Aboriginal Healing Foundation

Aboriginal Healing Foundation
Name	Aboriginal Healing Foundation
Formation	1998
Type	Non-profit organization
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Region served	Canada
Leader title	Executive Director

Aboriginal Healing Foundation The Aboriginal Healing Foundation was a Canadian non-profit organization established in 1998 to support community-based responses to the legacy of the Indian residential school system. It operated amid national processes such as the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, providing funding, research and training to Indigenous communities including First Nations, Métis and Inuit groups. The Foundation collaborated with institutions like the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and academic centres at the University of British Columbia, University of Toronto and University of Manitoba.

History and Establishment

The Foundation emerged in the aftermath of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and negotiations culminating in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and was announced during federal initiatives led by ministers from Jean Chrétien's administration and officials tied to the Assembly of First Nations and the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. Its establishment followed community advocacy by survivors associated with organizations such as the Aboriginal Healing Institute, Native Women's Association of Canada, and regional bodies in provinces like British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The first board drew on leaders from groups including the Treaty 6, Treaty 7 leadership, academics from the University of Saskatchewan and clinicians connected to the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.

Mandate and Objectives

The Foundation's mandate focused on supporting healing initiatives addressing intergenerational trauma caused by the Indian residential schools and related policies such as the Sixties Scoop and historical enforcement under the Indian Act. Objectives included funding community-driven programs, promoting culturally based healing models like sweat lodge ceremonies and powwow practices, documenting survivor testimonies for archives akin to those held by the Library and Archives Canada, and fostering partnerships with health authorities such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs funded by the Foundation ranged from grassroots projects in remote communities like those in Nunavut, Northern Ontario and Yukon to urban initiatives in Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Initiatives included training for counsellors from organisations such as the Native Counselling Services of Alberta, cultural revitalization led by language workers from Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and First Peoples' Cultural Council, creation of healing centres modeled after projects in Pimicikamak and Tsuut'ina, and research partnerships with centres like the Canadian Plains Research Center. The Foundation supported publications and gatherings—including conferences that featured speakers from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and survivor testimony sessions similar to those archived by the Legacy of Hope Foundation.

Funding and Governance

Initial funding derived from settlement arrangements associated with the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and subsequent federal appropriations approved by cabinets under prime ministers such as Jean Chrétien and later governments. Governance structures included a board comprising representatives nominated by groups like the Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, and regional tribal councils including Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations. Operational partnerships connected the Foundation with administrative entities including the Office of the Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and auditing by firms recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency.

Impact and Evaluations

Evaluations pointed to outcomes in increased capacity for community counselling, documentation of survivor narratives paralleling work by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Canada), and strengthened networks among Indigenous healing practitioners such as elders affiliated with the National Aboriginal Council of Elders. Independent assessments by academic researchers at the University of British Columbia, McMaster University and policy analysts from the Caledon Institute of Social Policy cited measurable gains in program delivery, creation of toolkits used by health providers including those at the First Nations Health Authority, and influence on national dialogues that informed reports by the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics highlighted concerns over funding shortfalls following the Foundation's wind-down, debates over allocation priorities raised by organizations like the Native Women's Association of Canada, and tensions between community autonomy and centralized administration noted by scholars at the University of Toronto and commentators in outlets such as the Globe and Mail. Controversies included disputes about program eligibility in regions represented by bodies like the Yukon First Nations, concerns over sustainability after federal funding changes discussed in hearings before the House of Commons committees, and scholarly critiques regarding evaluation methodologies from researchers at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa.

Category:Aboriginal organizations in Canada