Recipients of Reconciliation Action Grants

Timber and Tide: A Métis Journey

Métis Nation British Columbia
Surrey, BC
September 2025

Timber and Tide: A Métis Journey was a three-day canoe and cultural revitalization camp for Métis youth ages 15–17. Participants learned about the historical importance of the canoe and portage in Métis life, along with vital survival skills, leadership development, and the resourcefulness embodied by their ancestors. They also took part in a pre-trip woodworking workshop, reflecting on the creativity and ingenuity of traditional Métis transportation like the Red River Cart. This initiative connected youth to their heritage while promoting cultural pride, reconnection, and healing, and it fostered deeper intergenerational relationships and community resilience.

(Tea)chings Gallery Space: Mi’kma’ki Spotlight Artist-Led Workshop

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Halifax, NS
September 2025 – 2026

Mi’kmaw artist Gordon Sparks, from Pabineau First Nation, will lead workshops both on reserve and in urban Indigenous communities as part of the Mi’kma’ki Artists Spotlight at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Working predominantly with clay, workshop participants will engage in discussion, learning, and reflection, and join in hands-on learning of carving techniques to create their own work. The artworks created will later be showcased in the (Tea)chings gallery space, deepening engagement and connection.

MMIWG2S+ Blanket Making and Commemoration Initiative

Yukon Aboriginal Women’s Council
Whitehorse, YK
Fall 2025 – Spring 2026

The MMIWG2S+ Blanket Making and Commemoration Initiative fosters healing and reconciliation through a nine-month series of workshops (July 2025 – March 2026). The initiative includes three phases: Remembrance Blanket Workshops, Faceless Doll Workshops, and a Community Quilt Creation. Led by Elders and traditional artists, the workshops will offer cultural teachings, emotional support, and storytelling opportunities for participants. The final quilt will be showcased at public events, including Red Dress Day and the Sisters in Spirit Vigil Walk.

Mosetan – Let’s Walk Forward Together

L’Organisme Kina8at
La Conception, QC
Fall 2025 

Mosetan – Let’s Walk Forward Together was a multi-day, land-based retreat for Indigenous youth ages 12–17. Held at the Kina8at Cultural Center, the retreat fostered language revitalization, hands-on cultural learning, and intergenerational connection. Guided by Elders and knowledge keepers, participants engaged in ancestral language workshops, traditional crafts, ceremonies, and land-based teachings. The retreat offered a safe and supportive environment for youth to explore identity and connection, and they returned home with renewed confidence and a desire to share their learnings.

National Indigenous Peoples Day at Beaches Sandbox

Beaches Sandbox Foundation
Scarborough, ON
June 21, 2025 

On June 21, Beaches Sandbox hosted a free, family-friendly celebration in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day. The event featured Indigenous-led workshops, teachings, and performances, including a caregiver-and-tot rattle-making session, beaded strawberry workshop, traditional teachings from Elder Cat Criger, and a live music performance by Rosary Spence. Guests also enjoyed traditional food tastings throughout the day. The celebration was open to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members to deepen their understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, and communities while fostering a welcoming space. 

Residential School Survivors Videos

Saskatoon Public Library
Saskatoon, SK
Full Year 2025–2026 

The Saskatoon Public Library partnered with Residential School Survivors to record their oral histories, capturing personal accounts of life before, during, and after residential school attendance. These videos will be made available online, allowing the wider public to access firsthand stories of resilience, survival, and the lasting impacts on families and communities. The project provided survivors with a safe space to share their stories for the first time, fostered community understanding, and created a lasting resource for education, reflection, and reconciliation. 

Mountain Biking as Reconciliation

Indigenous Women Outdoors Society 
Brackendale, BC 
Summer–Fall 2025 

Indigenous Women Outdoors Society hosted a mountain biking program that brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous women, gender-diverse, and Two-Spirit participants to experience the outdoors while fostering cultural exchange. Indigenous participants shared knowledge of the land, language, ancestral stewardship, and traditional foods and medicines, while non-Indigenous participants and coaches shared mountain biking knowledge and skills. The program promoted reciprocal cultural and knowledge exchange within the group. 

