A Long-Standing Vision
For decades, Indigenous Peoples in Edmonton have been calling for an Indigenous community centre. Many Elders, advocates, non-profit Indigenous organizations and community members have kept the dream alive all these years to have a space like the Indigenous Culture and Wellness Centre (ICWC).
"For more than 40 years, our relatives talked about the need for a gathering place for our people, a place that would meet our holistic needs, including a place where we felt like we belonged, where we felt heard, a place where we felt safe, a place where we can be serviced by our own people. Those were the dreams of leaders and the community in the 1970s.”
- community member.
Urban Aboriginal Accord
Edmonton’s City Council made a declaration in 2005, followed by the 2007 Edmonton Urban Aboriginal Accord to improve the relationship between the City of Edmonton and Indigenous Peoples living in Edmonton. The Accord established opportunities for the City of Edmonton to hear directly from Indigenous Peoples and share their perspectives, concerns and priorities with willing partners prepared to work on community-identified priorities.
EndPovertyEdmonton Mayor’s Task Force
A Task Force, co-chaired by Mayor Don Iveson and Bishop Jane Alexander, was formed in 2014 with a vision of eliminating poverty in Edmonton within a generation. Urban Indigenous folks were engaged in this opportunity, highlighting the need to have an Indigenous community centre once again. After consultation with Edmontonians and Indigenous communities in and around Edmonton, a significant body of work led to the formation of the EndPovertyEdmonton Strategy (pg. 26) with with 28 priorities approved by Edmonton City Council in 2015. A five-year Implementation Road Map was developed with 35 starting-point actions. The first action called for the design and plan of an Indigenous Culture and Wellness Centre (ICWC). In 2016, Edmonton City Council approved funding for three developmental phases for the ICWC. The phases include: Strategy, Concept and Design.
Formation of the Indigenous Circle and ICWC Steering Committee
The emergence of the Indigenous Circle came about through the work of the Mayor’s Task Force. It is a fluid and open membership table inclusive of all Indigenous Peoples and communities. It grounds itself in Indigenous ways of knowing and being in order to advise, inform and influence the work of EndPovertyEdmonton and its Stewardship Round Table. The ICWC Steering Committee was formed in fall 2017 and includes local members of the urban Indigenous community, the Indigenous Circle and City of Edmonton.
Find out more about this organizational structure here.
Ceremonial Teachings for the Steering Committee
The Indigenous Circle chose individuals from their group to sit on the ICWC Steering Committee to begin the ICWC strategy. The Indigenous Circle, along with the City of Edmonton, organized an opportunity to sit on the land with Elder Jimmy O’Chiese and receive teachings related to Indigenous governance. All members of the Indigenous Circle and ICWC Steering Committee were invited and participated in receiving the learnings from the Elder. This provided everyone on the ICWC Steering Committee with a greater understanding of how best to work as allies and support Indigenous Peoples in co-leading the ICWC project.
Procurement Process & the Environmental Scan
In an effort to move reconciliation forward, the ICWC Steering Committee worked with the City of Edmonton to decolonize a procurement process to hire contractors for a comprehensive Environmental Scan (E-Scan). The Steering Committee had an evaluation team who put in many hours and energy to develop a new system to ensure Indigenous Peoples were able to submit proposals and be equally considered during the evaluation process. The E-Scan is composed of a thorough needs assessment intended to identify key features for the development of an Indigenous Culture and Wellness Centre. This E-Scan process involved broad community engagements with Indigenous Peoples from all walks of life.
Pathway to the Business Case
On March 9, 2018, Elders Lillian and Roy O'Chiese held a Ceremony asking the ancestors for guidance, protection and support before beginning the project planning for the ICWC. The ICWC Steering Committee is guided by natural law and the seven sacred teachings and therefore the project is grounded in Indigenous culture, ceremonies and teachings from local Elders.
Key milestones have been achieved since the Ceremony, including the completion of the E-Scan and development of the Guiding Principles. Both of these documents shall be used in conversations with potential partners brought together to form a governance body that will build and operate the Indigenous Culture and Wellness Centre.
Find out where the ICWC project is at now…
Past and Upcoming Events
Learn more about the community conversations we have had, and the upcoming chances to have your voice heard.
