Indigenous Community Healing Space

Let’s give kids a culturally connected space for healing within Children’s Hospital! You can help complete construction, furnish and support programming for the first Indigenous Community Healing Space inside a children’s hospital in Canada.

Your support of the Indigenous Community Healing Space will help create a more welcoming, culturally safe environment at HSC Children’s Hospital for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit kids and their families while they’re away from their home communities and cultural supports. Please give today.

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*In the “Designation” section, please select “Designation of your choice”and type (or copy + paste) your gift intent as: Indigenous Community Healing Space*

As many as 60 per cent of the 140,000 kids treated at HSC Children’s Hospital each year are Indigenous. Many of these children come from remote and Northern communities and must leave their families and community supports behind when they come for care.

The Indigenous Community Healing Space at HSC Children’s Hospital in Manitoba is a landmark project that is fully led by Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers and health care experts as well as children and families from Métis, Inuit and First Nations communities, including project lead Dr. Melanie Morris, the first Indigenous pediatric surgeon in Canada and the first lead of Indigenous Health at HSC Children’s.

Consultation with Indigenous Elders, community organizations, health providers and families has guided culturally sensitive plans for the Healing Space. The HSC Children’s Indigenous Community Healing Space will integrate Indigenous traditions, values, worldviews and holistic approaches to healing for children and families, ensuring they experience care in a way that is both culturally relevant and respectful of their identities.

We are deeply honoured to receive the official endorsement of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs for the fundraising and building of the Indigenous Community Healing Space.

The Indigenous Community Healing Space will feature:

• Design elements reflective of First Nations, Métis and Inuit culture, spirituality, and worldviews
• Space for traditional Indigenous ceremonies, including smudging
• Place for Indigenous Elders, healers and Knowledge Keepers
• Library for Indigenous language books
• Comfortable breastfeeding corner
• Private space for important conversations
• Technology that allows kids unable to physically leave a hospital ward to see ceremonies or programming happening in the healing space, and connect with their remote communities, family and Elders

Please give today to create this inclusive and culturally safe space and show support of HSC Children’s commitment to reconciliation, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 22:

We call upon those who can effect change within the Canadian health-care system to recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients in collaboration with Aboriginal healers and Elders where requested by Aboriginal patients. (TRC Action item 22)

Donate Now

*In the “Designation” section, please select “Designation of your choice”and type (or copy + paste) your gift intent as: Indigenous Community Healing Space*

If funding goals are achieved, additional dollars will be allocated to the area of greatest need.