Healing Our Histories
Since the discovery of the 215 unmarked graves behind Kamloops Boarding School the recognition of the injustices created towards the Native populations became the forefront of many legislative movements and churches alike. Many churches have created awareness by educating their members about what has transpired, however, there have been many that have not known how to go further. How can we help? How can we make reparations? Healing Wounds Ministry works with the Native organizations to help undo the harms that have been caused in the boarding schools and through forced assimilation.
Meet Our Fiscal Sponsor!
The Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers
The Keepers is a Native Nonprofit Organization that is located in Pipestone, MN next to the Pipestone quarries. They have been working with traditional Native arts and crafts and educating the public about Native Histories and traditions for 28 years! Healing Wounds is proud to have the Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers as our Fiscal Sponsor!
How Does It Work?
We Find the Organizations
Finding reputable organizations can sometimes be one of the greatest challenges to donors. Healing Wounds seeks established organizations who are working on behalf of the Native populations. Healing Wounds then passes on donors contributions to these organizations. You don't have to do the work! You don't have to understand their political systems! Healing Wounds does that work for you.
We Follow Up
Healing Wounds makes these donations to these organizations conditional upon being willing to share what has transpired with these donations. Healing Wounds then takes this information and adds to a quarterly newsletter to showcase the impact that your donations have made with the Native populations.
A single buffalo is seen at Bear Butte State Park representing the food that once made up the greater portion of the Dakota Natives diet and clothing.
We ensure that your donations are going straight to help the Native populations.
Healing Wounds has a separate fund called the "Administrative" fund which goes to keep the work of Healing Wounds going. This method ensures that any contributions towards any of the funds below goes directly to that organizations that do this work (minus the fiscal sponsor funds that go towards the Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers which keeps Native arts and crafts alive and educates the public about Native populations).
We support the Native populations in this work of healing
There is no way that non-native speakers can help to retain their language, those who are non-native artists to help preserve their craft. In this way we fully recognize that we only have the ability to support the Native populations in doing their own work.
Healing Wounds seeks grants and donations from Christian Communities to give to the Native communities directly. In this way we do not take anything away from the Native communities related to grants and donations, but rather find a way to add to what they already have coming to them so that further healing can take place.
Thank you to all of those who are willing to donate! Your donations do make a difference in the lives of the Native communities and help to create healing and understanding for all that they have endured.
What programs can I choose from?
1) Language Revitalization: Healing Wounds works with organizations within the Native communities that are working towards helping the Native population learn and retain their languages. There are many Native tribes that only have one elder who speaks their language. Your donation helps the tribes to be able to race against the clock in finding ways to gather, collect and distribute information about their languages so that their language is retained in their tribes.
2) Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation: Many Natives have turned to alcohol and drugs as a way of coping with the harms that have been created throughout the years due to the boarding schools or other challenges that have been imposed upon them. Your donation has the ability to help promote programs within the reservations and Native populations to help them to get off of these addictive drugs and alcohol and to help create strong bonds between their families and their communities.
3) Food, Shelter and Clothing: Many Natives are still lacking in their basic needs for food, shelter and clothing. Due to the reservations distance from cities and discrimination many in the Native population have a challenge finding work that will allow them to sustain themselves. Your donation has the ability to help those in the Native population have adequate housing, food and clothing for themselves.
4) Land & Water Rights: Land and water rights continue to be a struggle for Native populations. There are many issues related to what is transpiring on the reservations in relation to land, Native sovereignty on these reservations, ensuring that they have access to clean water and more. The Native populations continue to emphasize the need to care for the earth and our waters. These waters are known as Mni Wiconi (Dakota) and Bizmaadiziwin Nibi (Ojiwe) which means Water is Life in both languages.
5) Administration: The administration fund is to help Healing Wounds continue with their work in healing. It goes towards staff salaries who do this work, websites and domain names, software and programs used for this work, etc. Namely it goes towards all that is needed to keep the foundation of Healing Wounds alive.