Special Abilities

Canadian National Institute for the Blind / L’Institut national Canadien pour les aveugles
Various Locations
Summer–Fall 2025 

CNIB hosted Special Abilities Dance events across multiple communities, giving individuals with disabilities, including blindness and low vision, the opportunity to participate fully in Indigenous cultural celebrations. Participants engaged in powwow dancing alongside community members, fostering inclusion, confidence, and cultural connection. The program strengthened participants’ sense of belonging, highlighted the importance of accessibility in cultural spaces, and celebrated the intersection of Indigenous heritage and disability, creating a meaningful environment for shared learning, empowerment, and community engagement. 

Dream Lodge at the Dreamspeakers International Indigenous Film Festival

Dreamspeakers Festival Society
Edmonton, AB
September–October 2025

Dreamspeakers Festival Society invited youth to participate in the Dream Lodge at the Dreamspeakers International Indigenous Film Festival, engaging with the legacy and impact of residential schools through Indigenous storytelling and film. Youth took part in hands-on workshops covering basic filmmaking techniques, panel discussions, and Q&As with Indigenous filmmakers, as well as the Reconciliation Café, where small-group discussions were facilitated by Knowledge Keepers and Elders. The Dream Lodge encouraged youth to recognize their power to reflect, make connections, and gain new skills as a direct redress of the legacy and impact of residential schools. 

Collingwood Indigenous CREW Youth Program

Collingwood Neighbourhood House Society
Vancouver, BC
Summer – Fall 2025

The Collingwood Indigenous C.R.E.W. (Culture, Recreation, Education, Work) Youth Program engaged Indigenous youth in preparing for the 2025 Pulling Together Canoe Journey while exploring their creativity through a graffiti arts program and deepening their connection to cultural practices. Working with a graffiti artist, the youth redesigned and modernized a historical canoe club logo, incorporating the C.R.E.W. name and their vision of community, resilience, empowerment, and wisdom. Through this project, they gained hands-on experience in artistic and cultural revitalization and strengthened their sense of belonging and identity. The updated logo now symbolizes the evolution of Indigenous leadership and representation in urban spaces, created by youth for their community.

Reclaiming Roots: Honouring Mi’kmaq Stories and Resilience

Elisipogtog School
Elsipogtog First Nation, NB
Summer, and School Year 2025-2026

At Elsipogtog School, 350 students will engage in a transformative journey of cultural reclamation and healing by creating traditional Mi’gmaq masks, guided by the wisdom of Elders and the spirit of their community. Beginning with the ceremonial harvesting of a tree from a site of past loss, students will honour ancestors, learn traditional medicines and Mi’gmaq ways of being, and imbue the masks with life and meaning. These masks, presented at the Atlantic Native Teachers’ Education Conference and then kept at the school, will serve as enduring teachings for future generations, symbolizing resilience, intergenerational learning, and the unbreakable spirit of the Mi’gmaq people.

Harvesting Harmony: A Cross-Cultural Gardening Initiative

Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Social Services
Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, ON
Summer – Fall 2025

The Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Social Services led Harvesting Harmony: A Cross-Cultural Gardening Initiative, a community-based project that brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants to share knowledge, traditions, and experiences through gardening. Building on the existing community garden, the initiative offered programming throughout the growing season, including storytelling sessions, seed swaps, cooking and harvest festivals, art and garden fusion, and teachings on plant medicine. By fostering collaboration and cultural exchange, the project strengthen relationships, promote reconciliation, and nurture a spirit of mutual respect, shared learning, and community well-being.

Culture Camp

North Hastings High School (Wolf Pack)
Bancroft, ON
Summer 2025

The Wolf Pack participated in three days of intensive land-based learning with community partners, Knowledge Keepers, and an Elder. During the experience, students took part in ceremonies, went on medicine walks, explored environmental stewardship, learned about water carriers, and deepened their personal connection to the land while gaining an understanding of Anishinaabe culture. After the camp, the students created a collection of art, photo essays, poems, personal essays, and short stories to reflect on what they had learned, using the Medicine Wheel framework as a guide.

