In 2022, the Lawson Foundation announced the launch of the second phase of our Child & Youth Diabetes Strategy (CYDS) with a more strategic focus on the prevention of type 2 diabetes in northern and remote Indigenous communities across Canada. This ten-year commitment to its Indigenous focus within the CYDS recognizes that it takes time to build the knowledge, relationships, and trust needed to develop and implement community-based initiatives and measure outcomes. We see this strategy as a journey we will make together with Indigenous partners.
This renewed strategy is guided by the key principles of Indigenous leadership; models of Indigenous wellness; community-centred and strength-based approaches, and relationships, reciprocity and shared learning.
In addition to multi-year funding for a cohort of ten projects, the CYDS has provided smaller grants to projects and programs outside of the cohort of 10 CYDS projects that received multi-year funding. These grants support communities and organizations doing significant wholistic community-based work in diabetes prevention and management.
Together with our initial cohort, these small grants have broadened Lawson’s commitments at the intersection of the Child and Youth Diabetes Strategy, the Philanthropic Community’s Declaration of Action (The Declaration), the principles of Reconciliation, and principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Providing these small grants under the CYDS enables the Lawson Foundation to further our commitment to a wholistic approach to working with Indigenous Peoples in ways they have expressed as necessary. This direct, targeted, collegial outreach to smaller, isolated and remote communities fosters relationships and partnerships with those doing significant community-based work but have limited opportunity to access additional funds or support.
Project Summaries
Food Matters Manitoba Harvester Program (Manitoba) 2023 – 2025
Food Matters Manitoba partners with Indigenous communities in remote northern locations to combat food insecurity. This grant supports a solution to chronic health issues like diabetes by creating year-round opportunities for youth to engage in physical activity, eat healthy, and learn traditional harvesting skills from local experts. The Harvester Program enables youth to provide culturally acceptable, nutrient-dense traditional foods to community members and Elders, addressing food insecurity through resource sharing. The program also promotes community sovereignty, physical health, and well-being through land-based activities, while preserving traditional knowledge for future generations.
le Grande Portage (Quebec) 2023 – 2025
Le Grande Portage promotes active lifestyles as a means of diabetes prevention for First Nations children and youth in Quebec. Le Grand Portage Camp engages high school students in creating 2-kilometer trails, fostering physical activity, leadership, and environmental stewardship. The camp visits multiple First Nations communities, empowering youth, building community pride, and addressing health challenges like type 2 diabetes. The initiative leaves a lasting impact on participants and their families, enhancing community engagement and well-being.
Wiiji’idiwag Ikwewag (Manitoba) 2023 – 2025
Wiiji’idiwag Ikwewag promotes traditional Indigenous childbirth and parenting teachings in Manitoba, expanding culturally informed birthing services through Indigenous Birth Helpers. This initiative helps detect and respond to diabetes early in pregnancy, offering routine screening, diagnosis, and follow-up. The program strengthens maternal and child health by reconnecting Indigenous life-givers with traditional practices and ensuring better health outcomes for Indigenous families.
xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden (British Columbia) 2024
xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden is hosting a series of wholistic food systems engagement workshops for diabetes prevention and management. These workshops consist of spiritual, physical, artistic, and food-based activities such as sacred fire ceremonies, planting, arts and crafts, and smoking fish. The approach embraces Indigenous concepts of wellness, recognizing that diabetes prevention is a family and community effort. Collaboration with UBC’s dietetics team provides additional nutrition support, and the project will produce a resource guide with recipes and stories from the workshops.
Acorn Family Place (Manitoba) 2024 – 2026
Acorn Family Place, an organization serving inner-city Winnipeg for over 25 years, addresses food insecurity and diabetes through its Nourishing Minds and Communities initiative. The program offers culturally responsive cooking classes, workshops on diabetes prevention led by healthcare professionals, and teachings from Indigenous Knowledge Keepers. The initiative aims to empower families with the knowledge and tools to make healthy food choices, improving health outcomes and fostering a sense of community.
Kiishkimansi Wellness Circle (Ontario) 2024 – 2026
Kiishkimansi Wellness Circle reconnects Indigenous children with their land, language, and traditions, fostering wholistic health and diabetes prevention. The organization’s youth camp provides cultural revitalization through land-based activities like traditional food harvesting and ceremonies, promoting physical and mental well-being. The program strengthens cultural identity and equips youth with the skills to thrive in both traditional and modern contexts, contributing to diabetes prevention and overall health.
Meadow Lake Tribal Council Train-the-Trainer Event (Saskatchewan) 2023
Meadow Lake Tribal Council hosted a three-day diabetes education event for health workers from eight First Nations communities. The event included Elders, community members, healthcare professionals, and speakers focusing on food sovereignty, traditional foods, and climate change. Participants shared knowledge on diabetes prevention and management, helping to strengthen culturally informed healthcare practices in Indigenous communities.
James Smith Cree Nation Diabetes in First Nations Youth Family Gatherings (Saskatchewan) 2023
James Smith Cree Nation hosted two family gatherings in response to rising diabetes diagnoses among First Nations children. These gatherings provided a supportive space for families and children to discuss diabetes self-management challenges, with activities covering physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Health professionals and Elders offered guidance, while the gatherings facilitated mental health support and connection within the community.
Keep Tobacco Sacred Collaboration (Alberta) 2024
This initiative focuses on reducing commercial tobacco use and youth vaping in First Nations communities by promoting the cultural revitalization of sacred tobacco. The project connects Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and youth to create culturally specific programs that encourage the rightful use of sacred tobacco while reducing harmful commercial tobacco consumption. A capacity-building forum, supported by Lawson Foundation, brought together participants to share knowledge and strengthen the project’s impact.
For more information on the Child and Youth Diabetes Strategy, please connect with Jeff LaPlante.
Amanda Mayer