Winnie Czulinski –
The sacred medicines of tobacco, sage, cedar and sweetgrass are a vital part of the Indigenous approach to wellness. In the Downtown East, Toronto has a warm spot for healthcare that combines this traditional approach with modern medicine.
According to the Anishnawbe Health Foundation, Toronto has approximately 90,000 Indigenous residents, 87 per cent of them living below Canada’s low-income cut-off. Many of these people do not feel safe or welcome in mainstream medical facilities.
The Anishnawbe Health Toronto centre at 425 Cherry Street, part of the new Indigenous hub in the West Don Lands, supports clients experiencing trauma, addiction, homelessness and mental illness. Staffed by both physicians and full-time traditional healers and sporting a shawl and fringe design, the centre celebrated its grand opening in June. The ceremony culminated more than 35 years of care at several Toronto locations, including establishing the city’s first sweat lodge 17 years ago.
The new centre also responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to action #22, which urges recognition and use of Indigenous healing practices in Canada’s care system.
“This is more than a health centre – it’s a powerful act of reclamation, restoring space for Indigenous presence, knowledge, and healing in the heart of the city,” said Michael Milward, special projects and interim executive director of Anishnawbe Health in a news release.
Milward, from Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation, near Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, has supported innovative initiatives for First Nations, Inuit and Métis in post-secondary education as well as healthcare.
At Anishnawbe Health Toronto, he worked closely with executive director Joe Hester, who died on January 31, on a training program for traditional healers, ceremonialists and teachers. The Anishnawbe Health Centre was the long-held vision of Hester, a respected elder known also as Ayimuu Macheshuu (Talking Fox),
A Toronto City Council condolence said Hester “dedicated his life to advocating for and supporting Indigenous communities by creating the foundation of urban Indigenous health in Toronto. Through his work, he ensured Indigenous people in and around Toronto had proper access to both traditional and western medicine delivered in a culturally appropriate way.”
Ontario’s Health Ministry, headed by Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones, invested over $31 million in the new health centre. A major donation also came from the Krawczyk Family Foundation founded by Alex Krawczyk, daughter of the late philanthropic couple Honey and Barry Sherman.
Krawczyk also recently made an $11 million gift to St. Michael’s and Providence Foundation. The new 650-square-foot Indigenous wellness space at St. Michael’s Hospital, at Queen and Bond Streets, has a large ceremonial circle, special exhaust ventilation for smudging ceremonies, and Indigenous art and symbols. The donation also funds Indigenous wellness worker positions to help support an existing busy health program.
“True healing and reconciliation begin with listening, by being brave enough to acknowledge the harm that’s been done, making a commitment to change, and actively supporting the creation of spaces, programs and services where Indigenous voices lead the way,” Roberta Pike, director of Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation and Partnerships at Unity Health Toronto, said in a statement.
Pike, who is Anishinaabekwe from Henvey Inlet First Nation, says, “Our team understands what kind of experiences people may have when they’re coming to the hospital, and they’re able to assist and get to the heart of the matter of what people truly need, which is oftentimes a lot more complex than what they’re presenting with.”
Many Indigenous people may experience being misunderstood or denigrated. In an extreme example, Atikamekw patient Joyce Echaquan, 37, livestreamed her agony and the racist taunts of hospital staff as she died in a Quebec hospital in 2020.
At Call Auntie’s low-barrier medical clinic at 525 Dundas Street East, an Indigenous-led interprofessional healthcare team serves Indigenous community members and people who have challenges accessing mainstream healthcare.
Call Auntie, a federally registered non-profit, acknowledges the Indigenous honoured wise woman, the auntie, as an elder. The clinic – which has a Wednesday drop-in with lunch from 1-4 p.m. – also helps with safer housing options, nourishing meals, grocery supports, transportation, practical skills and self-care.
The clinic team knows that those forced to live outside have difficulties with sleeping safely, or accessing food and protection. Many such people feel they cannot leave their tents or tarps, and few possessions, to seek medical help.
“But at Call Auntie we believe that everyone deserves good health care,” says its website. “So if you can’t get to medical care, the Street Medicine team can come to you.”
