A Memorial Monument for Grouard Mission Cemetery
Grouard Mission, a hamlet on Treaty 8 territory in Northern Alberta, is rich in Indigenous history and home to a primarily Indigenous population. Its cemetery, with the earliest recorded burials dating back to 1873, holds the stories of generations past. Among the 1,500 residents buried there, 221 are presumed to be children from the Indian Residential School in Grouard. As the years pass, Elders in the community fear that the identities of those laid to rest may fade into history.
Summer Success Literacy Camps Support Indigenous Students
High school graduation is a critical milestone that helps youth transition successfully into adulthood and contribute to their communities. In Canada, there are significant gaps between non-Indigenous and Indigenous students' literacy skills, reflecting the intergenerational harm of residential schools.
2024 Rock Your Roots: Walk for Reconciliation
The Rock Your Roots: Walk for Reconciliation in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is held annually on June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day. It brings together community members to honour residential school Survivors, foster a shared understanding of Canada’s true history, and build relationships among Indigenous people, non-Indigenous Canadians and newcomers to Canada.
Building Community and Healing Through Cooking
St. Mary's Wellness and Education is a school facility that was established in the Pleasant Hill Community of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan over 100 years ago. About 90% of its students are of Indigenous ancestry. The community continues to feel the traumatic effects of residential schools and has a strong need for community-building initiatives, inter-generational education, and healing programs.
Re-awakening Ancestral Ways of Knowing at Star Blanket Cree Nation
Many issues within Indigenous family systems stem from the trauma experienced at residential schools, leading to the loss of ancestral knowledge, value systems, ceremonies, language, and identity. These losses often result in the abuse of substances, alcohol, devices, and even other people.
The Northern Prairie Indigenous Peoples Collective’s Summer Solstice Event
In Northern Saskatchewan, many Indigenous families grapple with socio-economic challenges and often have limited access to support services, especially for youth and children. For these communities, fostering a sense of cultural identity and pride among youth is critical for their holistic well-being and community resilience.
Out On The Land: St. Louis Métis Cultural and Land-Based Teachings
St. Louis, a Métis community in Saskatchewan, faces many challenges as the result of colonization and intergenerational trauma – from mental health issues and substance abuse to social issues such as domestic violence and suicide. To foster healing, St. Louis Métis Local, representing over 600 Métis citizens, is launching "Out On The Land," a program that will reconnect community members with their cultural roots and the natural environment.
Leadership Development Retreat for Student Council at Ben Calf Robe School
With a student body comprised of mostly Indigenous youth, education at Ben Calf Robe School (BCR) in Edmonton, Alberta, is firmly grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing. Central to the school’s mission is the celebration of Indigenous culture and language, nurturing a sense of belonging and community among its students.
Ben Calf Robe School Nurtures Bodies and Minds with Nutrition Program
Ben Calf Robe School (BCR) in Edmonton, Alberta, serves over 450 students, most of whom are Indigenous. The school offers an educational experience deeply rooted in Indigenous culture and ways of knowing, and healing and reconciliation are part of the daily experience for students.
Revitalizing the Plains Cree Language at 2024 “Keep Our Language Alive” Conference
The XYE Cree Speakers' Society was founded in 2021 by Milton Tootoosis, a nêhiyaw of the Poundmaker Cree Nation in Treaty Six Territory, with the goal to revitalize the Plains Cree language and promote the teachings of Cree Elders and traditional speakers. This learning process often challenges conventional Western education and requires a commitment to reconciling both worlds.