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.

  • Seated at the Table

    The Ojibwa name for Peterborough, Ontario is “Nogojiwanong”, meaning the place at the end of rapids. It has become a place where many Indigenous Peoples are experiencing increasing levels of food insecurity, rising costs of living, limited access to nutritious food, and ongoing impacts of colonization and systemic inequities.

  • With Honour

    The trauma of the residential school system has haunted communities and families for generations. Many still grieve without closure for the children who entered through a school door but never left. For them, Ground Penetration Mapping is one of the only ways to locate their loved ones, honour their resting place, and begin to heal. Yet these technological services remain costly, time-consuming, and require support from organizations who are deeply respectful and detail-oriented in their approach.

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.

  • Songs of the Land

    As a time for renewal and connection, summer has held an important place in the hearts of Indigenous Peoples for countless generations. For those living in remote or rural areas more likely to see harsher winters, summer can be a time of relief. However, as the number of wildfires increases each year, summer is quickly becoming a season to fear. After a devastating fire swept through Lytton, British Columbia in 2021, the effects exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, that fear caused traditional celebrations to be paused.

  • Wiigwaas Jiimaan

    The building of a birch bark canoe, known as wiigwaas jiimaan in Anishinaabemowin, is a sacred act in Anishinaabek culture. The canoe represents the physical connection to the water, the land, and to one another.

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.

  • Repairing the Faith

    The relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the Catholic Church is one fraught with historic pain and injustice. Hundreds of years of systemic oppression and cultural erasure from colonial institutions have taken its toll, and today, it remains one of the more difficult bridges to rebuild in the spirit of reconciliation.

  • Bridging the Gap

    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.

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.

  • Changing the System

    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.

  • Celebrating our Stories

    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.