Endacho Healing Lodge

Project Overview

CitySpaces was engaged by Dene Wellness Warriors, an Indigenous counselling firm, to research and prepare a Feasibility Study and Business Case for a proposed healing lodge in the Northwest Territories. The project involved extensive engagement with the Government of the Northwest Territories, Indigenous Services Canada, and regional Indigenous governments. The goal was to establish the Healing Lodge through a collaborative partnership among Indigenous governments, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Government of Canada.

Key Highlights

Given the complexity of the political landscape within the Northwest Territories, our team created an Advisory Committee comprising representatives from distinct regions. This approach helped facilitate an engagement process that considered unique perspectives and involved all relevant groups and government entities (e.g., knowledge keepers, Indigenous governments, Government of the Northwest Territories, Indigenous Services Canada).

CitySpaces produced an Engagement and Best Practices Report that summarized our research with existing healing centres across Canada, as well as stories from people with lived and living experience of trauma. The main takeaway from the consultation was that there is a significant need for a culturally and regionally appropriate trauma healing lodge for Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories that complements existing services.

Following engagement, our team developed a Feasibility Study that outlines a roadmap to how the Healing Lodge will operate. The practical, action-oriented document provides direction regarding the program model, operations, staffing, and includes an order-of-magnitude operating budget and start-up costs. The project was recently awarded $7-million from the Federal Government to advance development.