Crow Shield Lodge – The Healing Path

The Healing Power of Cultural and Land-Based Connection

Crow Shield Lodge, an Indigenous-led non-profit organization in the Waterloo, Ontario region, is deeply committed to fostering the well-being of Indigenous communities. Their mission revolves around celebrating gatherings, providing safe spaces for healing and a reconnection with the land. This holistic approach helps Indigenous individuals rediscover their cultural heritage.

Central to their efforts are cultural workshops and experiences that draw Indigenous people back to their roots, reinforcing their Indigenous identity. This reconnection serves as a bridge to further engagement with traditions like sharing circles, ceremonies, and other traditional healing practices. While the Lodge primarily focuses on supporting Indigenous community members, they recognize the significance of involving non-Indigenous community members in the truth and reconciliation process. They firmly believe that true healing encompasses all nations, acknowledging that collective wholeness is crucial for individual healing.

Thanks to the support of the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund, Crow Shield Lodge is able to continue offering sharing circles that were initially organized in collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health Association. The demand for sharing circles has been consistently high, coming from community members, allies, and newcomers to the area. IRF funding will cover salaries for four facilitators, two firekeepers and an administrator responsible for coordinating these sessions.

Over the past two years, the Lodge has witnessed how their cultural programming fosters stronger family bonds, aids in addiction recovery, deepens connections with all nations and positively influences mental, spiritual, and physical well-being. The community has grown stronger, not just through shared experiences and healing from trauma, but also through the joy of finding connection with each other, the land, and their spirits.

While Crow Shield Lodge prioritizes work with Indigenous community members, they recognize the importance of working with non-Indigenous community members for truth and reconciliation. “We do understand that to fully heal we must walk with all nations. No one of us can be whole and truly healed until we all are.”

To learn more, visit their website at www.crowshieldlodge.com

Diocese of Hamilton