Losing her father meant losing her strongest cultural connection.
Now, during National Indigenous History Month, Halley Irwin is sharing how she found her way back — and how she’s helping others do the same through cultural programs and events offered at the Niagara Regional Native Centre.
“These cultural programs matter so much. They help us reclaim who we are,” said Irwin in an email.
Irwin returned to the centre after time away in her teens and early adulthood and is now the director of development and community engagement. Since being back, she said she’s been able to pick up the teachings her father, a Six Nations-born artist, once shared.
“Being here at (the Niagara Regional Native Centre) has given me opportunities to experience those traditional crafts and reconnect with the knowledge he carried,” Irwin said.
Cultural programs foster identity, learning and wellness
The centre’s cultural programs are shaped by Elders, traditional knowledge keepers and community voices. Their goal is to strengthen identity and support wellness, said Irwin.
“The Niagara Regional Native Centre is more than a service provider; it’s a cultural home,” she said.
The cultural resource program offers ceremonies and teachings for all ages, provides access to smudging and traditional medicines, supports cultural education in schools and agencies and connects individuals with Elders and mentors.
The health outreach program offers one-on-one cultural wellness support, shares teachings about traditional roles, the medicine wheel and holistic Indigenous health and helps individuals access ceremony and traditional medicine.
The Indigenous healing & wellness program uses Indigenous knowledge systems to support healing and prevent family violence. It hosts circles, offers cultural education and connects people with traditional helpers and Elders.
The traditional foods & harvest program teaches about food sovereignty and seed saving through land-based learning, including medicine walks, traditional food preparation and community gardens. Irwin said it connects people to harvesting cycles and cultural teachings.
Language programming offers Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe classes for all levels, helping to keep languages alive and support learning across generations, said Irwin.
Gatherings and events further celebrate culture and community
The centre also hosts regular, intergenerational cultural gatherings, open to all Indigenous community members.
“Cultural gatherings are core to building a sense of belonging and community,” Irwin said.
The annual powwow, “Nurturing Our Roots,” is the centre’s largest cultural celebration, Irwin said. Held each fall and featuring traditional dancing, singing, Indigenous food and vendors, the celebration also welcomes the broader public to join in.
The annual Youth and Elders Conference is a multi-day gathering that brings generations together for land-based learning, ceremony and cultural workshops — from traditional games and language to storytelling and wellness, said Irwin.
Weekly drum nights offer separate sessions for adults and children, where participants learn traditional songs, drum protocols and their cultural meanings — strengthening language, pride and culture, she said.
Seasonal socials and ceremonial gatherings, such as the Strawberry Social, Fall Harvest and Winter Social, follow the traditional calendar and are guided by teachings and sharings rooted in ceremony, celebration and intergenerational learning.
Whether it’s drumming, cooking traditional foods, or engaging in land-based learning, Irwin said these moments help people feel connected and proud of who they are.
“It’s not just about learning traditions, it’s about living them,” she said.
Many First Nations, Inuit and Métis community members in Niagara live far from their home communities, Irwin said — and for those in urban areas, staying connected to culture can be even more difficult.
That’s why the centre works to keep culture accessible and inclusive, she said, often serving as a first step for Urban Indigenous people beginning or reconnecting with their cultural journey.
“Whether someone grew up immersed in their culture or is just starting to explore it, we’re here to walk with them every step of the way,” she said.
All of the centre’s programs can be found at nrnc.ca/program-guide.
