The Native Friendship Centre of Montreal (NFCM) is a non-profit, non-sectarian, autonomous community development agency whose principal mission is to promote, develop, and enhance the quality of life in the urban Aboriginal community of Montreal.

The NFCM, being part of a regional and national initiative that bridges the gap between two cultures, serves the Aboriginal population of the eleven nations of Quebec. These nations include the Inuit, Cree, Mi'gmaq, Naskapi, Algonquin, Montagnais, Abenaki, Mohawk, Attikamekw, Huron and Malecite. The NFCM also works with nations found throughout Canada and the United States.

The NFCM, recognized as an information and referral centre, is also a reference point for other Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organizations.

The number of Aboriginal people in the Greater Montreal region is approximately 44,500 (Statistics Canada, 2001 Census). First Nation, Métis and Inuit people who want to pursue their studies, who are patients in need of treatment away from their communities, who need respite or a warm meal or need further training come to the NFCM for assistance.

Our Mission

The mission of the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal (NFCM) is to promote, develop and enhance the quality of life of Montreal's urban Aboriginal community.

The Native Friendship Centre of Montreal is part of a national initiative that bridges the gap between two cultures.

Native Friendship of Centre Montreal Inc.
2001 St. Laurent Boulevard
Montreal, Quebec H2X 2T3
Telephone: (514) 499-1854
Email: info@nfcm.org www.nfcm.org/

The shelter is constantly evolving and striving to offer the best possible services to Aboriginal women and children.

Since its incorporation in 1987, the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal has provided shelter and support to Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis women and their children who are in difficulty. Our clientele are self-referred or referred by community resources.

The shelter provides an environment where women can focus on their various challenges and rebuild their lives. We offer in-house programs and services as well as outreach services that help in the healing process of the women while assisting them in re-establishing a balanced lifestyle.

The Native Women's Shelter works within an Aboriginal framework. We incorporate many different teachings from the various cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. We combine traditional healing techniques with contemporary approaches to give the women a multitude of options to address their immediate needs and issues.

Native Women's Shelter of Montreal
P.O. Box 1183, Station A
Montreal, Quebec
H3C 2Y3
Tel: (514) 933-4688 or 1-866-403-4688
Email: louannstacey@gmail.com
www.nwsm.info/

Young Artist Warriors is an organization founded in the summer of 2008. Its mission is to raise cultural and self esteem in today's First Nations youth. The first project of Young Artist Warriors features large scale portraits of First Nations youth who attend the Inter-Tribal Youth Center of Montreal. These paintings show the youth in a proud and positive light, incorporating aspects of the youth's heritage.

Given the historical context of portraiture as a mode of painting commissioned by the powerful, wealthy elite of colonialist culture for their edification, the use of the medium proved to be a powerful tool to raise the esteem of the youth, many of whom are unaccustomed to consistent positive attention.

During the portraiture project Jeska Slater racilitated creative projects from the youth in a medium of their choosing. The youth's projects include paintings, spray-can art, rap songs, carvings and dream catchers with poetry woven within. This aspect of the project gave the youth, many of whom are homeless and struggling with issues of poverty, something positive to focus on and a sense of accomplishment. It also provided a forum for the youth to voice concerns, experiences and hardships experienced growing up in today's urban environment.

Both the works of the portrait artist, Jeska Slater, and those of the Youth, were shown in a vernissage at the Native Friendship Center of Montreal on Friday July 24th 2009. This was a time for the First Nations community of Montreal, and the friends and family members of the youth to celebrate the accomplishments and positive aspects of the youth involved.

Young Artist Warriors has garnered an astounding amount of positive attention since its inception, culminating in a Documentary that is currently being filmed about the project, and its participants. This is a costly endeavor, but will provide the organization with a concrete overview to present to potential funding bodies, and communities that wish to implement the program.

