New hospice on Six Nations of the Grand River to honour Indigenous traditions and teachings

Two people hold hands over a white sheet in this undated stock image. (Kampus Production/Pexels.com)

The Ontario government is investing $1.25 million to help build a new five-bed hospice on Six Nations of the Grand River.

It will be known as Six Nations of the Grand River Community Hospice and provincial representatives believe it is the first Indigenous-led and operated hospice built on-territory in Canada.

The services offered will include Haudenosaunee teachings for physical, emotional and spiritual support.

The province said staff will be from First Nations communities or, if that is not possible, non-First Nations staff will receive cultural sensitivity training regarding end-of-life traditions and practices for Indigenous clients and their families.

“Having our own hospice will be amazing for our members to be taken care of our way,” Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill of Six Nations of the Grand River said in a news release Wednesday. “Our members will be able to live out their lives with loved ones and family surrounding them.”

When construction is complete, the facility will include sacred spaces for ceremonies, a garden area for traditional medicines, and a place for multiple families to come together, share meals and comfort each other. The hospice will also offer access to traditional healers, elders and knowledge keepers.