Great Lakes Lifeways Institute

Program Service Accomplishment: Restoring Culturally Rooted Spaces for Community Health and Wellbeing Great Lakes Lifeways Institute works to strengthen community health, cultural identity, and intergenerational connection by restoring and creating spaces where Indigenous knowledge, land-based practices, and community relationships can thrive. This program focuses on building and revitalizing structures, gathering places, and teaching environments grounded in ancestral design, regional materials, and Indigenous ecological values. These spaces support ceremony, learning, creativity, and healing, helping communities reconnect with land and each other in ways that promote long-term wellbeing. In the fiscal year, GLLI advanced this work through a series of community-centered construction, design, and cultural restoration projects across the Great Lakes region. These projects are guided by regional knowledge holders, local partnerships, and hands-on community participation. Key activities included: Construction and revitalization of traditional structures, including bark lodges, teaching spaces, and land-based work areas that uphold cultural protocols and regional ecological relationships. Canoe-building and water-based cultural work, including multi-site coordination for traditional canoe construction, skill-sharing with Tribal and urban Indigenous communities, and preparing materials through responsible harvest and collaborative design. Cultural arts, language, and land-based education, hosted in restored and temporary community spaces that bring together youth, elders, and educators for learning, creation, and leadership development. Seasonal and place-based programming, including guided walks, arts engagements, public demonstrations, and community gatherings that reconnect people with land, treaties, traditional ecological knowledge, and shared stewardship responsibilities. Access-building and relationship development with land sites, supporting communities in reclaiming culturally significant spaces, visiting regional landscapes, and creating opportunities for collective healing and knowledge exchange. Collaborations with regional organizations, museums, and educational partners, expanding community access to culturally grounded environments and strengthening visibility of Indigenous work and history. These restored and newly created spaces serve as vital hubs for community connection, wellness, and cultural vitality. They foster practices that reduce isolation, build confidence and belonging, and create supportive environments for individuals and families. The program also contributes to long-term community infrastructure by training participants in land-based skills, woodworking, building techniques, and caretaking practices that can be passed forward for generations. Program Impact Through this program, GLLI increased access to safe, culturally rooted environments where people can gather, learn, and heal. Community members experienced strengthened relationships with land, water, and traditional teachings. Projects also cultivated new opportunities for youth leadership, artistic expression, and intertribal collaboration, while preserving regional cultural knowledge and craft techniques. Financials The program incurred $184,625 in expenses. The initiative generated $226,768 in revenue, which supported staffing, materials, travel, construction needs, and the coordination required to restore and maintain community cultural spaces.

Program Service Accomplishment: Connecting Community by Water Great Lakes Lifeways Institute advances community connection, cultural restoration, and environmental stewardship through water-based education, engagement, and intergenerational programming. Water is a central teacher within Indigenous worldviews, and this program focuses on helping communities reconnect with ancestral waterways, traditional practices, and the responsibilities that come with caring for the lakes and rivers that sustain life. During the fiscal year, GLLI supported a range of activities that uplift cultural relationships to water and create meaningful pathways for community participation. These efforts took place across riverways, island shorelines, inland lakes, and educational spaces connected to important regional waterways. Key program components included: Jiimaan (canoe) cultural programming, including preparation, teachings, and water-based activities rooted in ancestral craft and practice. Participants engaged in paddling, water safety, wayfinding, and cultural knowledge sessions that highlighted the historical and contemporary role of waterways in Indigenous life. Water travel, learning, and community outreach, connecting youth, families, and community members to local watersheds through guided experiences. These included small-group paddles, shoreline gatherings, and conversations with knowledge holders about ecology, treaty responsibilities, relationships to place, and the cultural significance of water. Support for canoe builds and water-related craftwork at partner sites, ensuring that communities have access to the tools, vessels, and teaching environments needed to restore traditional water practices. This included coordination with cultural builders, harvesting materials, and preparing sites for future water journeys. Collaborative programming with Tribal nations, cultural organizations, and regional partners, expanding access to water-based learning and increasing the visibility of Indigenous leadership in environmental and cultural education. Youth-focused water teachings, offering hands-on opportunities for young people to develop confidence, leadership skills, and environmental awareness by working on and near the water under the guidance of cultural educators. Environmental stewardship activities, including teachings on water protection, shoreline care, ecological observation, and reciprocal relationships with the natural world. These experiences support long-term environmental health and community resilience. Through these activities, the program strengthened community belonging, cultural identity, and ecological literacy by creating accessible, culturally grounded pathways for people to learn from the water and connect to one another. This work continues to cultivate a deeper understanding of water as a living relative and reinforces community commitment to caring for the waters of the Great Lakes region. Program Impact The Connecting Community by Water program increased opportunities for cultural learning, outdoor activity, and intergenerational engagement. Participants gained hands-on experience with traditional practices, built stronger relationships with local ecosystems, and developed a sense of empowerment and responsibility tied to caring for the water. The program also contributed to broader community health by offering safe, supportive spaces for movement, connection, reflection, and cultural expression. Financials The program recorded $50,785 in expenses. The initiative generated $80,659 in revenue, which supported staffing, canoe program materials, transportation, safety equipment, and coordination of water-based events and activities.