IRF Project Collections

Projects Supported by the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund

(New projects added every month)

Pillar One

Healing and Reconciliation for Communities and Families

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.

  • A Calm Oasis

    Indigenous women have always played the vital cultural role as caregivers, leaders, knowledge keepers, and supports for their families and communities. But these traditional roles have become warped by colonialist viewpoints and intergenerational trauma.

  • Care and Concern for Culture

    Many healthcare facilities in Canada have prayer rooms or religious rooms, but the unique needs of Indigenous cultures are often overlooked. In Alberta, few hospitals have space for Indigenous patients and their families to gather for prayer, smudging, and healing, particularly in areas protected from the weather.

Pillar Two

Culture and Language Revitalization

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.

  • Unearthing Sight

    In the community of Sipekne’katik, Nova Scotia, lies the Sainte-Anne Mission site. This site is a powerful symbol of the Mi’kmaq ancestral homeland and the enduring relationship between the Mi’kmaq people and the Roman Catholic faith.

  • Stitching Together Connections

    Indigenous communities have always passed down ancient traditional practices from generation to generation. Sewing, beading, and the creation of cultural clothing and regalia is an art form that helps define Indigenous Nations and Treaty territories through unique weaving patterns, colour and shapes.

Pillar Three

Education and Community Building

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.

  • A Shared Note

    The traditional Indigenous flute is honoured in many cultures for its calming, meditative sound and importance in traditional practices. Often blended with the sounds of the land, the rivers, rain, or wind, it connects its player with nature and their spiritual self.

  • Through the Stained Glass

    Indigenous worldviews, ways of knowing, and traditions have always been expressed through art, embedded in the foundations of stone, wood, hides, clay and beads. For generations, Indigenous artists have been the safekeepers of sacred traditions during times when systems of oppression have tried to erase them.

Pillar Four

Dialogues for Promoting Indigenous Spirituality and Culture

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.

  • A Deeper Understanding

    Sacred gatherings have been used for countless generations in Indigenous cultures. These ceremonies mark important social, cultural and spiritual events and vary from Nation-to-Nation.

  • Tackling Food Insecurity

    The lasting impacts of colonization and the residential school system have left deep physical, emotional, and spiritual scars on Indigenous Peoples and their communities. Systemic policies have led to cultural practices, sacred connections to the land, and traditional ways of living and knowing to be lost.