Teaching, Listening, Transforming: How Donors Are Fueling Indigenous Education at Covenant

When a rehab team member at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital began researching residential schools for her department’s Orange Shirt Day display, she expected to learn general Indigenous history, not discover her own Indigenous roots and how her family had been directly affected. 

Lyn Beddoes, manager for seniors' spiritual care and indigenous care liaisons, supported the project and remembers how powerful the experience was for staff. She shared how her colleague’s realization was life-changing. Her colleague painted a haunting image of a residential school surrounded by graves and shared it with her team, sparking tears, conversations, and a deeper sense of responsibility to the children who never came home. 

“These moments stay with you,” said Lyn. “They moved many of us to tears and sparked important conversations about history, culture, and what we can do differently moving forward.”  

Donors made it happen. 

Thanks to generous donor support through Covenant Foundation, learning experiences like this have started to take place at Covenant, particularly at the Grey Nuns and Misericordia hospitals. Donor dollars covered catering for Orange Shirt Day, provided resources for cultural ceremonies and medicines, and funded supplies for Indigenous Health Education Days. 

“Health care runs on a very tight budget,” Lyn said. “Without donor funding, we would not have had the resources to host these projects, bring in Indigenous speakers, or create these opportunities for experiential learning.”  

Amber Ruben, Indigenous health consultant at Covenant who supported the Indigenous engagement sessions, explained why these initiatives matter.  

“Education and engagement are about building relationships,” she said. “When staff hear stories directly from Indigenous community members, it helps rebuild trust and ensures that programs are created with them, not just for them.” 

Impact on staff and patients 

The combination of self-directed learning, formal education days, and ceremonies has begun to change the culture in Covenant hospitals. Staff report a stronger understanding of Indigenous worldviews, treaty history, and traditional medicines. Many are asking for more sessions, including teams from rural sites who want to bring this programming to their communities. 

“The goal is behavior change,” Lyn explained. “We want Indigenous patients and families to feel truly welcome when they walk through our doors, and that starts with staff who understand the history and strengths of the communities we serve.”  

Looking ahead 

This year, Covenant will take another step forward with the opening of a new Indigenous Healing Garden at the Misericordia, made possible through donor funding. This outdoor space will offer a place for ceremony, quiet reflection, and healing for patients, staff, and families. 

In addition, three graphic recordings from last year’s education days have been combined into a single artwork that will be unveiled later this month. It is a visual reminder of Covenant’s ongoing journey of Truth and Reconciliation. 

Creating a ripple effect 

Thanks to donors, Covenant staff are not only learning about the past but also taking action to make care more welcoming. 

“Education is not always something you can point to like a new piece of equipment,” reflected Lyn. “But it transforms the way we care for patients. That transformation is what your donations make possible.” 

And for that rehab team member and many others, it was life-changing. What began as a simple project became a personal journey of discovery that sparked a commitment to learn, share, and be part of the change. Donor support made that moment possible and can help create many more like it across Covenant sites. 

Donor support can help replicate Truth and Reconciliation projects like this across Covenant. Will you make a gift today?