Indigenous Cultural Workshops for National Indigenous Peoples Day

Zeezee Theatre Society
Vancouver, BC
June 7–21, 2025 

On June 14, 2025, to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, Zee Zee Theatre hosted a day of cultural workshops and traditional foods in collaboration with three Coast Salish youth artists. The event featured Alysha Collie’s (Soowahlie Nation) Big Beaded Bling workshop celebrating contemporary beadwork, Bella Casey’s (shíshálh Nation) closed cedar headband regalia workshop for Indigenous participants to strengthen cultural identity, and Ali Casey’s (shíshálh Nation) cedar basket weaving workshop open to the community. Rooted in Coast Salish protocols, the day provided opportunities for community connection, cultural pride, and celebration of Indigenous joy. 

Kidz Fest Indigenous Village

Ha Ha Ha Kidz Fest Society
Penticton, BC
June 5–7, 2025 

Ha Ha Ha Kidz Fest partnered with the Ooknakane Friendship Centre to create the Indigenous Village, a space for local, regional, and provincial Indigenous communities to share cultural teachings, art, and culture through a variety of participatory and performance activities. Over 3,000 festival attendees, including school groups and families, had the opportunity to engage with Indigenous culture, hear community stories, and learn from local Elders and youth. The initiative fostered intergenerational collaboration, strengthened cultural identity, and provided Indigenous youth with a platform to share their experiences, culture, and pride with their peers.  

JORDAN: Building Culturally Responsive Curriculum & Conversations

Geordie Productions Inc. 
Montreal, QC 
March–April 2025

Geordie Productions brought the story of Jordan River Anderson to the stage, highlighting the significance of Jordan’s Principle and the ongoing fight for equitable healthcare for Indigenous youth. Through live theatre performances, theatre workshops, post-show discussions, and comprehensive study guides, 2,500 youth from Montreal and Kahnawake engaged with Indigenous storytelling, disability justice, and systemic inequities. Jordan raises awareness of the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous families and sparks essential conversations on reconciliation, healthcare equity, and cultural revitalization. 

2SIQTIP Gathering

Qmunity Camp NWT
Yellowknife, NWT
March 2024

Oshki Wupoowane | The Blanket Fund supported Qmunity Camp NWT’s first-ever 2SIQTIP (Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, Queer and Transgender Indigenous Peoples) Gathering in March 2024.

The Gathering created a space where all people could explore their identities without boundaries and build community through traditional Indigenous practices.

Rooted in providing teachings around traditional medicines, arts, storytelling, and ceremony, the multi-day gathering included inclusive land-based activities.

Activities encouraged the participants to explore their culture in a way that fostered a safe connection to the community, self, and land.

The Gathering had significant impacts on the 2SIQTIP community, helping to heal the past and future through reconnection to the land.

This was the first-ever gathering of this kind in the North!

World-builders, shapeshifters

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Oshawa, ON
November 18, 2023 – April 7, 2024

World-builders, shapeshifters is a group exhibition that invites us to gather, dream, and speak about love, grief, and togetherness.

The exhibition brings together six early- and mid-career Indigenous artists based in Southern Ontario, to jointly consider what a future led by Indigenous women and non-binary folks could look like.

To accompany the exhibition, a small publication will be made featuring a curatorial essay, love letters from each artist to the future generation, and images of the exhibition.

The publication will be designed and produced by Summer Bird, an Oshawa-based Anishinaabek graphic designer.

Additionally, there will be an in-person artist talk, allowing audiences to connect directly with the artists, ask questions, and learn about the works on display, as well as guided tours of the exhibition for schools, community organizations, and general audiences.

Ribbons For Reconciliation

Westmount Community School
Saskatoon, SK
School year 2023/24

Ribbons for Reconciliation is an opportunity for Indigenous students to explore, experience, and participate in their culture, and for non-Indigenous students to share in the learning.

Isaruit Reconciliation Workshops

Isaruit Inuit Arts
Ottawa, BC
Winter 2023 – Summer 2024

The Isaruit Reconciliation Workshops will highlight various aspects of Inuit culture, particularly: Qulliqs (seal oil lamps), Qamutiks (Inuit Travelling Sledges) & Travel, and Amautiks (Baby-carrying parka) and Families.

