Our Programs

The Education for Hope Program is a national Program that engages educators and schools in conversations about reconciliation.

Fish Creek Elementary School
To keep the conversation and learning going, Tipi of Hope has partnered with Onion Lake Cree Nation Member Delreé Dumont on Tipi of Hope’s Colouring Pages as a part of its Education for Hope Program. These colouring pages were provided to Fish Creek in May 2023.

Pilot of Shoes for Hope Program
Shoes have been placed across Turtle Island to represent the children of Indigenous Peoples who went through the residential school system. These are striking images that sparked the idea for Tipi of Hope Indigenous Board Members to use the symbol of the shoes in a positive and charitable way.

Tipi of Hope Foundation completed a pilot program of this program with Fish Creek Elementary School in May 2023. From May 1 – May 26, teachers, faculty, parents, students, and the community donated new pairs of children’s youth shoes.

Each pair of shoes is reconciliation in action as the shoes were donated to Siksika Nation Indigenous children. Also, each person who donates a pair of shoes will have taken the time to reflect on their journey of reconciliation.

Because of its success, Shoes for Hope is now a stand alone program.

Environmental Sustainability
The land offers us a time of new beginnings and rebirth every Spring Equinox. Everything is taken and used with the understanding that we take only what we need and must use great care to protect future generations. When we practice ways of lessening our environmental impact, we are being good ancestors and paving the way for future
generations.

From May 1 – May 26, teachers, faculty, parents, students, and the community donated gently used clothing, books, and household items. On May 26, the gently used items donated to Tipi of Hope are purchased by Value Village through its FUNDrive® program, providing us with funding to advance reconciliation in our communities. Together, we are advancing reconciliation while reducing our environmental impact.

Shoes have been placed across Turtle Island to represent the children of Indigenous Peoples who went through the residential school system. These are striking images that sparked the idea for Tipi of Hope Indigenous Board Members to use the symbol of the shoes in a positive and charitable way.

Tipi of Hope Foundation completed a pilot program in May 2023. See Education for Hope above for more information. 36 pairs of shoes were donated to Siksika Nation Indigenous children.

Because of the pilot’s success, it became a stand-alone Program in June 2023.

Indigenous Community Support Program
On November 4, our Shoes for Hope Program was launched as a stand-alone program. A $12,000.00 shoe donation went to the Métis Nation of Alberta and Tsuut’ina Nation, who expressed “a real need” to help advance their communities.

Kristen Acuna works with Métis youth, and says the shoe donation will make a difference in her community. “To give a kid confidence, helping a kid get a hand up, to me that’s Truth and Reconciliation.”

September Daniels is a member of Tsuut’ina Nation’s young adult outreach peer support, and says it made her feel “blessed” to see the email stating they had been picked. “It made me feel very vulnerable, where it made me realize that this is something that we need as people, that we need that bridge to be built with others coming in to help us with our healing.”

“The donations show people receiving the shoes that we didn’t put them on the steps to represent the people that are lost, we’re representing the people that are living through it every day.” – Tipi of Hope Director Karen Lundy.

Elders have suggested that Tipi of Hope consider creating a culture of belonging across Turtle Island (Canada), as we are all connected and must embrace Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.

Designed to be a safe space, Benches for Hope have multiple benefits:

• Create a safe and inclusive place for all Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
• Allow all to stop, sit and reflect on their journey of reconciliation.

Benches for Hope are to be made available for anyone to sit, rest, wait, or create a safe or sacred shared
space.

Benches are orange to represent the stripping away of culture, freedom, and self-esteem of Indigenous Peoples over generations of colonization, as well as the clothing was taken from all Indigenous Peoples who attended residential schools or experienced the 60’s scoop.

Our benches will contain the Tipi of Hope logo and are customized with a QR code that links directly to resources for services such as:

• Drumming and smudging.
• Elder or spiritual care.
• Service and care providers who are committed to cultural safety.