Indigenous populations, compared to their non-Indigenous peers, are at higher risk for suicide, substance abuse, incarceration, and homelessness. In fact, over 90% of the homeless population in the Northwest Territories is Indigenous. The Arctic Indigenous Wellness Project (AIWF) was awarded the $1 million prize for their plan to combine Indigenous cultural education with traditional therapeutic interventions in a wilderness urban setting. The AIWF is an urban land-based healing program targeting Indigenous men and women on the streets who are at risk of suicide and/or incarceration. The goal is to improve the mental health of at-risk Inuit, First Nation and Métis peoples through collaborative, culture-specific, community supported programs.