Each workshop will be delivered by Inuit, in Inuktitut, with translation into English (or French) as needed, or in English for a non-Inuit audience.

Information will be shared through stories, songs, images, demonstrations, and hands-on activities.

Reconciliation Through Art & Music

École Élémentaire Académie de la Tamise
London, ON
School Year 2023/24

Académie de la Tamise is bringing Indigenous voices into the school thanks to support from the Reconciliation Action Grant.

To foster the spirit of reconciliation amongst the youth, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and artists will lead educational presentations and activities.

The awareness and knowledge the students carry away with them will have a long-lasting impact, as they grow into the leaders of tomorrow.

As a celebration of Indigenous cultures, the speaker series will culminate in a trip to a local Indigenous event and pow wow.

Painted Pathways: An Indigenous Art Journey

O’KANATA
Winnipeg, MB
Spring-Summer 2024

Painted Pathways: An Indigenous Art Journey aims to revitalize the interest in Indigenous art, artistry, and creativity among Manitoba’s rural and remote Indigenous youth.

O’KANATA staff will travel to northern communities and, in conjunction with local facilitators and Elders, put on artist workshops; exploring photography, painting, sculpture, and beadwork.

Indigenous youth will be given an education on traditional art history, as well as the tools to create their own artwork to display in their homes, community, and eventually, an art show.

Foundry East Kootenay Mural & Language Project

Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child & Family Services Society
Cranbrook, BC
Winter 2023/24

The Reconciliation Action Grant is helping Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child & Family Service Society to integrate language and culture throughout the organization.

Local youth artist, Darcy Roshau, will create a mural, featuring significant places from the Ktunaxa Creation Story. Indigenous youth will collaborate with Darcy to complete the mural, offering them an opportunity to explore Darcy’s chosen mediums and artistic techniques.

Ktunaxa language signs will also be added throughout the facility. Given the threat of language loss, the inclusion of the Ktunaxa language aims to engage the youth in the language reclamation process.

Multicultural Pow Wow Club Performance

Sweetgrass Youth Alliance
Shaughnessy, AB
March 24, 2024

In continuing to support Indigenous youth transitioning to adulthood, Sweetgrass Youth Alliance will host a year-end performance showcasing the hard work and effort of the students in the Multicultural Pow Wow Club.

The event will provide an opportunity to share Indigenous culture and traditions with the larger community, and feature Blackfoot Elders, drumming, pow wow dance, and singing.

Participants will also be provided with the opportunity to learn the history of the Blackfoot people and their language.

Bundle Building Program – Odeiwin: Connect

Odeiwin
Richmond Hill, ON
December 2023 to Summer (August) 2024

With the support of Oshki Wupoowane | The Blanket Fund, Odeiwin aims to create meaningful experiences that celebrate Indigenous heritage for local Indigenous youth.

Through experiential workshops, youth participants will receive important history, teachings, and hands-on experience building traditional items such as shakers, moccasins, and ribbon skirts.

The workshops will culminate in the inaugural Odeiwin: Connect – Indigenous Culture Camp this summer, empowering Indigenous families to participate in the cultural revitalization and holistic health process and reconnect with their heritage.

The Drum is My Medicine

Stardale Women’s Group Inc.
Calgary, AB
Winter 2023-24

Recognizing a deep need for cultural understanding and what that means as a young Indigenous woman, Stardale Women’s Group intends to build on its existing program content and start a drum circle that will support and develop rising matriarchs.

The Drum is My Medicine program will provide the girls an artistic lens through which they can examine their own world, giving them a healthy outlet for self-driven personal examination while also offering social support and building community.

Indigenous Medicine Garden

École C.C. Loughlin School
Corner Brook, NL
2023-24 School Year

As a recipient of a Reconciliation Action Grant, École C.C. Loughlin School is using their funding to create a medicine garden to educate the school community about traditional Mi’kmaq medicines.

