We are committed to working towards reconciliation by becoming a wicihtasow (ally).
In the nêhiyaw worldview, health and wellness are understood as miyo-pimâtisiwin or living the good life through seeking mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical balance. miyo-pimâtisiwin is a way of being and a commitment to live and practice in accordance with nêhiyaw ceremony, teachings, and values. We understand that meaning is developed through the teaching and values embedded in ceremony, circle processes, and relational accountability.
As we have been providing preventative services in the community for more than 80 years, our services could be beneficial for you. We are open to hearing from you.
We are open to working alongside all Indigenous communities in Alberta.
Supporting families for 80+ years
For more than 80 years, we have supported families in Alberta to raise healthy children, navigate through change, develop strong and healthy relationships, and heal from trauma.
We can work together with families and communities to ensure their needs are front and center, resulting in meaningful solutions based on their unique situations.
We do not make decisions for anyone; we help people navigate complex systems and equip them with resources and information to make their own decisions.
sîtôskam iyiniwatisiwin “Supporting an Indigenous Way of Being”
Our Indigenous practice framework was facilitated through circle process and ceremony with community members, Elders and Knowledge Holders. It addresses the impacts of historical trauma. We are committed to increasing our knowledge and understanding of the history of Indigenous people and opportunities to experience ceremony, traditional teachings, and activities.
Our service users and employees can access frequent ceremony and teachings, such as sweat lodges, pipe ceremonies, smudging and brush downs, medicine picking, and regalia making. Our knowledge holder facilitates ceremonies and supports our employees and service users through ongoing education and experience, and increased connections to Indigenous communities, Elders and other community services.
The framework uses circle teachings as the basis for understanding of well-being, and was developed with the guidance of Elder Dr. Leona Makokis and Dr. Ralph Bodor and in partnership with IRM Research & Evaluation and Boyle Street.
Practical classes
In our classes, caregivers, kin, couples, and individuals learn practical tips and skills for positive parenting, effective communication, and self-improvement.
Our classes include:
Parenting/caregiving newborns, toddlers and preschoolers, school-age children, and teens classes
Indigenous traditional parenting
Couples communication
Anger management, Building self-esteem, Healthy boundaries and effective communication, Understanding Addictions, Overcoming Adversity
In our classes, participants learn to:
Build effective parenting/caregiving skills
Understand how negative childhood experiences, toxic stress, and trauma affect parenting and child development
Improve communication and advocacy skills
Develop or build positive networks
Address issues that contribute to addictions, domestic violence, and mental health
No two families are the same. We provide customized support to families based on their specific needs. In general, we support families to:
Build effective parenting/caregiving skills
Understand how negative childhood experiences, toxic stress, and trauma affect parenting and child development
Positively influence brain development by focusing on attachment, literacy, culturally sensitive play, and nutrition
Make financial decisions that empower families to overcome barriers related to poverty
Improve communication and advocacy skills
Navigate systems
Develop or build positive networks
Address issues that contribute to addictions, domestic violence, and mental health
ohpikîhakan
ohpikîhakan, “a child that is being raised”, is a program designed to meet the holistic needs such as housing, family connection, spirituality, and cultural connection of youth ages 13 - 17 in the care of Children’s Services.
The focus is to ensure youth have loving and supportive homes with regular contact with their family, culture, and community.
This program is part of a province-wide initiative called “Therapeutic Foster Care.” ohpikîhakan is trauma-informed and embedded with culturally responsive services and Indigenous worldviews. The name ohpikîhakan was gifted to us by Elder Dr. Leona Makokis to emphasize the importance of the relationship and connection to a child’s culture and family.
Take the first step to building a relationship with us by reaching out to us.
The Family Centre acknowledges that we are on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional meeting ground, gathering place, and traveling route for the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Métis, Dene, and Nakota Sioux. We acknowledge all the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries.
