Tetewaneren: We Are All Connected – Healing Through Culture in Tiotià:ke

Ontario Akwesasne, September 24, 2025

In July 2024, the Indigenous Health Centreof Tiotià:ke (IHCT) launched its pilot Sixties Scoop cultural healing program, supported by the National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada.

Rooted in the vision of Taho’sa’ten:ti (“To Come Home”), the initiative seeks to provide Sixties Scoop Survivors, their families, and descendants with opportunities to heal, reconnect, and reclaim culture as a core path to wellness.

During its first phase, the program reached important milestones in building connections across communities and supporting Survivors. Among its early achievements was the Indigenous Peace Gardens initiative, established in four Montreal-area schools in partnership with the English Montreal School Board. These gardens not only serve as living symbols of peace and healing but also bring Indigenous teachings to younger generations in meaningful ways.

Community partnerships were further strengthened through outreach efforts, including flyer campaigns and direct visits, ensuring Survivors and their families knew that this program was for them. Healing and sharing circles became a central feature of the initiative, with gender-specific groups led by respected Elders Delbert Sampson and Jean Stevenson, offering safe and trusted spaces for reflection and support.
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Cultural reclamation was woven into every step of the program. Activities such as the Heartbeat of Grief drum-making and grief support circle (in partnership with AMI-Québec), glove-making workshops, and land-based practices provided tangible ways for Survivors to connect to teachings, traditions, and one another.

Ceremonies including the Pipe Ceremony and Sweat Lodge, alongside skills workshops like ribbon skirt and shirt making, basket weaving, and medicine walks, helped participants not only learn but embody cultural knowledge. These experiences were paired with ongoing Elder support and hospitality, including healthy meals that nourished both body and spirit.

Together, these efforts created a safe, welcoming, and culturally grounded space where Survivors and their families could find belonging, dignity, and identity. As the program grows, Taho’sa’ten:ti continues to affirm what Survivors have always known: Tetewaneren –we are all connected.