The area will serve as a quiet and calming space for students and staff to gather and learn about Mi’kmaq culture and traditions, as well as to sit, reflect, or connect to nature.

While the students wait for spring weather so they can install the garden beds, they have been keeping busy in other ways.

A final celebration will commemorate the gardens and the Indigenous community with the singing of the honour song and an unveiling of a mural created by a local artist.

Dreaming Roots

Yukon First Nations Culture & Tourism Association
Whitehorse, YT
Fall-Winter 2023

The theatrical production of Dreaming Roots is an inspiring performance journey by and about Yukon First Nations people.

The production weaved together spectacular work from Yukon Indigenous artists in dance, music, drumming, theatre, storytelling, and more in both traditional and contemporary forms. The 50+ Indigenous cast members represented the diversity of the fourteen Yukon First Nations and eight language groups, and included artists spanning multiple generations from youth to Elders.

As part of an ongoing legacy project in cultural performing arts revitalization, the show focused on a blanket approach, encompassing mentorship, youth access, and cultural supports.

The production has allowed people to develop new skills, make new connections across generations, and experience the power of finding one’s voice through art.

Indigenous Drumming

Quinson Elementary School
Prince George, BC
2023-24 School Year

Utilizing funding from the Reconciliation Action Grant, the Indigenous Drumming program will add Indigenous drums to Quinson Elementary School’s music classes, helping with the continued preservation of the songs and teachings that have been shared with School District No. 57.

The program will rely on continued support from local Elders and Indigenous musicians in the community that have shared their songs, stories, art with the school district and students.

With the addition of the drums, the school will also support an extracurricular student drum group, where the students will be able to use the drums in ceremony, Elder visits, healing circles, and in the classroom as part of daily routine and outdoor learning.

Drum Feasts with Kâpapâmahchakwêw (Wandering Spirit School)

Evergreen
Toronto, ON
2023-24 School Year

Through their drum feasts, Indigenous-led Kâpapâmahchakwêw, and settler-led Evergreen continue to work together to provide important Indigenous cultural traditions and land-based programs in the heart of Toronto.

In an effort to elevate Indigenous cultures and contribute to continued cultural revitalization, youth are invited to participate in traditional ceremonies.

Educational activities occur in the morning, such as fire building for older students and nature hikes for younger students.

A ceremonial meal will be held in the middle of the day, with older students and Elders preparing traditional foods.

Students celebrate throughout the day by engaging in traditional practices such as drumming and storytelling.

The Wâhkôhtowin Program

St. Francis Community School
Regina, SK
2023-24 School Year

The Wâhkôhtowin Program is an after-school crafting program made possible through the support of the Reconciliation Action Grant.

Through the making of ribbon skirts and shirts, the program provides an opportunity for Indigenous students to explore, experience, and participate in their culture, and for the school’s non-Indigenous students to share in this learning.

Wâhkôhtowin Knowledge Keepers have worked with community leaders to incorporate textiles and materials from other cultural groups into the program, so newcomer students may reflect their own personal culture in their garments.

These opportunities for cross-cultural learning and sharing are helping to create connections and understanding among all of the students.

Reconnecting Our Spirit Cultural Days

Family Community Support Services, Municipal District of Opportunity No.17
Wabasca, AB
Fall 2023

Reconnecting Our Spirit Cultural Days encompassed a two-week-long event dedicated to the preservation and continued revitalization of Indigenous cultures.

Over 3,500 people attended the gathering, which showcased visual arts, traditional crafts, music, and much more through its fourteen planned stations.

In connecting with Indigenous Elders, leaders, and community members dedicated to fostering cross-cultural understanding through various teachings, this event helped to build connections through Indigenous values and foster reconciliation between communities.

Louis Riel: Spirit of the Sash Celebration

South Okanagan Similkameen Métis Association
Penticton, BC
October 28, 2023

Through support from Oshki Wupoowane | The Blanket Fund, the South Okanagan Similkameen Métis Association hosted the first annual Louis Riel: Spirit of the Sash Celebration.

Bringing together over 240 attendees from across the Okanagan, the event showcased the unique heritage of the Métis people from this region.

