About Canadian Roots

Who are the Canadian Roots Exchange?

"Ever thought that a road trip could change our country?"

We did. Still do, actually.

We are the Canadian Roots Exchange, a group of young Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians who believe that in order to bridge the gap between Canada's peoples, we need to become educated and aware of the teachings, triumphs, and daily realities of our Indigenous communities. 

So, together we travel to cities, towns, and traditional territories across Canada in an effort to break down stereotypes, open a dialogue, and build honest relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people living on this land.

The Program

The Canadian Roots Exchange is a federal not-for-profit that provides Indigenous based leadership, learning and reconciliation experiences to every youth that participates in our programs. CRE organizes three main types of activities:  exchange programs, workshops and conferences.  Central to CRE programming is the need to bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth.  Regardless of the activity, we believe that having dialogue is necessary to foster understanding and reconciliation.

Exchange Programs

Canadian Roots organizes experiential educational programs and field schools in Indigenous host communities across Canada.  Our programs range from 5 days to 3 weeks.  Participants have the opportunity to learn in both formal and informal settings. CRE emphasizes personal growth and leadership development through individual and group learning, and personal reflection facilitated by project coordinators and educators from each community. CRE offers participants an in-depth and totally hands-on experience in Aboriginal communities, organizations, and schools. Participants are immersed within the historical and contemporary contexts that shape everyday Indigenous lives.

The Canadian Roots Exchange creates a diverse team of youth whereby half of the youth are from First Nations, Inuit or Métis backgrounds and the other half of the group from non-Indigenous backgrounds.  Each team is co-led by Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders.  We draw people together from all facets of society for intimate cultural experiences across Canada and strive to make our programs accessible. To this day we have served over 300 youth through 2 exchange programs, and 9000+ people have watched our award winning documentaries. We believe it is our ultimate responsibility to offer CRE programs in every community across Canada.

Workshops

Canadian Roots delivers youth-led workshops that try to raise awareness of Indigenous history, culture and current realities.  Workshops are facilited by Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth and help participants to dispel stereotypes, deepen their knowledge of the history including the struggles and triumphs of Indigenous Canadians.  Workshops can be custom designed to meet the needs of a group and Canadian Roots has designed and delivered workshops for both youth and adults.  We have designed and delivered workshops that have ranged from a few hours to 2 days.

If you are interested in receiving a Canadian Roots workshop for staff training, a class or organization please contact us at info@canadianroots.ca