Reconnecting Youth to Land, Culture, and Community: Why Helix Supports the Onakawana Fund

At The Helix Foundation, we believe that young people thrive when they have strong connections—to their communities, their cultures, and their sense of purpose. That is why we were proud to support the work of the Onakawana Education Fund in 2025 for the first time.

For more than three decades, Camp Onakawana has welcomed Indigenous youth to the ancestral lands of William Tozer in the James Bay lowlands. Through immersive, land-based experiences, young people have the opportunity to learn from Elders, connect with Cree traditions and language, and deepen their understanding of their cultural heritage.

These experiences are offered at no cost to participants. Transportation, accommodation, meals, and programming are all provided, ensuring that financial barriers do not stand in the way of participation.

Why does this matter?

Because connection matters.

Research consistently shows that a strong sense of cultural identity and belonging can be powerful protective factors for young people. When youth have opportunities to connect with their history, language, traditions, and community, they often develop greater confidence, resilience, and wellbeing. These connections help young people navigate challenges, build positive relationships, and imagine hopeful futures.

For Indigenous youth, access to land-based learning can be especially meaningful. The land itself becomes a classroom—one that teaches stewardship, history, community responsibility, and cultural knowledge that cannot always be learned within traditional educational settings.

The Onakawana Fund describes resilience as one of the greatest outcomes of bringing youth to camp. We believe that resilience grows when young people feel rooted in who they are and where they come from. It grows when they are surrounded by caring adults, trusted Elders, and peers who share their experiences. It grows when they have the chance to learn, reflect, and belong.

Last summer, Helix provided funding to help make these opportunities possible. While our contribution was modest, it helped support Indigenous youth in accessing an experience that can have lifelong impacts.

As the Onakawana Education Fund works toward its ambitious goal of supporting 200 Indigenous youth annually, we are inspired by its commitment to creating spaces where culture, learning, and community come together.

At Helix, we know that strengthening the wellbeing of young people requires many different approaches. Sometimes that means supporting research, policy change, or innovative programs. Sometimes it means supporting opportunities that reconnect youth with the land, their culture, and their communities.

The work of the Onakawana Education Fund reminds us that investing in young people is not only about addressing challenges—it is also about nurturing identity, belonging, and the strengths that already exist within communities.

We are honoured to play a small role in supporting that vision.