Mesmerizing performances by the Qu’appelle Valley Dancers paid homage to Métis tradition, while the musical stylings of Cricks ‘n’ Rivers ensured that attendees were immersed in the rich and vibrant culture.

Culture Camp

W.J. Berezowsky Public School
Prince Albert, SK
September 2023

With funding provided through the Reconciliation Action Grant, the W.J. Berezowsky Public School hosted a multi-day culture camp for Grade 6 & 7 students.

Focused on helping the youth revitalize their connection to the natural environment, the camp afforded a chance to engage with the rich cultural heritage of Indigenous communities in a land-based setting.

Knowledge Keepers shared their wisdom and traditions, teaching the students through ceremony, drumming and song, as well as games and team-building activities.

Collaborative Canvas with Blake Angeconeb

Dryden High School
Dryden, ON
2023-24 School Year

The Dryden High School collaborative mural project aims to engage First Nations students in the arts, providing them with an opportunity to showcase their talents and learn about various career pathways.

Under the guidance of Dryden High School alumnus and Anishinaabe Woodlands artist, Blake Angeconeb, students will play a role in the design, preparation, and painting of two large canvas artworks that will be displayed at the entrance of the school.

Along the way, students will have the opportunity to learn from Blake and the school-based Elder and Cultural Coordinator, about the cultural connections and history related to Blake’s artwork.

Students will take the lead in the promotion and unveiling ceremony, helping to create a more welcoming environment for all students, and all Indigenous people who visit the school.

We Love Main Street – Main Street’s Got Talent

Red Road Lodge
Winnipeg, MB
September 16, 2023

With support from Oshki Wupoowane | The Blanket Fund, Winnipeg-based Red Road Lodge hosted 700 attendees at their “We Love Main Street – Main Street’s Got Talent” event on September 16, 2023.

In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, community members designed clay handprints and painted tiles to co-create a ceramic mural installation commemorating the children taken during the 60’s Scoop and the residential school era.

The event featured fifteen visual and performing Indigenous artists, all showcasing their work under the theme of Remember the Children, MMWAG, and 2SLGBTQ+.

The day had a strong traditional Indigenous arts and culture focus that was celebrated through dancing, drumming and an open mic component that attracted the local talent of the community.

The event helped all of Winnipeg’s citizens view Main Street and the people who call Main Street home positively and inspire pride in the Indigenous heritage and culture many of its residents share.

Solstice Film Series

Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival
Winnipeg, MB
Summer-Fall 2023

With the funding provided through the Reconciliation Action Grant, the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival’s (WAFF) Solstice Film Series will provide a platform for amplifying Indigenous voices. Indigenous filmmakers have the opportunity to showcase their films, sharing their unique stories, perspectives, and cultural heritage with a broader audience. The series aims to amplify Indigenous voices and perspectives in the film industry by providing a space for artists to tell their stories through the medium of film. In bringing everyone together, the Solstice Film Series serves as a hub for networking, collaboration, and discussions about Indigenous cinema and related issues. Educational components and activities, such as workshops, panels, and Q&A sessions act as a bridge for cultural understanding and appreciation, fostering connections between Indigenous communities and the broader public.

Revitalizing Métis Craft Techniques

Kelowna Métis Association
Kelowna, BC
Fall-Winter 2023-24

Hosted by a Métis Knowledge Keeper, Revitalizing Métis Craft Techniques: Making Moccasins is a series of four small-group workshops for members of the Kelowna Métis Association to learn to make moccasins. Each participant will receive a moccasin-making kit. Through these workshops, not only will participants have an opportunity to connect with their Métis community, but they will also learn a new traditional skill that they can pass on to their families, building cultural pride for generations to come.

Mamwatoskewak – They work together

Edson Friendship Centre
Edson, AB
September 30, 2023

Mamwatoskewak – They work together is a community event and ceremony organized by the Edson Friendship Centre to celebrate Indigenous cultures and traditions and foster unity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous families and organizations. It features diverse activities such as fish scaling and scale art teachings, dreamcatcher legends, mini drum crafting, Indigenous games, and sacred fire teachings. Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and local firekeepers will lead these activities, including lighting the fire with the accompaniment of a local drum group. Participants can engage with firekeepers for guidance and prayer offerings facilitated through tobacco ties. A communal feast will follow the activities, transitioning into storytelling around the fire and bannock cooking. Illuminated with orange spotlights, the tipi and surroundings will create an inviting atmosphere for participants to gather, learn, and celebrate Indigenous traditions.

