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.

  • The Past is Today

    In Indigenous communities, the transfer of sacred knowledge from Elder to youth thrived in historic settings due to living together in close-knit Nations. The forced displacement and the migration of many Indigenous Peoples away from their traditional lands has made this transfer of knowledge increasingly difficult.

  • A Season of Renewal

    The Sun Dance is an ancient, sacred ceremony celebrated by First Nations Peoples living in the grasslands of Saskatchewan. It has been hosted for generations to honour the renewal of life, bountiful and lush seasons, community connections, and spiritual and physical well-being.

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.

  • 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.

  • For Our Tomorrow

    As Indigenous communities seek to invest in the future, they are turning to the true changemakers of tomorrow: Indigenous youth. Across Canada, there is a need for culturally grounded programming to support youth in engaging in ceremony, leadership, and cultural learning to carry on sacred traditions.

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.

  • Ceremony of Ceremonies

    Many Indigenous Peoples face emotional, spiritual, and physical disconnect from their culture, the land and their communities. Colonization and the residential school system deliberately implemented policies aimed at cultural erasure, leading to generations of traumatized Indigenous individuals and families.

  • Together, One Beat

    For generations, the transition from youth to adulthood in Wolastoqey Nation has been a sacred process guided by ceremony, cultural teachings, and traditional dances. Like many other communities, these practices have been disrupted by colonization and systemic polices that deliberately blocked these sacred cultural practices.