Returning to Prayer: A Warrior for the Creator

At just 23, Lyla reached a breaking point. Struggling with addiction, she cried out to the Creator,
not for help but to be brought home. What followed was a near-death experience during an
earthquake while studying abroad in South America. It became a divine intervention. “I didn’t get sober for myself,” she shares. “I got sober for the people.” Lyla explains how daily prayer, connection to ceremony, and guidance from her elders helped her return to her purpose: to be a warrior for Creator and to serve future generations with clarity and love.

Education as Resistance: Reclaiming the Classroom

Even during her years of addiction, Lyla was a straight-A student. But she is quick to point out
that colonial education only values certain types of intelligence, namely analytical thinking.
“There are so many other kinds of intelligence- land intelligence, artistic intelligence, relational
intelligence,” she explains. “I just used the tools I had to serve my community.” From Stanford to her PhD in Indigenous land management, Lyla reimagined academia as a space for land defence, sacred site protection, and cultural revitalization. Her message is clear: we get to define how learning serves our people.

On Ceremony, Healing, and Living with Responsibility

Lyla’s sobriety and activism are rooted in a powerful teaching: we are here to serve.
Her elders told her, “You’ll serve the Creator best when you have the mind the Creator
gave you.” For Lyla, this meant releasing substances, returning to sacred practices, and
dedicating her life to service. “If you’re struggling,” she says, “surround yourself with something to care for. Whether it’s a garden, a pet, a child, or a prayer. That responsibility can anchor you.”

Matriarchy as a Way of Life

To Lyla, matriarchy is not simply about power structures. It is a worldview. It is how we honor
the life-givers, the land, and the sacred balance between masculine and feminine energies.
“When the feminine is broken, everything is broken,” she says. “But when the feminine is
healed, everything heals.” She explains how the harm inflicted on Indigenous women reverberates through entire communities. Healing the women, she reminds us, is a gateway to healing the whole.

Indigenous Futurism and Becoming a Gift to the Earth

Lyla’s latest project is an online course to help people of all backgrounds reconnect with the
Earth through Indigenous values. From pollinator gardens to bird habitats, her work focuses on
realigning with nature’s rhythms and responsibilities. “You don’t have to save the world,” she says. “Even helping one bee is enough.” Her upcoming book explores how Indigenous peoples have always shaped landscapes with care, abundance, and reciprocity. It offers a path for all of us to become a blessing to the Earth again.

Advice for Non-Indigenous Listeners

When asked how non-Indigenous people can support Indigenous communities, Lyla offers a
powerful reflection.

“Know thyself. Know your lineage. Remember your own Earth-based traditions.”
She encourages settlers to follow the leadership of Indigenous people whose land they reside
on. Support means listening, showing up with humility, and taking action rooted in relationship
rather than performance.

Key Teachings from This Episode

✨ Healing is a daily practice of prayer, sobriety, and service
✨ Indigenous education can be reclaimed and reimagined
✨ Matriarchy is a worldview centered on balance and respect
✨ You do not need to help everyone – supporting one life is enough
✨ Everyone has ancestral roots that matter
✨ Our lives are meant to serve something greater than ourselves
✨ Ceremony and spiritual connection are essential in today’s world

Support Lyla June’s Work

🌐 Website: lylajune.com
📖 Upcoming Book: Human Beings as a Gift to the Earth (2025)
🎵 Music, Poetry, and Teachings: YouTube
📸 Instagram: @lylajune

Listen to the full episode wherever you stream your podcasts.

This conversation is more than dialogue. It is a ceremony. A remembering. A guide toward
deeper connection with self, land, and spirit.

Thank you for tuning into the Matriarch Movement Podcast.
If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review, share with your community, or tag us
online.

Follow Shayla on Instagram: @shayla0h
Learn more: matriarchmovement.ca
Podcast produced by Women in Media Network:
www.womeninmedia.network/show/matriarch-movement