,”
  • Kóyele Got’įne – the “Fire Carrier People,” and
  • Du Taot’įne – the “Island People.”

For generations, my family lived off the land. Their hope was always for the youth to be out on the land and learn the traditional way of life. I feel truly blessed to carry this forward and honoured to fulfill their wishes.

In my spare time, I love being outdoors. In the summer, I enjoy canoeing, hiking, and camping. In the winter, I spend time trapping, snowmobiling, and camping. These activities not only connect me to the land but also help me grow spiritually.

Much of my work experience has been with children and youth, often centered on being out on the land. I am deeply passionate about keeping my culture alive, passing it on to future generations, and protecting our land. This is why I want to enroll in the Indigenous Land Stewardship program at UBC Vancouver.

Cole Hardisty

Educator

(Bio to come)