This article is the tenth in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy, guest edited by The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. SUMMARY: Mary Simon, OC, QC, is a former President of Canada’s national Inuit organization, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and she was an Honorary Witness at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings….
Issue Area: Reconciliation
This article is the eighth in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy. SUMMARY: The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada strives to promote dialogue amongst First Nations, Métis, Inuit communities; private, public and community foundations; corporate philanthropy programs, charitable organizations, and United Ways. This article describes the origins of The Circle and the…
This article is the ninth in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy. SUMMARY: The following is an edited version, approved by the author, of a keynote address delivered at the All My Relations Gathering in Winnipeg on November 18, 2015. RÉSUMÉ: On trouvera ci-dessous une version adaptée, approuvée par l’auteur, d’une conference prononcée à Winnipeg,…
Canada’s Arctic is beautiful territory that is home to more than 100,000 northern Canadians, a majority of whom are Indigenous peoples with rich cultures and histories dating back thousands of years. In 2012, Arnold Witzig and Sima Sharifi founded the Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP) to recognize the extraordinary contribution of teams working to gather and…
This article is the sixth in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy. SUMMARY: The Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Project (OIYPP) supports Indigenous youth living in Ontario to engage in their communities through projects that promote environmental, social, spiritual, and physical well-being. In addition to access to small grants of up to $5,000, youth have…
This article is the fifth in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy. SUMMARY: Charity lawyer Richard Bridge shares the example of Ulnooweg, a dynamic and innovative First Nations non-profit that has provided financial services to Atlantic Canadian First Nations for decades. Its development of the charity Ulnooweg Financial Education Centre and success in attracting foundation…
This article is the fourth in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy. There may be no better phrase to describe the past century of southern intervention in the Canadian Arctic than the maxim “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” As philanthropic, charitable, and non-governmental organizations seek to address development challenges in the…
This article is the third in a series on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy. This short video documentary, produced by The Philanthropist in collaboration with The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, marks The Philanthropist’s very first recorded article. The video presents a conversation-style interview with Reconciliation Canada’s Ambassador Chief Dr. Robert Joseph and…
This article is the second in a series on Indigneous Communities and Philanthropy. SUMMARY: On June 1, 2015, a group of Canadian philanthropic organizations and individual funders presented a collective Declaration of Action to the closing session of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Ottawa. Signatories pledge, among other things, to work towards reconciliation and…
This is the first in a series of articles on Indigenous Communities and Philanthropy. In his 5th Century, BCE, play “Prometheus Bound,” the Greek playwright Aeschylus tells the tale of Prometheus, son of Zeus, taking pity when he encounters a group of sickly creatures. Prometheus provides them with two special gifts: fire and blind…