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.
To provide a safe, inclusive, and culturally relevant space for such teachings, Gull Bay Sacred Heart of Jesus R.C. Church has chosen to purchase a teepee. The teepee will serve as a hub for land-based activities and a space for sharing knowledge, language and culture between Elders, spiritual leaders, Knowledge Keepers, youth, and children.
Providing financial support for Indigenous students in their educational journey is a key part of reconciliation. Bursaries often play an important role in opening the door to continuing studies, fostering self-esteem, and cultivating skills that students can later contribute to their communities.
Residential schools have left wounds of generational trauma and cultural disconnection not just on those who attended the institutions, but on their children, grandchildren and other family members. In Thunder Bay, Ontario, the Indigenous Ministry understands the need for intergenerational healing and connection and has created the Residential School Survivor Listening Circle, a place for sharing stories and finding healing.
For many Indigenous communities, food is medicine and medicine is food. Growing food is a connection to Traditional Knowledge and others in the community. Indigenous women, especially, hold important wisdom about healing with traditional plants.
Boozhoo, a greeting, and miigwech, an expression of gratitude – these words are the foundation of the Ojibwe language. In a deliberate attempt to sever the ties that bound Indigenous people to their cultural roots, speaking Ojibwe or any other Indigenous language was forbidden in the residential school system, resulting in a loss of cultural identity that is still acutely felt in communities today.