Initial funding was graciously provided by Jeunes Volontaire, an extension of Emploi Quebec. This funding has been exhausted and the program is currently being run on donations. We have applied for funding from Canada Council of the Arts, and Crime Prevention Programs. With your help Young Artist Warriors will continue to thrive and grow. Join us and take part in raising the cultural and self esteem of high-risk youth across North America.

Through creativity and the renewal of traditional teachings, we can stop negative patterns, including drug, alcohol abuse, violence and crime, that stem from the transmission of cultural shame. Young Artist Warriors wishes to reveal that our paint brushes, microphones and chisels are the new weapons against cultural oppression and racism. The First Nations Youth of today are eager to share their stories and traditions with the world through creative expression.

Contact: youngartistwarriors@gmail.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111091243938&ref=ts

Mission :The Intertribal Youth Center, a project of the Montreal Native Friendship Center, aims to represent the specific needs of the urban native population and offer a welcoming and supportive environment in order to facilitate their social, cultural and educational empowerment.

Vision :Through encouraging, recognition and respect for the native youths voices, the Intertribal Youth Center aims to increase public awareness about the challenges faced by the native community today, to enable the young people to become positive citizens, role models and eventually leaders of today's and tomorrow's society. Together, our unified voices will help to change the prejudices and negative stereotypes attached to the aboriginal youth of Montreal.

Tel: 514-499-1854
Fax: 514-499-9436 Website: http://www.ityc.org
Contact: youth.coordinator@nfcm.org
www.ityc.org/

The Centre for Native Education is devoted to helping First Nations, Métis and Inuit students at Concordia University achieve their highest academic potential.

To this end, the Centre for Native Education:

-Provides direct services and programmes which promote the academic, personal growth, and holistic development of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students. -Encourages the academic and administrative units of Concordia University to provide services that meet the needs of Aboriginal students, improve the quality of their experience, and promote their well-being.

-Networks and maintains good relations with other Aboriginal service organizations to promote, and better meet the interests and needs of Aboriginal students.

-Promotes the benefits of a post-secondary education to potential Aboriginal students.

-Acts as a resource centre on Aboriginal cultures, languages, history and contemporary issues.
supportservices.concordia.ca/nativecentre/

Founded in 1990, LANDINSIGHTS has gone through the turbulence of an exhaling growth. Each year, the founding members, André Dudemaine, Daniel Corvec and Pierre Thibeault have added an upright or a crossbeam to build a bridge between nations - a fine monument for the new millennium.

LANDINSIGHTS is guided by an eleven-member board with members from the Mohawk, Huron-Wendat, Abenaki, Innu and Cree nations.

LANDINSIGHTS is the driving force behind the First Peoples' Festival, making Montreal the nerve centre of Indigenous Creativity from the three Americas for ten days in June.

LANDINSIGHTS has proven able to create a space for affirmation and recognition, in its organisational structure and its activities. If the bridge we have built may still seem fragile, the confidence our many partners as well as artists in all disciplines have shown for eleven years gives its existence its full meaning and confirms its necessity in our eyes

6865, Christophe-Colomb St. # 102 Montreal, Quebec H2S 2H3
Tel: (514) 278-4040 Fax: (514) 278-4224 Email: tev@nativelynx.qc.ca
www.nativelynx.qc.ca/

The Eastern Door serves the Mohawks of Kahnawake regardless of birth, sex, age, language, politics or religion. The paper and website strive to be a factual, balanced, authoritative source of information with access to all segments of the community.
Founded in 1992, The Eastern Door covers news to sports to politics to human-interest stories to keep community members informed and up-to-date on issues that affect them.
The Eastern Door is a proud member of the Quebec Community Newspapers Association, the Canadian Community Newspaper Association, the Native?American Journalists Association and Chateauguay Chamber of Commerce.
The Eastern Door
P.O. Box 1170
Kahnawake, QC J0L 1B0 Canada,
Tel: (450) 635-3050
Fax: (450) 635-8479

The Indigenous Studies Portal (iPortal) connects faculty, students, researchers and members of the community with electronic resources: books, articles, theses, documents, photographs, archival resources, maps, etc.

