About the Event National Wellness Gathering for Indian Residential School Survivors
Good day,
As a participant who attended the National Wellness Gathering for Indian Residential School Survivors, we would appreciate your feedback of the gathering in the link below.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IRSWellnessGathering
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and First Peoples Wellness Circle (FPWC) are honoured to host the National Wellness Gathering for Indian Residential School Survivors on February 13-15, 2024, at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, 1000 Burrard St. Vancouver, B.C., on the beautiful territory of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
The National Wellness Gathering for Indian Residential School Survivors will be informative, fun, and inspirational and will include plenary, dialogue, and workshop sessions, as well as opportunities for relationship building and socializing. The event objectives are to:
- Provide a space for Indian Residential School (IRS) Survivors and their families to reconnect, share, learn, and heal.
- Support the IRS Resolution Health Support Program (RHSP) workforce through wellness activities, cultural connections, and self-care opportunities.
- Generate insights, support, and direction in determining a path to permanency for the IRS RHSP program past the current mandate ending in April of 2024. This includes imagining what the future looks like for the program from the perspectives of First Nations Leadership, mental wellness experts and service providers, Survivors, and Knowledge Keepers.
A few of the many topics on the agenda include:
- Cultural activities for healing and wellness.
- Strengthening the healers: workforce wellness with workforce leaders and experts.
- Expert panel on the continuation of the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program (IRS RHSP).
- The brain, decolonization, and healing through culture.
Who should attend the National Wellness Gathering for Indian Residential School Survivors?
- First Nations Survivors of IRS and their families.
- Members of the IRS RHSP workforce.
- Knowledge Keepers.
- First Nations Chiefs or their representatives in the health and wellness sectors.
- First Nations organizations and technicians working or interested in First Nations mental wellness.
- Industry academia and other non-governmental entities involved in First Nations mental wellness.
- Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Government representatives.
We are working to create a warm and welcoming environment for the IRS Survivors and IRS Workforce members and respectfully request attendees to prioritize seating in the Grand Ballroom room for IRS Survivors and IRS Workforce members.
We invite all others to join from the live viewing room. It is important for us to ensure that our event is safe and accessible for all our registered participants and that we comply with venue capacity.
How to Attend Find out how to register, how to get there, and where to stay.
Registration
Due to the capacity of the venue, registration and waitlist for registration are closed.
We appreciate your interest in this very important gathering, and we recognize the complex and multilayered components of this file and are assessing viable options of future gatherings moving forward.
Register for the National Wellness Gathering for Indian Residential School Survivors on February 13-15, 2024, at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre.
- Residential School Survivor
- IRS Workforce Member
- Knowledge Keeper (Elder)
- Youth – Complimentary
- Chief – Complimentary
- Technician to a First Nation
- First Nation Delegate
- Government Representative
- Non-Governmental Organization
- Other Delegate
All participants are encouraged to pre-register. See below steps to register:
- Register online at www.afn.ca. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email.
- Download and complete the registration form from the link below and FAX it to Tash Cote at 613-241-5808 or send by email to [email protected].
Please reach out if you require accessibility accommodations. Note: this can be completed during the registration process.
Hotel Accommodations
Book your group rate for IRS Gathering National Forum
Hotel: Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre
Rate: $199/night
Deadline to book: January 19th
Contact Information
If you need assistance registering online, please email AFN’s Registration Coordinator, Tash Cote.
For information on the dialogue sessions, please email [email protected].