Intro to Inuit Culture

Lincoln Pelham Library in partnership with Urban Inuit Identity Project
Beamsville, ON
September 14-15, 2023

Lincoln Pelham Public Library (LPPL) collaborated with the Urban Inuit Identity Project (UIIP) to host two events in support of their project, “Intro to Inuit Culture.” On September 14, they held a captivating workshop on Inuit culture and spirituality. This interactive session delved into Qaujimajatuqangit, the traditional wisdom that underscores Inuit identity, language, and distinctiveness. It also facilitated a deeper understanding of the differences in beliefs among First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, focusing mainly on Inuit shamanism. On September 15, the library welcomed Muckpaloo, CEO of UIIP, to lead an engaging story time for preschool-aged children and caregivers.

Indigenous Athletics Program

Don Bosco School
Calgary, AB
2023-24 School Year

This project aims to change negative attitudes about Indigenous people through sport. With funding from the Reconciliation Action Grant, Don Bosco School will facilitate an Indigenous athlete visiting the school to speak to the students and lead a demonstration. The funding will also support the purchase of lacrosse, snowshoeing, and floor hockey equipment to help teach about traditional Indigenous games, and cultures in a fun and engaging way in physical education for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.

Elmastukwek Mawio’mi

Elmastawek Mawio’mi Planning Committee & Mi’kmaw Cultural Foundation
Corner Brook, NL
August 12, 2023

Elmastawek Mawio’mi was a transformative initiative comprised of seven activities including workshops, cultural sessions, and learning opportunities. This project aimed to reinvigorate Mi’kmaw culture and traditions in Newfoundland by creating an inclusive, barrier-free environment where local Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals could unite. Activities included drum making with teachings, ceremonial drum feasting, a beading workshop focused on “Every Child Matters” brooches, teachings on medicines and smudging, a guided medicine walk exploring traditional remedies, enlightening sessions on Mi’kmaw histories by Elders, and captivating drum group performances at a powwow. Elmastawek Mawio’mi left a profound impact, nurturing cultural pride, enhancing cross-cultural understanding, and advancing reconciliation in the Mi’kmaw community.

Ekinoomaaged Youth Program

Naagan, by Chef Zach Keeshig
Owen Sound, ON
Summer-Fall 2023

Chef Zach Keeshig’s youth programming, “Ekinoomaaged”, means “the one who teaches” in Anishinaabemowin. It take place Wednesdays to Fridays once a month and involves youth in hands-on learning about foraging, sustainable food systems, culinary arts, and reconciliation. Classes are hosted at Rocklands Market and involve the development of a garden for growing Indigenous and local foods; foraging on Rocklands property with a focus on sustainable local food systems and land stewardship; and the opportunity for students to learn the art of modern bread-making, medicinal drink foraging and making, smoking fish, growing mushrooms, then taking things they have made to markets to sell.

Bawaajgun a Vision/Dream: Restoring Balance

Friday Creeations
Bear Island, ON
June 30 – July 1, 2023

Bawaajgun a Vision/Dream: Restoring Balance was a 2-day performance including traditional and contemporary Indigenous dance performances, community-engaged workshops, cultural workshops, and the painting of a mural on a Friday Creeations tipi. Hosted by Friday Creeations, an Indigenous-led non-profit dance studio on Temagami First Nation, the event served as the grand opening for Friday Creeations Dance Studio Lodge. The mural was painted by multi-talented artist, Peatr Thomas, who bridged the understanding of the thunderbird bringing Anishinaabek lineage and stories together through visual expression. The event featured performances by Christine Friday and Aanmitaagzi, hoop dance workshops, cultural workshops around the Seventh Fire Prophecy, and a water ceremony.