After a thoughtful pause, Gaagige Zaagibigaa returns stronger than ever with its flagship Self-Determined Household Support Program—an inspiring conversation with project director Amber Sandy.

Amber is a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, with Anishinaabe ancestry on her father’s side and German and English ancestry on her mother’s. She grew up in Neyaashiinigmiing, a community in Bruce County, Ontario, where she developed a deep passion for uplifting Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices.

“I’ve always been really passionate about sharing Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing and how important it is that we honour those ways of knowing as extremely valuable, especially when it comes to talking about the land,” Amber reflected.

Her passion led her to take on roles with several Indigenous conservation and science initiatives. Although these experiences were valuable, something was missing. She hadn’t yet found a role that truly aligned with the community work she felt called to do.

“I’m really passionate about relationships, and that’s the basis of what a lot of my work is grounded in—relationships with community, with people, but also with the land and with animals and other beings that help to support our life ways.”

Everything changed when she discovered Gaagige Zaagibigaa. The project’s vision and approach to helping First Nation households in Northern Ontario regain autonomy over their food systems really inspired her.

Amber reached out to the project, eager to contribute in any way she could. To her surprise, a staff member responded right away. The project was in the process of hiring new team members and brought Amber on board. She’s been with Gaagige Zaagibigaa for two years now.

“The first year was very interesting. We went through lots of challenges, as many young organizations do,” she recalled.

As the project expanded with new programs, the team started to feel the need to take a step back and reconnect with the purpose of Gaagige Zaagibigaa. So, they decided to take a break for a year to reset and refocus.

“We took a pause on everything, and we really took stock of what we’re doing, why we’re here, the importance of this work, and how to keep it going,” Amber described. “What that brought us to was how important the Self-determined Household Support Program is.”

Self-Determined Household Support Program

The Self-Determined Household Support Program (SDHSP) was inspired by Dr. Joseph LeBlanc, an expert in Indigenous food systems and community development who worked in First Nations communities in Northern Ontario.

“Through his work, [Dr. LeBlanc] really saw a need for people to be able to access funds that help them get back to the land and to do the work around reclaiming their food ways and food systems,” Amber explained.

Food banks and pantries are available to some people in the North, and while they play an important role, Amber noted that they don’t solve the bigger issue of giving families the freedom to choose what’s best for their health and wellbeing.

Former Gaagige Zaagibigaa staff came together with a group of funders who believed in the vision, and the SDHSP was born.

The SDHSP invites community members to join Gaagige Zaagibigaa in learning about and applying food security and sovereignty practices. Participants can submit proposals for food-related projects that help them grow, hunt, harvest, process, or store food—like starting family gardens, hunting moose or deer, or getting firearms licenses. Each project is funded between $1,000 and $2,000.

After completing their projects, participants share their experiences with Gaagige Zaagibigaa. The goal is to gather insights on the benefits of supporting self-directed food initiatives and use those stories to shape a new approach to investing in food security, sovereignty, and well-being for First Nations.

Since its launch in 2021, the program has worked with over 900 households. “By us being able to support interventions where we’re putting money into the hands of folks living in Northern Ontario and telling them they get to decide how they’re spending that money to increase their household’s capacity to support their own food ways and food systems, it’s just so incredibly valuable,” Amber said.

“Programs like this help us understand how stronger and more culturally relevant supports can increase access to self-determined food sources,” she continued. “We’re also learning how this type of program can support land rights usage and traditional knowledge, which invigorate systemic changes and empower households to participate in their long-held cultural practices and continue honouring their relations.”

To avoid lengthy reporting requirements, Gaagige Zaagibigaa gathers information from participants in a variety of formats, such as written reports, photos, and videos. Staff have been amazed by the enthusiasm of participants, who are eager to share the meaningful things they’ve accomplished.

Growing With Intention

The SDHSP is now in its fourth year, and the most recent cycle, which closed in December 2024, was the largest yet with over 360 applications. Gaagige Zaagibigaa will distribute $400,000 to First Nations households.

“It blew anything previously out of the water that we’ve experienced before. So that’s phenomenal,” Amber said with a smile. “We’re excited to be able to support more households than we’ve ever been able to support in the past, and we look forward to that number just continuing to grow each cycle.”

Staff continue to refine the program as they gain a deeper understanding of community needs and the challenges people face applying.

“We are adjusting as we go. We do our best to meet people where they’re at with this fund, which means for us, it’s a lot of relationships, calling people, showing up.”

With 61 First Nations in Ontario, it is difficult to have a presence in every community.  That’s why the project is exploring potential partnerships with groups that have community relationships already, especially within Northern and remote communities.

The project is also addressing potential barriers that may prevent households from applying to the SDHSP. This includes hiring interpreters for individuals with limited English proficiency, ensuring that support is accessible to all.

The Relationships That Make It All Possible

Gaagige Zaagibigaa’s growth would not have been possible without the supportive community that surrounds the project and believes in its work. “It’s been really incredible to witness this community of people who are so passionate about Indigenous food ways and food systems really come together to support this work and to keep it growing and thriving in community,” Amber said.

Understanding the importance of keeping its work rooted in the community, in addition to their Project Steering Committee, Gaagige Zaagibigaa has created a council of Indigenous advisors from across Northern Ontario. These advisors, representing the communities the project serves, help guide the work and shape its path.

The value of the program and its approach has not gone unnoticed by funders. Recently, Mastercard Foundation made a $3 million donation to Gaagige Zaagibigaa. This support has been crucial in helping the project strengthen its foundation and secure the long-term sustainability of its work.

Amber commented, “That is so empowering for a grassroots Indigenous organization to be gifted that fund and to be entrusted that we are doing the work that we are set out to do in community. It is really life changing and it’s really shifted our ability to pick up this work and do it.”

“One of the things I’m most excited about is just witnessing the changes in funder relationships in this sector, especially around Indigenous organizations–us being entrusted to do the work and our knowledge and work being valued at what it should be. That’s been a really incredible change to witness.”

Gaagige Zaagibigaa wants to connect with more funders who see the value of the work and are committed to being in good relationship. “We really would love to have more partners on board who are excited about this work and who see the value in giving us the autonomy to be able to support First Nations families throughout Ontario to be independent as well.”

For now, Amber is thrilled with how the project has grown over the years and feels energized about what lies ahead. In the meantime, Gaagige Zaagibigaa’s immediate focus is tackling the large pile of applications they received, dedicated to get more support to households across Northern Ontario, growing food autonomy one family at a time.

“This work is so big and so necessary, and it’s really exciting to be a part of a team doing it in such a different way than has ever been done before.”

Gaagige Zaagibigaa is a project on MakeWay’s Shared Platform, which provides charitable expertise and operational support to a mission-aligned community of environmental and social initiatives. Donations to support Gaagige Zaagibigaa’s work can be made through our website.