Ahousaht First Nation, a Nuu-Chah-Nulth Nation on Vancouver Island, BC, embarked on an initiative to rekindle their cultural identity through a performance-based experience.
In the summer of 2023, the Kici-Anishnabek Kananakachiwewat Community Services Cooperative (Cote First Nations Elders' Council) of eastern Saskatchewan hosted the second annual Youth Culture Camp, about 100 km north of the Cote First Nation, on the aptly-named Peepaw Plains — elders say it means “the place where life begins.”
The People Bridge Advocacy (PBA) is a non-profit organization that builds positive relationships among diverse communities. In 2017, PBA partnered with Elder and Knowledge Keeper Harry Lafond and the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation to bring together Indigenous and New Canadian communities to exchange knowledge on Indigenous history and cultures.
Returning to Spirit (RTS) is an organization that fosters reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Canada. Their work includes workshops that speak to Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals and communities, deepening the reconciliation conversation across communities.
The oskayak kéhté-ayak atoskewin project (Youth and Elders Working Together) was a collaborative effort between Ochapowace Nation and Chacachas Cree Nation in the Archdiocese of Regina. The goal of the initiative was to foster understanding, healing and reconciliation through a gathering of Indigenous youth, Elders, survivors and non-Indigenous participants at Camp McKay, the historic site of the Round Lake Indian Residential School in Crooked Lake Valley.
The injustices of the past have left a dark legacy of intergenerational trauma and loss of identity and opportunity for Indigenous families. Many face systemic barriers, poverty, and disadvantage, resulting in a disproportionate number of child apprehensions. Western-focused parenting courses often fail to provide the confidence and inspiration needed by at-risk parents, many of whom grew up in foster care without receiving their cultural teachings.
The Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Foundation initiated a project to enrich education at its St. Michael Community School. The goal was to create an engaging outdoor learning area, incorporating Indigenous practices, culture and art into the school's environment.
The Healing Regalia Project is an initiative by the syiyaya Reconciliation Movement that hopes to heal the deep intergenerational trauma experienced by survivors and families from the St. Augustine's Residential School. The school operated in Sechelt, British Columbia between 1905 and 1974.
The Stó:lō Service Agency plays a vital role in serving the eleven communities that collectively form The Stó:lō Nation, encompassing S'olh Temexw—the traditional Stó:lō territory extending from Yale to Langley, BC.
In the heart of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation on the Bruce Peninsula, a remarkable initiative called the "Renewal of Spirit Through Music" project is breathing life back into the Indigenous language of the Neyaashinigmiing community.
