Reconnecting Mi’kmaq Youth to Land, Culture, and Purpose 

In Elsipogtog First Nation, Mi’kmaq youth are facing complex challenges that extend far beyond the classroom, from food and housing insecurity to trauma, disconnection, and systemic barriers to education. Many young people carry the weight of personal and intergenerational loss, struggling to find safe spaces where they can heal, learn, and grow. 

Through its Nogemag Youth Program, Elsipogtog Education Wellness Inc. is helping to change that story. With support from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Catapult Canada grants, the organization is expanding its year-round, trauma-informed, land-based programming designed to help Mi’kmaq youth reconnect with culture, community, and self. 

Healing Through Land and Culture 

The Nogemag Youth Program offers a safe and consistent space for youth aged 13 to 18 to gather, learn, and heal through cultural teachings, ceremony, and mentorship. Rooted in the Seven Sacred Teachings, the program blends leadership development, life skills training, and traditional practices such as sharing circles, drumming, and land-based learning. Youth learn not only to identify their strengths but also to see themselves as part of something larger: their culture, their community, and the natural world around them. 

“This grant will allow us to continue, and even increase our contact time with high risk first nations youth, doing cultural land based healing activities.” says the project team. 

Addressing the Roots of Disconnection 

Community consultations and youth sharing circles in Elsipogtog and surrounding Wabanaki communities have revealed deep structural and emotional barriers to learning: food insecurity, trauma, lack of mentorship, and limited culturally safe supports.  

Nogemag’s trauma-informed approach changes that by meeting youth where they are. Through land-based education, healing circles, and consistent adult mentorship, the program helps young people rebuild trust, develop coping skills, and rediscover a sense of purpose. Many former participants have gone on to become educators, mentors, and community leaders themselves. 

Strengthening Youth Leadership with support from the RHF 

Support from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Catapult Canada initiative is helping Elsipogtog Education Wellness Inc. expand its capacity to meet growing community needs. Catapult funding enables the team to deepen trauma training, enhance leadership pathways, and expand culturally grounded programming throughout the year. 

Catapult’s collaborative network also connects Elsipogtog’s youth leaders to other organizations across Canada working to support young people’s learning and wellbeing, creating opportunities for shared learning, capacity-building, and stronger, more sustainable systems of support. 

By investing in community-driven initiatives like the Nogemag Youth Program, the Rideau Hall Foundation is helping to nurture a generation of Mi’kmaq youth who are grounded in their culture, confident in their identity, and ready to lead with strength and compassion.