Hope for Healing: Partnering with Nisga’a Nation to build a culture camp for healing

Coming to the village of Gingolx, B.C., the camp will soothe intergenerational trauma by reconnecting Indigenous youth to the land

In Northern B.C., near the border with Alaska, lies the village of Gingolx, one of the four villages in the Nass River valley that make up Nisga’a Nation. The village is surrounded by the natural beauty of water and mountains; it is quiet and still. But it is also restless.

In Gingolx, a village of 400 people, the effects of the residential school system are felt by everyone in the community, even youth who never experienced the institutions firsthand. Loss of language and oral history, and disconnection with the land continue to impact the communities today.

But new steps on a pathway to healing have begun. Created by the village Elders of Ginglox, championed by the Indigenous Residential Schools Survivors Society (IRSSS), and supported by a $25,000 donation by Rogers, a new culture camp is in development for Nisga’a Indigenous youth. 

The camp will focus on traditional land-based teachings and offer a safe space for healing.  Fishing net and crab pots, drumming and singing, medicinal gathering and talking circles are tools in the hands of Elders and youth to repair intergenerational trauma and reclaim Indigenous pride. Guided by Elders though sharing knowledge and teaching the history of residential schools, handing down the languages and traditions at risk of disappearing, and deepening the connections to their land, Indigenous youth take their place as cultural stewards for the generations to come, empowered to protect it, restore it, and fight for it.

These deep connections will be sustained in the months following camp with weekly sessions to build on the participants’ experiences, continuing to explore Indigenous art, culture, and conversation for and by the next generation.

Rogers is committed to supporting the collective journey towards truth and reconciliation in meaningful ways, and in partnership with Indigenous Peoples.  Recognizing the impact of the residential school system – and taking action to help communities heal – is part of our commitment, and a $25,000 donation to IRSSS, in addition to our support for the Nisga’a camp for healing, is one way we are honouring this promise.  Read more about Rogers’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.