NIB Trust Fund provides resources to create opportunities that improve the quality of life for First Nations and Métis in Canada. These are some of our stories.
Sisters Strengthening Sisters was created to empower Indigenous women and girls in the Saskatoon area and help to build a community of strong, resilient Indigenous sisters. The Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship Centre created Sisters Strengthening Sisters with the intent to reduce the barriers typically faced by Indigenous women and girls wishing to access programming. The programming consists of a variety of workshops, activities, outings, and opportunities that help build confidence and a sense of self-identity within participants.
As a young girl, Charlotte loved to learn and made a commitment to herself to keep her language and culture alive while also attaining the highest level of education she could without losing her self-identity. Charlotte is an intergenerational survivor and currently pursuing her PhD in Indigenous Language Revitalization at the University of Alberta.
Danita Lewis is an intergenerational survivor pursuing her Masters of Indigenous Language Revitalization at the University of Victoria. When moving away from her home community to pursue higher education, Danita had to make the tough decision to take unpaid leave from work and significantly decrease her income. With help from the NIB Trust Fund, Danita was able to relieve some of the financial stress and focus her time and energy on attaining her education goals. This program offered Danita the opportunity to revive Indigenous language, culture, traditions, and education for herself and share what she has learned with future generations. Danita has learned skills and tools that she will carry with her throughout her life.
As an Indian Residential School Survivor, Reggie has always had the goal of relearning his traditional Cree way of life and reconnecting to the land his late father once survived on. The NIB Trust Fund helped Reggie return to his home territory and learn traditional land-based skills like hunting, fishing, and trapping.
In Nova Scotia, the Mi’kmaw Nation in the community of Paqtnkek were looking for a hub to share important news, community updates, and discussions for what needed to be shared for their members. The community is populated with less than 600 members including a few musicians, change-makers, and elders; and that’s how the Paqtnkek Community Radio Project was created.
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