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Seeds of Hope in Bloom: Supporting Urban Indigenous Youth

With support from a $5,000 Seeds of Hope grant from the Watkins Fund for Innovative Ministries with Senior Adults, and $5,000 from the Wesley C. Smith Estate Fund, the Indigenous Health Centre of Tiohtià:ke (IHCT) set out to connect urban Indigenous youth in Montreal with cultural and spiritual support through a Traditional Healer. 

The project was created in response to the need for Indigenous youth to strengthen their connection to culture and community, while accessing culturally safe spaces for healing and guidance. 

From the project team: 

“We want to make sure we can address the mental and spiritual health of urban Indigenous youth, so they do not get involved in substance use. By connecting them to our Elders, we believe we can strengthen their cultural identity so that they can withstand racism and discrimination better.  

We believe when you know who you are culturally, there is no need to engage in conflict with others, or when youth hear disparaging comments, they are better able to not take that as personal.”  

Creating connections through culture 

The original project envisioned bringing together several Elders and Seniors to mentor Indigenous youth and share cultural knowledge and history. With limited funding, IHCT adapted the project to focus on individual sessions with a Traditional Healer. 

Youth are introduced to the centre’s other programs and services, including Western-based clinical therapy. This creates opportunities for young people to access both cultural and health supports according to their needs. 

The response has been positive. Indigenous youth experiencing difficult circumstances reach out to IHCT seeking guidance from an Elder, and are able to receive that support. 

Because the centre’s work is confidential, IHCT can’t share individual stories. But staff have seen a clear interest among youth in continuing to access cultural healing services. 

Learning from the community 

The project reinforced what IHCT already knew: Indigenous youth need opportunities to connect with culture and Elders or Healers. 

It also highlighted the importance of diverse cultural representation. The Traditional Healer involved in the project is Mohawk and is trusted by community members from many Nations, but the centre recognizes that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to culture. With additional resources, IHCT would like to engage Elders from a wider range of Indigenous communities. 

The experience also pointed toward the need for more youth-focused services. In response to the demand they saw, IHCT has created a youth addictions project and applied for funding for a youth outreach worker. 

Continuing the work 

The impact is continuing. IHCT has secured funding to continue working with its Traditional Healer and plans to increase his hours each week. 

Through these ongoing services, the centre hopes more Indigenous youth will have opportunities to learn about their culture, access spiritual guidance, heal from past experiences, and build connections with community and health supports. 

“It is important to note that there are still many Indigenous youth who, for any number of reasons, have not yet been able to take that first step to ask for help.” 

For IHCT, the project demonstrated the value of creating culturally safe pathways to care, and the importance of continuing to invest in those pathways so that more young people can take that first step toward support. 

Interested in applying for a Seeds of Hope grant or other grants that nurture healing and discovery? We are now accepting applications. Applications are due October 15, 2026.