The vision of the Indigenous Studies Portal is to provide one place to look to find resources for Indigenous studies. This is a major undertaking and we have only just begun.

The Indigenous Studies Portal is an initiative of the University of Saskatchewan Library. As of July, 2009, the iPortal has more than 17,000 records, including the Our Legacy archival records recently harvested. This includes photos, anthropological field notes, diaries, correspondence and other textual documents.

The iPortal also links to Indigenous programs and events at the University of Saskatchewan. In addition, it offers specialized tools for teaching and scholarship.

iportal.usask.ca

Marc St-Pierre, Collection Analyst in collaboration with the Aboriginal Perspectives team

The Aboriginal Perspectives module contains 33 documentaries, a short fiction film, and 5 film clips. These productions do not represent the entirety of the films on Canada's native peoples in the NFB collection, which comprises more than 700 such works. We did want it, however, to be a representative sample of the whole. The user will find films on many important aspects of Aboriginal culture and heritage, its diverse communities, and some of the major issues and significant moments in its history. These films, more than half of which were made by Aboriginal people, are the work of experienced filmmakers, such as Alanis Obomsawin and Gil Cardinal, and filmmakers in the early stages of their career, such as Elisapie Isaac and Bobby Kenuajuak. The selection covers more than 50 years of film production. All the films are available in both official languages, and 18 of them include described video to allow blind and visually impaired people to fully enjoy their content. In addition, 27 films are available with closed captioning for hearing impaired people.

www3.onf.ca/enclasse/doclens/visau/index.php

This includes a list of the library holdings at the First Peoples' House of McGill. A look at the collection may be helpful in looking for important titles and topics.

www.mcgill.ca/fph/library/

The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) is an Aboriginal-designed and -controlled body committed to influencing and advancing the health and well-being of Aboriginal Peoples by carrying out knowledge-based strategies.

Incorporated in 2000, NAHO is a unique not-for-profit organization founded upon, and committed to, unity, while respecting diversity. With Aboriginal communities as its primary focus, NAHO gathers, creates, interprets, disseminates, and uses both traditional Aboriginal and contemporary western healing and wellness approaches. At all times, the organization reflects the values and principles contained in traditional knowledge and traditional knowledge practices.

NAHO's work is guided by five main objectives:

• To improve and promote Aboriginal health through knowledge-based activities.
• To promote an understanding of the health issues affecting Aboriginal Peoples.
• To facilitate and promote research on Aboriginal health and develop research partnerships.
• To foster the participation of Aboriginal Peoples in delivery of health care.
• To affirm and protect Aboriginal traditional healing practices.

NAHO is respectful and inclusive of all Aboriginal Peoples including men, women, children, youth, and the elderly, living in urban and rural locations. NAHO is governed by a Board of Directors made up of 15 members, 10 of which are appointed by NAHO's member organizations:

• The Assembly of First Nations
• The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
• Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
• The Métis National Council
• The Native Women's Association of Canada

An additional five board members are elected by the 10 appointed board members.

NAHO receives core funding from Health Canada to undertake knowledge-based activities, including education, research and knowledge dissemination. Health Canada exerts no influence over the content of NAHO materials nor are NAHO materials attributable, in whole or in part, to Health Canada. No corporate body or commercial entity has any influence over the contents of NAHO publications.

All materials published by NAHO are put through an established approvals process to ensure that the information presented is credible, timely and accurate. Many of NAHO's publications, such as the Journal of Aboriginal Health, are peer-reviewed prior to being accepted for publication by the organization. With regards to Aboriginal knowledge, NAHO adheres to the principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP).

NAHO's centres

NAHO's work is strengthened by its three centres: the First Nations Centre, the Inuit Tuttarvingat and the Métis Centre. Each of these centres advances the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis by focusing on the distinct needs of their respective populations and promoting culturally relevant approaches to health care.

www.naho.ca/english/