IRF Project Collections
Projects Supported by the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund
(New projects added every month)
The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund supports initiatives that address the historical trauma, intergenerational impacts and systemic injustices faced by Indigenous people.
Grants are provided for programs and projects that promote emotional, mental and physical healing for communities and families, ultimately contributing to a path of reconciliation and restoration of
well-being.
Returning to Spirit – Residential School Reconciliation Inc.
Located on the picturesque eastern shores of Lake Winnipeg, Hollow Water First Nation has deep roots in the land, inspiring spiritual connections within its members. Despite a strong legacy of community-led healing, the Nation has experienced many recent tragedies, including in September 2025.
Empowering youth outreach program
Access to education is an integral building block on the path to a successful future. Education opens doors to opportunities and helps young people foster critical literacy, thinking and social skills. However, many Indigenous communities do not have the resources to offer secondary or post-secondary education locally.
Preserving and revitalizing Indigenous cultures and languages allows Indigenous communities to reconnect with their rich cultural heritage and traditions.
Through grants provided for language revitalization programs, traditional arts and crafts or cultural education initiatives, Indigenous traditions and identities are celebrated and can be passed down to future generations.
Whitebear First Nation Traditional Protocol Event
The Indian Act remains a contentious piece of legislation within settler and Indigenous communities. Despite policies within it aimed at limiting traditional practices, it is also the only document that allows some measure of protection for Indigenous traditions. It remains in place today to ensure that erasure efforts led by colonialization, such as the Residential School System, never return.
Nêhiyawak Drumming, Dancing and Singing Healing Circle
In the effort to erase Indigenous Peoples from Canada, settler governments implemented policies to restrict sacred cultural practices such as traditional singing, dancing, Pow Wows, and ceremonial gatherings. Despite these measures, Indigenous Peoples fought back and continued to participate in events and pass down Indigenous ways of knowing in secret.
Education and community building are key drivers of reconciliation efforts. Funds provided for educational programs, workshops and community-building activities can help bridge knowledge gaps, strengthen ties between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and promote a deeper understanding of Indigenous history, experiences and knowledge.
150 Year Treaty 6 Signing Commenorative Trek to Fort Carlton
150 years ago on August 23, 1876, a pivotal moment in history was made with the signing of Treaty No. 6 at Fort Carlton, in what is today known as Saskatchewan. The critical treaty between First Nations and the Crown continues to impact life today.
A Shared Rhythm
It takes a community to raise a child. Lifestyle, worldviews, language and cultural values shape identity. For disenfranchised youth, especially Indigenous children in foster care, living away from traditional lands and being disconnected from their traditional practices have left them adrift and at risk of losing their cultural identity.
Grants are available to support programs, gatherings and events that facilitate the reconnection with and celebration of Indigenous spirituality and cultural practices.
These initiatives are an opportunity to foster awareness and appreciation of Indigenous worldviews, values and spiritual beliefs and contribute to a more inclusive society where Indigenous voices and traditions are honored and respected.
Everything is Interconnected
For generations, Indigenous children have been forcibly separated from their communities through policies whose entire purpose was dedicated to erasing Indigenous cultural identity. Today, Indigenous children in British Columbia make up 60% of those placed in foster homes through the child welfare system, leaving them displaced from their families, communities and culture.
Emerging from the Ashes
Since 1993, Mi'gmaq peoples living in what is now known as Québec have been revitalizing one of their most important cultural celebrations, the Listuguj Powwow. Today, it is one of the largest Indigenous gatherings in Atlantic Canada, bringing together people from across the country to celebrate Mi'gmaq traditions, language, and community pride through dancing, drumming and art.
