How do you ensure cultural integrity in programming?

We follow Indigenous leadership, compensate knowledge keepers, and create accountability through community feedback rather than one-time events.

Can non-Indigenous people participate?

Yes. Participation is grounded in respect and learning, with clear community guidelines to ensure safe and accountable engagement.

How does the program connect to housing support?

Cultural connection builds trust, which opens doors to housing referrals, advocacy, and sustained follow-up within our sites.

Do you collaborate with other organizations?

We partner locally to align services, reduce duplication, and strengthen pathways across Winnipeg’s support networks.

How can I get involved?

Attend a drop-in, volunteer time or skills, or support the work through donations and advocacy.

How does the ICP program support healing beyond the program itself?

Participants often build relationships that extend into peer support, leadership opportunities, and ongoing connection to other services at 1JustCity, strengthening long-term well-being and community belonging.

Indigenous Cultural Programming in Winnipeg, MB

Respected Elders

1JustCity Demonstration Pow Wow 2020

Reconciliation Circle

A young participant learns to make bannock and later delivered to activist encampment.

Winner of Ojibway Language Bingo

Many Indigenous local business owners and performers donated gifts for our language bingo.

Respected Elders

1JustCity Demonstration Pow Wow 2020

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About 1JustCity's ICP

Our Indigenous Cultural Program & Highlights from 2021

1JustCity’s Indigenous Cultural Program was born from the North End Stella Community Ministry’s (NESCM) initiative in Winnipeg’s North End. Since 1980, NESCM has supported strong Indigenous identity and culture and repented the colonial effects on Indigenous nations in Canada. Indigenous Cultural Programming is an essential piece when working towards reconciliation.

1JustCity believes that the first step to providing meaningful Indigenous Cultural Programming is accessibility. We offer our programming to everyone, no matter where they may be in their lives. Everyone is welcome to join, and everyone who joins is equally deserving of learning a new skill (like sewing a medicine pouch). Our ICP activities can help people battling addiction or help Indigenous People learn more about their culture.

1JustCity is excited to be an ally and partner in building healthy relationships and leading the way in reconciliation. As one of our four pillars, we are committed to offering mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health practices through Indigenous Cultural Programming at our three sites.

We welcome anyone who is simply curious to learn a new skill or wants to be immersed in the culture.

We invite you to learn more and visit us during our programming schedule below.

A dancer participating in the indigenous cultural programming.

During the summer of 2021, MB restrictions were lifted just in time for our annual 1JustCity Demonstration Pow Wow.

The entire community showed up, as the past year during the pandemic restricted pow wow's from happening. We saw an increase in the number of participants and dancers at our third annual pow wow. Special Guests like Lisa Naylor, Art City and Sandy Saulteaux Centre were in attendance.

ICP Events Calendar

Visit one of our sites for information about our Indigenous Cultural Programming events!

Community-Centered Indigenous Care and Belonging

In Winnipeg, MB, we walk alongside people who are too often pushed to the margins. At 1JustCity, our work grows from relationships, shared humanity, and a deep commitment to justice. Through meals, hygiene access, housing help, cultural supports, and community spaces, we create places where people are known by name and welcomed as they are. One vital part of that care is our indigenous cultural programming, offered across our drop-in sites in core neighbourhoods of the city.

Our ICP program is grounded in Indigenous leadership and lived experience. We host Indigenous culture workshops, land-based teachings, arts, storytelling, and wellness practices that nurture identity and connection. These gatherings are open and barrier-free—no appointments, no eligibility hurdles—so people facing homelessness, isolation, or food insecurity can participate with dignity. We integrate Indigenous healing programming with everyday supports like meals, laundry, and showers, recognizing that culture and care are inseparable.

Winnipeg carries the weight of colonial harm and the strength of Indigenous resilience. Our Indigenous reconciliation program centers truth-telling and community voice, creating space for learning and belonging for Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants alike. By weaving cultural supports into daily drop-in life, we reduce fragmentation and support whole-person wellness—mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual.

Beyond cultural gatherings, our sites in West Broadway, the West End, and Osborne Village offer daily meals, clean clothing, and pathways to housing stability. In winter, we respond to urgent needs through emergency shelter programs, ensuring safety during extreme cold. Our approach is relational and consistent, supporting over 700 people weekly with care that meets them where they are.

If you’re seeking a place of welcome, learning, or support—or if you want to partner, volunteer, or give—join us. Together, we can strengthen community, honor Indigenous knowledge, and build a city where everyone belongs. Visit 1JustCity in Winnipeg, MB, and connect with our drop-in spaces today.

Community Profiles

Stories, Links, & Resources

Keep up with what we've been doing!

LINKS & RESOURCES

Links:

Resources:

Join Circles for Reconciliation Canada: circlesforreconciliation.ca
Residential School Survivor Helpline and FAQ: www.irsss.ca

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