Indigenous Reconciliation Fund
The Diocese of Peterborough is committed to walking the path of reconciliation and healing with the First Nations and Métis communities within its territory. Through the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF), the Diocese supports Indigenous-led projects proposed and directed by local communities and organizations.
$902,382
Committed to Indigenous-led projects
The Diocese committed $400,000 to the IRF; with the financial support of other Arch/Dioceses, the total committed to Indigenous-led projects is $902,382.
What the Fund Supports
Projects must address one or more of these four goals:
Healing for communities and families
Culture and language revitalization
Knowledge-sharing, heritage & traditions and community building
Dialogues for promoting Indigenous spirituality and culture
How to Apply
Local First Nations, Métis, and Inuit groups, organizations, institutions, and communities are invited to submit project proposals. The IRF Local Committee reviews each proposal and recommends approved projects to the national Indigenous Reconciliation Fund Committee.
IRF Local Committee
The Local Committee reviews project proposals, verifies they meet the four goals, and recommends projects for funding (to the diocesan cap of $400,000, with partnerships beyond). It serves a five-year term (2023–2028). Decisions are made through discussion, discernment, prayer, and consensus. Full details are in the Terms of Reference (linked above).
Members
- Chief Laurie Carr, Hiawatha First Nation
- Dr. Dawn Lavell-Harvard, Director, First Peoples House of Learning, Trent University
- Darlene Lent, Moon River Métis Council
- Lisa McDonald, Councillor, Alderville First Nation
- Arnold Taylor, Curve Lake First Nation
- Clorise Taylor, Manager, Indigenous Student Services, Fleming College
Advisory Members
- Most Reverend Bishop Miehm
- Rev. Fr. Bill Moloney
- Sr. Anne Karges, CSJ
- Deb McRae, Director of Finance, Property, and Administration
- Deirdre Thomas, Meeting Facilitator
- James Grainger, Assistant to the Bishop / Communications
Funded Projects
A selection of the Indigenous-led projects supported through the Fund, by community and organization.
Curve Lake First Nation
Honouring Our Children
$100,000
A permanent monument honouring Residential School victims, survivors, and Every Child Matters.
Wasauksing First Nation
Relationship Building
$20,000
Events, ceremonies, and activities with Parry Sound schools to deepen understanding between cultures.
Wasauksing First Nation
Wiigwaas Jiimaanke: Birch Bark Canoe Building
$50,000
A birch bark canoe build at the K–8 First Nation school, led by an Indigenous knowledge keeper — engaging students in traditional harvesting, construction, and storytelling rooted in Anishinaabek culture.
Alderville First Nation
Harvesting for Healing
$25,000
Knowledge holders, hunters, and gatherers share harvesting, hunting, and fishing skills; Elders then teach the community to prepare the harvest and share it together each month.
Alderville First Nation
Roots of Reconciliation
$29,750
Trees, shrubs, and Savannah grass planted to revitalize landscapes lost to the Emerald Ash Borer — at the Elder’s Complex, Pow Wow grounds, daycare, playgrounds, and along the water’s edge.
Alderville First Nation
Community Safety Program
$48,080
A detector program along the Highway 45 corridor to deter speeding and provide data for community-safety discussions with provincial police.
Hiawatha First Nation
Columbarium Restoration
$32,840
A new columbarium base impressed with the Seven Grandfather Teachings, revitalizing inherent teachings, traditions, and language.
Hiawatha First Nation
Cemetery Ground-Penetrating Radar
$8,965
GPR scanning of the cemetery to confirm burial locations — peace of mind in honouring ancestors and planning future work.
Moose Deer Point First Nation
Footsteps of Renewal
$50,000
Restoring overgrown trail systems on Georgian Bay with interpretive signage in English and Anishnaabemowin, reconnecting the community to the land.
Shawanaga First Nation
Community Transit
$100,000
Bus shelters for a new community transit bus — improving access to healthcare, education, employment, and cultural events for Elders, youth, and families.
Henvey Inlet First Nation
Connecting to Culture and Ceremony
$75,000
Medicine Wheel teachings for youth, families, and Indian Day School survivors — the four directions, the four medicines, and the Grandfather Teachings for healing and wellness.
Henvey Inlet First Nation
Annual RattleChild Sundance Ceremony 2026
$6,000
A four-day gathering (July 30–August 2, 2026) where Indigenous peoples of many nations rekindle kinship and take part in traditional healing ceremonies on the land.
Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre
Community Lunch
$12,725
A weekly nutritious meal for urban Indigenous people experiencing food insecurity — easing hunger and bringing the community together.
Parry Sound Friendship Centre
Voices of Our People: “See Muskoka Through Our Eyes”
$118,000
An Indigenous storytelling and language-revitalization initiative building a digital library of Elders and Knowledge Keepers, marking the Centre’s 60th anniversary.
First Peoples House of Learning, Trent University
Learning on the Land Camp (2024–2026)
$187,282
Annual on-the-land camps on Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory where Indigenous and non-Indigenous students deepen their understanding of Anishinaabe histories, languages, and cultures.
Indigenous Student Services, Fleming College
Learning Lodge Build
$38,741
A Learning Lodge at the Frost Campus supporting 250+ Indigenous students each year with culturally appropriate programming, advocacy, and workshops.
The Fund in Pictures
Learn More
Visit the national Indigenous Reconciliation Fund to learn more about the Catholic Church in Canada’s commitment to healing and reconciliation.