SHRF's Commitment to Reconciliation: 2026-27 Mobilize: Truth & Action Grants Recipients

Cultural practices and teachings within First Nation communities have been interrupted by assimilationist policies and the lasting impact they have had on social determinants of health. This project partners with a nēhiyawak community to provide a workshop that brings together cultural teachings about horses and connecting with animals as a culturally embedded wellness resource for youth. Indigenous Knowledge Holders will work with an equine assisted learning facilitator to foster skills such as communication, leadership, self-awareness, and self-efficacy within nēhiyawak youth. Through the project, iterative learning among youth, service providers, and researchers will take place.

Many people in Saskatchewan face challenges accessing safe transportation, especially when alcohol or substance use, financial hardship, or limited transportation options increase the risk of impaired driving and other unsafe situations. Safe Ride, Safe Choices provides free transportation to individuals who may otherwise have no safe way to get home.

This project will evaluate the program’s impact on community safety, transportation access, and harm reduction. By examining who uses the service, how it is used, and the outcomes achieved, the project will help identify community needs and opportunities for improvement.

The project is important because transportation barriers and impaired driving continue to affect communities across Saskatchewan. The findings will help inform future community safety initiatives and support evidence-based decisions about transportation services. The project has the potential to reduce preventable harm, improve access to support, and strengthen the health and well-being of Saskatchewan residents.

This project is a community-led initiative based out of the Wellness Wheel Medical Clinic in Regina. The clinic already provides medical services for HIV, Hepatitis C, syphilis, primary care, and harm reduction support. This project will expand those services by integrating Indigenous knowledge and cultural teachings into how health information is shared and understood.

Many Indigenous people experience barriers to healthcare due to stigma, systemic racism, and services that do not reflect Indigenous values. Led by a Cultural Support Worker, the project will offer a culturally grounded social media education series and host harm reduction talking circles rooted in Medicine Wheel teachings and storytelling. Indigenous community members with lived experience will participate as co-speakers, ensuring the knowledge shared is authentic and relevant.

Bridging Western medicine with Indigenous ways of knowing, the project strengthens trust, improves understanding of available services, and supports holistic wellness grounded in culture and community.

Saskatchewan is the historical origin point for the coining of the word psychedelic (1956), and for first recognizing the Native American Church (1954) and its use of the psychedelic-containing peyote cactus. Our conference marks a 60 year anniversary of these events, paying attention to how scholars and community knowledge keepers can reaffirm our relationships with one another, addressing TRC recommendations to recentre traditional Indigenous knowledge.

While the peyote ceremony has been legally protected as a religious rite, within First Nations teachings it is fundamentally a healing ceremony that addresses physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Our conference is hosted by the Sunrise Chapter of the Native American Church. Co-hosts Erika Dyck, Professor of History, Elder Kelly Daniels and Educational Coordinator Reanna Daniels at First Nations University, will invite approximately 120 leading academics, elders and cultural knowledge keepers to a 3-day conference on the healing practice of peyote ceremonies.

Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, Canada, and Vaupés, Colombia, face environmental challenges linked to climate change and historical injustices that have limited their influence over decisions affecting their lands and waters. This project will strengthen connections between Indigenous Elders, communities, and researchers from both regions, enabling them to share knowledge, experiences, and strategies for protecting the environment and promoting community well-being.

Building on existing relationships and recent exchanges between Elders from Canada and Colombia, the project will support a visit by four Colombian Elders to Saskatchewan. Through community gatherings, school activities, and meetings with Indigenous leaders, academics, and environmental advocates, participants will exchange traditional ecological knowledge and discuss environmental justice and water stewardship.

The project aims to empower Indigenous voices, promote the recognition of Indigenous laws and knowledges in environmental governance, and foster future collaborations. Outcomes will include multimedia resources, presentations, and publications co-authored with Elders, ensuring Indigenous perspectives are central.