First Peoples Wellness Circle

06/07/2026

First Nations languages are critically endangered due to assimilationist government policies and actions. Dr. Lorna Wanosts’a7 Williams, an esteemed scholar, educator, and Knowledge Keeper from the Lil’wat First Nation, has led innovative work in language revitalization and Indigenous education. We honour her contributions to preserving and revitalizing Indigenous languages and her leadership in supporting the Indigenous Languages Act. The AFN calls for action now to support First Nations-led approaches to revitalizing our languages.

06/02/2026

June is Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈

This month, we celebrate the strength, joy, leadership, and resilience of 2SLGBTQIA+ people and communities.

FPWC recognizes that mental wellness is supported when people feel safe, affirmed, connected, and able to live fully as themselves. Pride Month is a reminder of the importance of creating inclusive and affirming spaces where all people feel seen, respected, and supported.

This month and always, we uplift 2SLGBTQIA+ voices, experiences, and communities.

06/01/2026

June is Indigenous History Month!

Let's celebrate and honour the histories, cultures, strengths, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Turtle Island.

At FPWC, we recognize that Indigenous mental wellness is rooted in identity, culture, connection, belonging, and community. Indigenous History Month is an opportunity to celebrate Indigenous leadership, knowledge, resilience, and the ongoing efforts of communities to promote wellness across generations.

This month and always, we uplift Indigenous voices, stories, and ways of knowing.

05/30/2026

Outgoing Governor General Mary Simon continues to demonstrate her exemplary commitment to mental wellness and advancing Indigenous wellbeing through her legacy initiative. The investment to the North and indigenous communities will be life changing to many. Miigwech for your service 💙❤️💛🤍

As Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon concludes her service as Governor General, we thank her for a lifetime dedicated to Indigenous rights, reconciliation, and service to all Canadians.

We’re honouring her work with $5 million to establish the Ajuinnata: The Mary Simon Catalyst for Mental Wellness and we’re matching every dollar up to $10 million that the Rideau Hall Foundation raises. Building on Mary Simon’s advocacy, this project will provide lifesaving counselling, culturally grounded services, and peer-led mental health care to Northern and Indigenous communities.

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À l’heure où Son Excellence la très honorable Mary Simon termine son mandat de gouverneure générale, nous la remercions d’avoir consacré sa vie aux droits autochtones et à la réconciliation ainsi qu’à servir la population canadienne.

Nous rendons hommage à ses loyaux services au moyen d’un investissement de 5 millions de dollars pour la mise sur pied du projet Ajuinnata : L’héritage de Mary Simon pour la santé mentale. De plus, nous verserons une contribution équivalente à chaque dollar recueilli par la Fondation Rideau Hall, jusqu’à concurrence de 10 millions de dollars. Pour perpétuer l’héritage de militante de Mary Simon, ce projet prévoit des services de counseling d’importance vitale, des services fondés sur la culture et des soins de santé mentale fournis par des pairs dans les communautés nordiques et autochtones.

05/25/2026

Harm Reduction is Healing: New Podcast Episode with Dr. Carol Hopkins 🌿

In this week’s episode of Rekindling the Fire, host Rachel Robinson sits down with Carol Hopkins — a member of the Lenape Nation at Moraviantown and CEO of Thunderbird Partnership Foundation — to explore harm reduction through an Indigenous lens grounded in relationship, compassion, and connection.

Drawing on decades of work in First Nations mental wellness, addictions treatment, and community healing, Carol reflects on how culture-based care, family involvement, and spirit-centered approaches can transform the way communities respond to substance use and the toxic drug crisis. From sacred fires and ceremony to practical community action, this conversation challenges stigma and reframes harm reduction as an act of care, dignity, and collective responsibility.

Together, Rachel and Carol unpack the impacts of colonization, the importance of belonging and identity, and why healing begins not with shame, but with connection.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or through the FPWC website: https://fpwc.ca/rekindling-the-fire/

05/18/2026

Please note that FPWC offices are closed today, Monday, May 18, for Victoria Day. We will return to regular office hours tomorrow.

We hope everyone is enjoying a safe and restful weekend! ☀️

05/13/2026

FPWC wishes to advise that the 10th Gathering of Healing Our Spirit Worldwide will take place in Ottawa, Ontario in May 2028. After careful consideration, given the current climate, the organizing partners made the decision to move the gathering from Washington DC to Ottawa to better ensure a setting that feels grounded and aligned with the spirit of the event. Watch for more details in the coming months!

05/08/2026

First Nations Health Managers Association (FNHMA) is seeking proposals for a Curriculum Developer to support the development of the Indigenous Health Navigator Certification program.

🗓️ Proposal Deadline: May 18, 2026, at 5:00 PM EDT

For full details and submission information, visit: https://www.fnhma.ca/news

05/06/2026

New Episode Out Now! 🎙️

The latest episode of Rekindling The Fire is here! 🎧 Don’t miss out on this week’s discussion as Rachel Robinson and Barb Martin dive deep into the topic of the evolution of community-based outreach, the vital importance of picking up ancestral bundles of knowledge, and the shift toward integrated, culturally safe care models.

Barb shares her journey from grassroots advocacy to managing complex mental wellness teams, offering a hopeful perspective on the resilience of the Wabanaki Confederacy and the necessity of "playing the long game" to ensure future generations are equipped to continue the work of reclamation and reconciliation.

👇Click here to listen to Community-Centred Healing Practices with Barb Martin: https://fpwc.ca/rekindling-the-fire/

05/05/2026

On Red Dress Day, we honour and remember Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people. We hold space for the families, survivors, loved ones, and communities who continue to call for truth, justice, and change.

At FPWC, we recognize that remembrance, justice, healing, and well-being are deeply connected. Indigenous mental wellness must include safety, dignity, cultural connection, and care that responds to the ongoing impacts of colonial and gender-based violence.

Today, we remember the lives, names, stories, and spirits behind every red dress. We stand with families and communities in remembrance, advocacy, healing, and action.