Navigating mainstream health and social service systems can be an experience marked by trauma and fear for many Indigenous Peoples. The systemic impacts of colonization continue to shape how this group inherently mistrust programs that have historically been biased against them.

Spiritual well-being for Indigenous Peoples is deeply rooted in the land and community connections. Yet, healthcare spaces often lack dedicated areas to support cultural and spiritual practices such as smudging and access to traditional foods and medicines.

Indigenous Peoples experience kidney disease at rates up to four times higher than the general population of Canada. And yet, they are often left behind by medical systems that traditionally lack supports grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing. The physical demands of treatment are only part of their journey, where emotional, spiritual, and social support is needed to ensure holistic health and healing.

Since 1972, the Woodland Cultural Centre has remained a beacon of Indigenous resilience and creativity, standing proud and resilient against systemic cultural erasure. Despite living within the walls of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School, it has become one of Canada’s most significant Indigenous-led cultural institutions.

Guiding young Indigenous Peoples to develop skills tied to their traditional culture through hands-on learning is the oldest form of knowledge sharing in Indigenous communities. Whether through storytelling or practical guidance, it builds bonds between the youngest and eldest and fosters pride in one’s community. This is how communities keep ancient traditions alive and instill sacred teachings in the next generation.

The path of healing is an individual and ongoing journey shaped by personal experiences and needs. For many residents of the Granville Gates Supportive Housing for Seniors in British Columbia, the legacy of intergenerational trauma inflicted by the residential school system continues to harm.

Canada has been facing a national crisis targeting the most vulnerable members of Indigenous communities. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) crisis has left lasting scars on families and friends and has woven itself into the very fabric of communities. Indigenous women are four times more likely to be the victims of homicide than non-Indigenous women.

Spiritual practices that have endured generations of colonization and systemic suppression are returning stronger, more vibrant and louder than ever before. With each passing year, Indigenous communities are unearthing their traditional roots and celebrating their unique cultures. For the Wahpeton Dakota Nation in Saskatchewan, the Sun Dance is one of the most important events the community is dedicated to revitalizing.

For over fifty years, Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan has been tirelessly committed to restoring pride in the Cree language, worldview and Indigenous identity throughout its Nation. This preservation-driven strategy is rooted in the belief that no one can tell Muskeg Lake’s story better than its own people.

In the last decade, there has been a surge in Indigenous Peoples’ desire to reconnect with traditional practices and cultural expression through hands-on activities. The Catholic Church shares this drive to revitalize a culture that has historically been oppressed under systemic institutions. Creating safe spaces to teach traditional skills and bring Indigenous Peoples of all ages together is key to achieving this shared goal.