The Ontario Native Women's Association (ONWA) is strengthening their community-responsive programming. These initiatives focus on supporting Indigenous women's wellness and fostering healing through honouring and sharing spiritual teachings and traditional land-based ceremonial practices.
Wigwamen Incorporated, Ontario's oldest urban Indigenous housing provider, is addressing this critical issue through its Family and Seniors Housing portfolio in Toronto. Wigwamen Terrace, one of the organization's longstanding buildings, is home to 127 residents, 95% of whom are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit.
Teach For Canada-Gakinaamaage steps into this educational gap by collaborating with remote Nations to recruit dedicated teachers, offering community-focused training, and providing comprehensive support.
Designed to address the disconnect between urban Indigenous youth and their cultural roots, the Culture Camps have hosted young campers every year in July and August for over 30 years. Camps are taking place in Clarendon Station on the traditional territory of the Anishinabewaki, Treaty 27, and have become communal gathering spaces for learning, traditional ceremonies, and recreational activities.
Funding from the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) will support Every Parent Matters, one of the many programs facilitated by the Mission. It is a listening circle with guidance by Elder Dr. Bob Philips that offers a space for people to grieve and help cope with the loss of a child.
Giiwedin Anang, meaning North Star in Anishinaabemoin, guides Indigenous families through the complex web of child welfare disputes. The essence of Giiwedin Anang lies in recognizing that true healing and reconciliation cannot happen if Indigenous children continue to be disproportionately removed from their families and communities.
In many Nunavut communities, resources and support are scarce, compounding the challenges faced by grieving families. Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Katujjiqatigiit ("Embrace Life Council") has taken on the initiative of assembling and distributing Grief Care Packages as a way to connect with families to show compassion and empathy and offer much needed support after a tragic loss.
In the spirit of fostering understanding and healing, the Atikamekw Nation Council organizes Koski Matametan, a large-scale event that brings together First Nations from across Quebec along with the general public. The event includes commemorative and ceremonial events as well as cultural celebrations. A dedicated psychological support team ensures attendees have a safe space for emotional well-being.
To help address the intergenerational trauma and facilitate healing, the Women of the Dawn Ministry hosted the Healing Hearts Conference, a 3-day workshop for Elders, Survivors, and intergenerational survivors, in Regina, Saskatchewan, allowing attendees to learn together through traditional healing methods.
The weekly Wellbriety Circle at the Dilico Anishinabek Family Care Centre in Fort William First Nation, near Thunder Bay, Ontario, offers a culturally based approach to support healing from addiction and intergenerational trauma. The program uses cultural values and teachings to address not only addiction but co-occurring disorders and the deep wounds of intergenerational trauma. While rooted in Indigenous cultural practices, the program welcomes participants from all backgrounds.
