Help Wakeah Jhane & Mylan After A House Fire

My name is Andrea Landry and I am organizing this fundraiser for my sister-in-law, Wakeah Jhane, my brother-in-law, Mylan Tootoosis, and their two beautiful babies, Ʉkʉnaapitʉ and Nʉmʉnain.

Last night at roughly 11PM on October 18th, 2022, their house caught fire and burned down. They lost absolutely everything.

Luckily, they were not at home during the fire because they were in Saskatoon for their daughters’ dental appointments. We are so grateful for this.

Cops were on the scene around 11:30 PM. The fire was extinguished around 1:30-2:00 AM. Investigations are ongoing and we are just relieved no one was hurt. We will update folks as soon as we receive more information about what happened.

Wakeah and Mylan and their girls are such valued members of our family and community, please consider helping them as they rebuild their lives. Anything is appreciated. Please amplify in your networks <3

About our family:

Wakeah is a self taught ledger artist from the Penatʉka & Yaparʉhka bands of Nʉmʉnʉʉ (Comanche) as well as Gaúigú (Kiowa). In addition to being an artist she is a fantastic mother to her two babies who she puts above everything. Wakeah had just finished cleaning and setting up her studio prior to their trip to Saskatoon. The fire has taken all of her ledger books, her paints, and her heart. Heartbreakingly, the fire has also stolen special

cradle heirlooms and priceless items from her great great grandmother dating back to more than 100 years. This is a devastating cultural loss.

Mylan is Nêhiyawpwat (Plains Cree-Nakota) from Poundmaker Cree Nation located within Treaty Six Territory. He is currently a Doctoral Student in the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Saskatchewan, a lecturer at the University of British Columbia, and a Life Skills Coach on the Student Services team at Chief Little Pine School. He also hosts the Radicle Narrative Podcast. The fire took all of his books, work-from-home set-up and podcasting gear. In Mylan’s words:

“Felt helpless all night, but I’m glad we’re here. Our stuff is likely all gone. My work from home set up is gone, WJ’s art and supplies, our outfits, the cradle boards, heirlooms, my books, girls clothes, the podcast gear, and basically everything we need for our livelihood.

So as of last night we literally have no home and stuff to go right now, stuff is replaceable. It’s so damn wild…we got the Factory Reset. We will figure it out. I’m really more so upset that Ʉkʉnaapitʉ and Nʉmʉnaina lost their safe space and their routine. Ʉkʉnaapitʉ will likely ask to go back soon and that is upsetting more than everything else right now.

We talked, we don’t want the girls to see the house. We had two days planned and will likely stick to our routine for the day and tomorrow, then figure it out from there. We have the minivan and commuter car, a few days worth of clothes. I still have work and contracts to fulfill, so currently regrouping and figuring out a space and plan. We good, Ʉkʉnaapitʉ is happy. Nʉmʉnaina is still sleeping hard.”

Ʉra - hiy hiy for reading + helping our family during this devastating time.