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Mosetan – Walking Together

Mosetan – Walking Together

The Mosetan project exemplifies knowledge braiding by intentionally weaving together Indigenous and Western perspectives to support the well-being of Indigenous youth. All programming is rooted in land-
based experiences, reflecting. the spiritual, ecological, and cultural importance of the land for First Nations. Nature is not just a backdrop, but a living teacher central to the design and delivery of all activities. Using traditional models like the Medicine Wheel, talking circles, and ceremony, youth and practitioners alike engage with holistic understandings of health that integrate emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual dimensions. At the same time, non-Indigenous practitioners are invited to deepen their awareness and improve their professional practice through ongoing intercultural education. These learning journeys are guided by Indigenous facilitators and grounded in respectful co-learning. The involvement of Elders, youth, and community leaders ensures that knowledge transmission occurs across generations and within culturally safe spaces. The program mobilizes both lived experience and academic insight, drawing on partnerships with the CHEO Research Institute to collect data and track outcomes in a manner that upholds Indigenous data sovereignty. Through documentation, video capsules, and training tools, the project contributes to long-term knowledge sharing that supports healing, conservation, and systems transformation.

The Mosetan project aims to foster the holistic well-being of Indigenous youth by offering culturally rooted, land-based immersion programs at the Kina8at site in La Conception, Quebec. It also seeks to increase the capacity of non-Indigenous practitioners to engage respectfully and effectively with Indigenous youth by providing continuing education grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems.

The project is led by the Indigenous non-profit organization Kina8at, co-founded by Anishinabee
(Algonquin) Hereditary Chief Dominique (T8aminik) Rankin and his wife, Marie-Josée Tardif. Delivery will
involve Kina8at’s experienced team, Elders from different indigenous nations, and Indigenous cultural
practitioners from across Quebec, in partnership with the CHEO Research Institute and several
Indigenous Friendship Centers.

The primary site for youth immersion and practitioner training is Kina8at’s land in La Conception, a culturally safe and healing environment that has welcomed participants from all Nations for over 12 years.
The project’s impact will extend to communities across Quebec through outreach, virtual sessions, and
community-based tools.

Confirmed partners include the CHEO Research Institute, Indigenous Friendship Centers, and
community organizations. Relationships with Indigenous communities are already well established
through past Kina8at programming and are continuously nurtured through direct engagement, respect for
protocols, and collaborative program design.

Indigenous youth face disproportionate mental health challenges rooted in colonial trauma, systemic barriers, and cultural disconnection. Mosetan responds by restoring cultural identity, language, and purpose, while also equipping practitioners to intervene respectfully. Rooted in Indigenous knowledge and place, the program offers a practical response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action—particularly around health, education, and healing. It supports systemic change through reciprocal learning, community collaboration, and meaningful action toward reconciliation.

Project Lead
Roxanne Lajoie
Philanthropic Director and Executive Interim Director

Project Timeline

Year 1 - Scope & Activities
  • Establish Mosetan youth groups across the 11 Indigenous Nations in Quebec, in partnership with Friendship Centres, schools, and community organizations, with priority to youth aged 12–25 facing vulnerability. Deliver culturally grounded activities at Kina8at focused on identity, land, and belonging.
  • Build partnerships with schools, youth protection services, health professionals, and social service networks through presentations and meetings; identify practitioners for future training.
  • Develop a foundational program document outlining the initiative’s vision, cultural foundations, youth programming, practitioner training, objectives, and pedagogy.
  • Produce two educational video/conference capsules with Indigenous facilitators, Elders, and youth on Indigenous youth realities and culturally grounded responses, including traditional teachings, nature-based practices, community support, and lived testimonies.
  • Finalize and implement wellness surveys developed with the CHEO Research Institute; train facilitators in their respectful and ethical administration and establish baseline data.
  • Develop a comprehensive practitioner guide covering culturally appropriate prevention and intervention strategies, Indigenous facilitators, and community resources.
  • Host two immersive training retreats at Kina8at for non-Indigenous practitioners, led by Indigenous Elders and facilitators, covering culturally grounded youth mental health, abuse prevention, crisis intervention, traditional tools, and relational approaches.
  • Continue Mosetan youth groups with modules on cultural identity, language revitalization, and intergenerational knowledge, including traditional teachings, forest walks, nature-based activities, and storytelling circles.
  • Develop bilingual written and audiovisual training resources, including one new video/conference capsule on Indigenous youth challenges and culturally adapted intervention strategies.
  • Strengthen cross-sector collaboration and expand the Indigenous and non-Indigenous professional network through feedback, knowledge exchange, and mentoring.
  • Launch virtual continuing education sessions between retreats for ongoing reflection, mentorship, and co-development of strategies.
  • Expand training to complex issues including suicide prevention, substance use, sexual violence, and intergenerational trauma, using culturally grounded approaches such as the medicine wheel, talking circles, land-based activities, and story work.
  • Continue Mosetan youth programming with seasonal land-based gatherings at Kina8at focused on healing, cultural pride, and collective resilience.
  • Maintain biannual immersive retreats for non-Indigenous practitioners, with evolving content based on practitioner feedback and community needs.
  • Publish an annual learning report synthesizing youth and practitioner experiences, virtual sessions, and resources developed.
  • Co-create a community-based action plan for integrating Mosetan tools into schools, health centres, and youth services.
  • Refine and expand the bilingual Mosetan resource toolkit, including implementation templates, intervention guides, and multimedia resources; include Indigenous languages where possible.
  • Gather mid-project quantitative and qualitative evaluation data through wellness surveys, testimonials, practitioner reflections, and community feedback.
  • Finalize and promote the blended continuing education program through colleges, professional associations, health networks, and community service providers; pursue formal recognition or accreditation.
  • Host an immersive learning stay at Kina8at for educators, mental health workers, youth protection staff, and public service personnel.
  • Hold a closing gathering with youth, Elders, community partners, practitioners, and researchers to share findings, celebrate the project, and launch the Mosetan continuing education program.