White Buffalo Road Healing Lodge Inc. (WBRHLI) is successful teaching youth traditional Indigenous Arts, Culture and Heritage in Algoma, Barrie, Parry Sound, Manitoulin, Sudbury and Muskoka, Ontario. The Executive Director Vince Pawis Sr. an Indigenous spiritual traditional Elder whom has learned traditional Anishinabe teachings from the Anishinabe Elder’s along his life’s learning and teaching journey. Currently, WBRHLI teaches Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth traditional Indigenous culture and heritage which includes, Anishinabe language, arts and crafts, hunting and fishing, respecting the environment, Indigenous drumming, drum making, Anishinabe seasonal ceremonies, spiritual health, mental health, healing and Indigenous medicine knowledge, gathering and cultivation.
WBRHLI was instrumental in working with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board in developing a framework the “Ontario First Nation, Metis and Inuit” “Elders in School Project” successfully working with students from Junior Kindergarten to grade Twelve teaching traditional Indigenous culture and heritage. Currently, WBRHLI has been successful in obtaining the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Grow grant in which we will be delivering three fall Indigenous youth at risk programs concurrently from 2017-2020. WBRHLI is blessed with a Board of Directors and Staff that have tremendous Indigenous traditional knowledge, post-secondary education and work experience within their varied fields of expertise which has allowed for success in the delivery our programs and services. WBRHLI’s work has achieved regional and national recognition from both the province of Ontario and the federal government.
