Connecting The Stars: Sharing Indigenous and Deaf Ways of Healing

Theme: Connecting The Stars: Sharing Indigenous and Deaf Ways of Healing

“Connecting the Stars” speaks to the web of relationships that weave Indigenous and Deaf ways of being and Nature as pathways toward healing. My identity as a Deaf, Disabled, Queer woman has been shaped by the forest, where I learned that listening in silence reveals deeper truths. Through tears I once thought were shameful, I discovered grief as sacred medicine—healing waters that soften the heart and allow us to begin again.

This journey also carries responsibility—acknowledging my settler ancestry, my privileges, and the humility needed to build trust with Indigenous relatives. Traveling across Turtle Island in a converted shuttle bus, I connected Deaf communities with nature, ensuring access to the forests that have long been protected by Indigenous peoples. Along the way, my relationships with Indigenous friends, elders, and Deaf community members offered me insight on many ways we can…