Anchoring Hope: Honoring Indigenous Healing and Resilience

The Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) recognizes the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) theme this year in honor of National Addictions Awareness Week (November 16-22, 2025), "Anchoring Hope".

As addiction continues to impact communities across Canada, ONWA is choosing to anchor hope in the strength, teachings, and lived wisdom of Indigenous Peoples. Through traditional practices rooted in ceremony, land, and community, Indigenous women continue to lead the way in restoring balance and wellness by responding to the changing needs of their communities with care and resilience.

Anchoring hope means returning to Indigenous ways of knowing and being — understanding that healing is found within culture, connection, and love. Centering these ways of being and offering care alternatives can be essential for healing as they empower people to define recovery in their own way, and create pathways of healing that are both effective and lasting. Indigenous healing is not only about overcoming hardship, but about reclaiming strength.

From land-based programs to cultural gatherings, Indigenous healing practices remind us that recovery is possible when we remember who we are. These teachings reflect the resilience of Indigenous women who continue to nurture families, strengthen communities, and carry forward hope for generations to come.

For more information on ONWA and our resources, visit our website: https://www.onwa.ca/learning-resources

Or, visit our Youtube which has teachings by our Knowledge Keepers who have shared their wisdom: https://www.youtube.com/@onwa_official

If you need mental health support grounded in Indigenous culture, wisdom and tradition, Talk4Healing’s toll-free lines are open 24/7: call 1-855-554-4325 or visit http://talk4healing.com

If you are in crisis and looking for support, explore Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) mental health supports: https://cmha.ca/find-help/if-you-are-in-crisis

Learn more and explore resources about the addictions at Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction: https://www.ccsa.ca