Below is a list of resources available to support Indigenous communities and peoples or to learn more about the FG Foundation, First Nations, and Métis and Inuit culture.
FG Foundation Resources
Individuals - Application Walk-Through Video
Organizations How To Apply Toolkit
Individuals How to apply Toolkit - Award Applicants
Individuals How to apply Toolkit - Bursary & Scholarship Applicants
The toolkit will help group/organization applicants understand the format of the application, provide insightful tips, and provide a general outline of what applicants can expect when applying to the FG Foundation Organizations Call for Applications.
Support for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit People
Indian Residential School Survivors Society
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society toll-free line is 1-800-721-0066. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society toll-free line is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of his or her Residential School experience.
Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program
Emotional, cultural, and professional support services are also available to Survivors and their families through the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program. Services can be accessed on an individual, family, or group basis.
- Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador: 1-866-414-8111
- Quebec: 1-877-583-2965
- Ontario: 1-888-301-6426
- Manitoba: 1-866-818-3505
- Saskatchewan: 1-866-250-1529
- Alberta: 1-888-495-6588
- British Columbia: 1-877-477-0775
- Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut: 1-800-464-8106
The Hope for Wellness Help Line offers immediate help to all Indigenous peoples across Canada. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to offer:
- counseling
- crisis intervention
Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat at hopeforwellness.ca. On request, telephone counseling is also available in:
- Cree
- Ojibway
- Inuktitut
Ways to Donate to Indigenous Organizations in Canada
The core purpose of the FG Foundation is to help First Nations and Métis people and communities address the impacts of the Indian Residential Schools System and to support healing.
A national Indigenous charitable organization with the mandate to educate and create awareness and understanding about the Residential School System, including the intergenerational impacts such as the removal of generations of Indigenous children from their families, including the Sixties Scoop, the post-traumatic stress disorders that many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis continue to experience, all while trying to address racism, foster empathy and understanding and inspire action to improve the situation of Indigenous Peoples today. The LHF supports the ongoing healing process of Residential School Survivors, and their families and seeks their input on projects that honour them.
Indian Residential Schools Society
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society is a British Columbia-based organization that has been providing services to residential school survivors for over 20 years. It started out by helping residential school survivors navigate the court systems and has since expanded to help descendants of residential school survivors and engaging in community education for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: NCTR
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation provides educational resources for Canadians to learn more about residential schools across the country.
The Orange Shirt Society is a non-profit organization with its home in Williams Lake, BC where Orange Shirt Day began in 2013. The purpose of the society is:
- To support Indian Residential School Reconciliation
- To create awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of Indian Residential Schools through Orange Shirt Society activities
- To create awareness of the concept of "Every Child Matters"
First Nations Family and Caring Society
Works to ensure the safety and well-being of First Nations youth and their families through education initiatives, public policy campaigns and providing quality resources to support communities.
Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund
Aims to improve the lives on Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all Canadians.
The MNOC promotes unity among legitimate Métis organizations and communities across Canada through partnership treaties.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is an Ottawa-based organization aiming to improve the health and well-being of Inuit.
The Indigenous Youth Roots is a youth-led organization that aims to empower young Canadians to stand in solidarity with Indigenous people.
Reconciliation Canada, an Indigenous-led organization, began in September 2012 with a bold vision to promote reconciliation by engaging Canadians in dialogue that revitalizes the relationships between Indigenous peoples and all Canadians in order to build vibrant, resilient, and sustainable communities.
National Association of Friendship Centres
Friendship Centres provide culturally relevant programs and services for Indigenous people living in urban centres across Canada in multiple areas including, health, shelter, youth, justice, and development. Friendship Centres have become a place for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to come together, to share traditions, and learn from one another. Click here to find the closest Friendship Centre to you.
Granting opportunities for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Students
Funding information for Inuit peoples can be found through Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK). Please visit https://www.itk.ca/ for more information.
Indigenous Bursary Search Tool
Use the Bursary Search Tool from the Government of Canada to find a bursary or scholarship specific to your province and/or program of studies. The Indigenous Bursary Search Tool is a searchable list of 520 bursaries, scholarships, and incentives across Canada. Click here for the Indigenous Bursaries Search Tool.
SNC-Lavalin Indigenous Success Scholarship Application Form
Scholarships of up to $5,000 are available to full-time Indigenous students with proof of indigenous status. Applicants are required to provide proof of studies at a post-secondary institution (Preference may be given to those enrolled in University degree programs due to the depth of commitment and expense involved). For more information click here.
Indspire - Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards for Post-Secondary Education
Full and part time studies in college, university, skilled trades, apprenticeships, and technology programs.
There is one application for all of Indspire’s bursaries, scholarships, and awards. Applicants only need to complete the application once to be considered for all applicable bursaries, scholarships, and awards. The application is open from May 1st, 2022 - August 1, 2022 for the September 2022 to August 2023 academic year.
Free Learning Resources
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR)
The NCTR is a place of learning and dialogue where the truths of the residential school experience will be honoured and kept safe for future generations. The NCTR Archives and Collections is the foundation for ongoing learning and research. Here, Survivors, their families, educators, researchers, and the public can examine the residential school system more deeply with the goal of fostering reconciliation and healing. The NCTR works closely with educators from a variety of sectors including the K-12 school system, post-secondary institutions, public service and professional sectors to provide access to materials and resources that can aid Canadians of any age to learn about and participate in reconciliation.
U Alberta Indigenous History Course
University of Alberta Native Studies Department offers a FREE online course titled Indigenous Canada. It is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations. Go to here to sign up for this free online course.
Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada
The atlas has four sections for readers to explore and learn more about: Truth and Reconciliation, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultures. The atlas was created by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society in conjunction with the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Métis Nation, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, and Indspire.
It’s Our Time: The AFN Education Toolkit
A tool to bring together First Nations and non-First Nations people and foster a spirit of cooperation, understanding, and action. The AFN Toolkit consists of 22 learning modules that have been designed to enhance the understanding of important First Nations topics to ensure both students and teachers are learning in and out of the classroom.
To realize true Reconciliation requires consistent efforts by all individuals, communities, service providers, leaders, and all levels of government. The LHF works with teachers, school boards and universities, policing agencies, governments, and officials, banks, unions, private businesses, etc. to help meet these goals with a unique and comprehensive collection of resources, exhibitions, workshops, research reports, etc. Access their Resource section here: https://legacyofhope.ca/english/education/