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Indigenous Programs

Supporting reconciliation through culture and language reclamation, Responsive Grants and more

In Canada

Indigenous peoples in Canada have faced centuries of colonization, dispossession of land, cultural assimilation, and systemic discrimination. Supporting Indigenous programs is a way to acknowledge these historical injustices and work towards meaningful reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and settlers. PWRDF supports and accompanies Indigenous communities and organizations through our Indigenous Partnership Program.

The PWRDF Indigenous Partnership Program promotes partnerships based on recognition, respect and support for the rights and wellbeing of the Indigenous partners. The Indigenous Partnership Program responds to:

  • The needs and priorities identified by Indigenous partners and by the 1996 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) report;
  • The 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP);
  • The Recommendations of the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.

Program Goals

  • To support programming in Canada that promotes community health, youth engagement, safe water and climate action.
  • To foster respectful relationship, collaboration and understanding.

Indigenous cultures, languages and traditions are invaluable and contribute to the rich tapestry of Canadian society. Supporting Indigenous programs helps preserve and revitalize these cultural assets, ensuring they are passed on to future generations.

Read our Indigenous Partnership Program timeline.

The Indigenous Responsive Grant Fund

The Indigenous Responsive Grant Fund was created in 2021 in consultation with our Indigenous Program Advisory Committee (IPAC). Indigenous-led communities or organizations are invited to apply for one-year grants of between $5,000 and $15,000. The goal of this Fund is to respond quickly to funding needs and priorities identified by Indigenous communities and organizations, and to support stand alone and pilot projects for longer-term programming that benefit Indigenous communities.

The Indigenous Responsive Grant Fund is a complement to the Indigenous Partnership Program. Both funding initiatives have been designed and implemented, according to consultations and as envisioned and planned with, by and for Indigenous communities and organizations over many years. Further recognition and appreciation of relationships have helped develop long-lasting programs and healthy partnerships. PWRDF has been working strategically with Canadian Anglicans. Their support and other donors and allies have ensured our commitment in Walking Together in Harmonious Relationship with Indigenous communities.

Learn more about and apply for the Indigenous Responsive Grant Fund.


Midwives from Peru and Mexico and Canada meet in Mexico.
Midwives from Peru and Mexico and Canada meet in Mexico.

Outside of Canada

In developing countries, PWRDF helps encourage wider Indigenous dialogue and solidarity by supporting Indigenous forums in the Global South, notably the Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas, which allows Indigenous women to convene, share experiences and learning, and contribute to the preservation of Indigenous identity. PWRDF has also worked with Indigenous communities to train midwives, improve their food security, and enhance their advocacy.

PWRDF’s work with Indigenous partnerships aspires to strengthen the connection between Indigenous people and the traditions, language and culture of their forebears. PWRDF programs aim to help eradicate lingering social injustices and to foster understanding, partnership and support for Indigenous peoples, traditions and identities.

Read more about our Indigenous programs in Peru, Mexico and Guatemela.