Ontario Akwesasne, December 17, 2025

The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada isproud to highlight Healing and Belonging, a new, dedicated funding stream within Indigenous Youth Roots’ (IYR) Creation Granting Program. This initiative represents a meaningful investment in the healing, wellness, and cultural strength of Sixties Scoop Survivors, their families, and their descendants.

Rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems and driven by Indigenous youth, Healing and Belonging recognizes that the Sixties Scoop disrupted far more than family structures—it severed cultural connections, intergenerational relationships, and the sense of belonging that is essential to community wellbeing. This program responds directly to those harms by empowering Indigenous youth (ages 15–29) to lead healing and reconnection efforts in their own communities.
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A New Pathway for Youth-Led Healing

‍Through Healing and Belonging, IYR will distribute 10 small grants of $10,000 to Indigenous youth-led projects across Canada. These projects will reflect the diversity and creativity of Indigenous approaches to healing, with potential initiatives such as:
Healing circles and community gatherings
Ceremonies and feasts
Land-based learning and cultural camps
Language or cultural revitalization workshops
Intergenerational relationship-building activities
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Centering Youth in the Work of Healing

‍The foundation of Healing and Belonging is the belief that Indigenous youth hold an essential role in carrying forward the healing work connected to the Sixties Scoop. When supported and uplifted, youth help rebuild cultural continuity, strengthen community ties, and restore intergenerational relationships impacted by colonial disruption.
This program focuses on:
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‍Reclaiming identity
Revitalizing culture
Strengthening community connection
Nurturing intergenerational healing
Supporting long-term resilience among Survivors and descendants

‍By placing youth at the center, the initiative takes a strengths-based and community-led approach—one that honours the resilience, leadership, and vision of young Indigenous people. 

About Indigenous Youth Roots

Founded in 2008 (formerly Canadian Roots Exchange), Indigenous Youth Roots is a national Indigenous organization and registered charity dedicated to empowering Indigenous youth through leadership opportunities, grants, and culturally grounded programming. For over 15 years, IYR has built a strong reputation for delivering Indigenous-and youth-led initiatives that amplify the voices, skills, and capacities of young people across Canada.

IYR’s work is guided by its majority-Indigenous leadership team and an active network of Youth Advisory Circles, involving more than 117 youth over the last five years. These advisory members help set program priorities, determine regional distribution, identify emerging needs, and participate directly in funding decisions. Their leadership has contributed to:

8,440 direct youth participants
67,225 Indigenous youth reached through funded projects
Over 507,000 digital engagements

Healing and Belonging is a continuation of this commitment to supporting young Indigenous leaders as they reconnect to culture, community, and identity.

‍A Shared Commitment to Healing
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The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada is honoured to support initiatives like Healing and Belonging, which align deeply with our mission to uplift Survivors, descendants, and communities through culturally informed, community-driven healing.

By investing in Indigenous youth leadership, this program helps rebuild what was taken—connections to culture, relationships across generations, and pathways for belonging. It is a meaningful and forward-looking step toward healing the lasting impacts of the Sixties Scoop and strengthening the generations to come.
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