Moving Forward

Niigaaniin Services is a leader and trail blazer in social service delivery. Collaboration is at the heart of everything at Niigaaniin Services. Our Communities and our People are stronger together. Niigaaniin Services mission is to utilize existing knowledge and our strengths to create a culturally safe space for healing, recovery, learning and reconciliation.

Improving services, adapting to community needs, and evolving as an organization is how Niigaaniin aims to lead.

Our services are designed to serve the eight communities of the North Shore. Our Staff see all sides of the communities. The good, the bad and the ugly. Our services engage with a significant percentage of each community monthly. Using unbiased assessments to measure where an individual is at, and developing solutions to meet their needs is our approach. Instead of further condemning individuals, Niigaaniin believes in a collaborative, wrap around approach to care plans and service agreements to help our Community Members.

What Is NIIGAANIIN?

How Did NIIGAANIIN Start?

Our Story

2005
Introduced
Niigaaniin is born
In 2005 Mamaweswen the North Shore Tribal Council leadership knew it was time to provide better support to their communities. Niigaaniin received its name and means moving forward, leading, to be ahead.
2007
approved
Niigaaniin opens its doors
Official funding talks with the Provincial Government citing the 1965 Welfare Agreement between the Federal Government and Ontario began. After about a year of negotiations Niigaaniin received designation as a 3-year pilot project and opened its doors on April 1st, 2007.
2010
Precedent
First of its kind

In three short years Niigaaniin became designated as an official social services agency. 2010 saw Niigaaniin as the first and only First Nation Social Services agency of its kind in Canada.

Since setting this historical precedent, Niigaaniin has been active in changing the lives of the community members that it services. Niigaaniin continues to work towards devolution and self-reliance for First Nation Communities and its people.

Niigaaniin has developed programs that allow community members to seek help or relief with financial troubles, find employment, life skills, and connect to culture and community as well as mental health and addiction services. Niigaaniin listens to community members and has been innovative and active when finding ways to help the communities that it services and will continue to do so moving into the future.

2015
Initiatives
Mental health addiction services

2015 opened the door to mental health addiction services through the Ontario Addictions Services Initiative. Shpiming Nikeya Zhaawang launched and helped us develop our process that called Aaniish Naa today. Community members can access services through Assigns from our Partners or can self-refer themselves. Everyone does the same intake with our team to set a baseline for where they are at, and our services begin.

2018
development
Support programs and services

In 2018 Mino Bimaadizidaa programming was offered through facilitated groups in person, reminding us of the spirit-to-spirit connection that is vital to living the good life. Covid 19 introduced us to virtual sessions and revealed a new way to strengthen bonds between community members from our seven north shore communities. A hybrid approach utilizing both methods has become great tools for our facilitators to ensure everyone who wants to engage our programs is able to.

Endayaan Endazhi-takookiiyaan is a fully developed service model that places Indigenous families at the centre of the Healing Journey. Strong families, strong relationships and traditional knowledge allow us to work with our community members at our land-based site, in camp style cohorts.

  • Miiknaans phases 1,2 and 3 are each imperative to the success of each Individual and family.
  • Detoxification camps take place for 10 days at a time.
  • After Care camps take place for 4-10 days depending on the needs of the participants.

Endayaan Endazhi-takookiiyaan is an integrated, holistic approach for our Community members who are also engaged in Niigaaniin Services portfolio of services for Our People. This includes Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Mino Bimaadizidaa and Aaniish Naa Services.

Kinoomaagewin has grown from camp based, seasonal sessions into a full-time regional hub for land-based activities, in partnership with Thessalon First Nation. True proactive measures towards food sovereignty for Our Communities.

ServiceOntario in the Serpent River First Nation trading post and the mobile unit on the road to serve our community members where they are at.

2023
Advocacy
Ontario Disability Support Program
In August 2023 Niigaaniin Services began direct delivery of the Ontario Disability Support Program. This milestone capped a multi-year advocacy mission to be able to provide this service directly.

20+ years later, the assistance delivered is still a strong need in each of our communities, and along with ODSP, is still stuck in the colonial mold that only allows us to serve those living “on-reserve” in the words of the provincial government. Niigaaniin Services will continue to advocate for our “off-reserve” community members and will come up with an approach to serve these folks in the next fiscal year.

OUR COMMUNITIES

Head Office
473 Highway 17, Cutler, ON P0P1B0
1-877-633-7558
info@niigaaniin.com