Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre

The Indigenous Friendship Centre is a community organization in Thunder Bay.

As of April 2026, it partners with the Roots Community Food Centre to host a free monthly lunch featuring wild foods such as moose, berries, and rice.

The name appears in the Lakehead University Alumni Spotlight profile of Erin Beagle.

In Anishinabek News

• September 2018: The organization donated about 30 pieces of regalia to families for the Honouring Mothers Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day Mini Pow Wow. Staff provided the regalia free of charge to ensure children could participate in the dancing events.
• December 2018: Staff from the centre delivered cultural and educational presentations at a youth workshop in Thunder Bay in December 2018. The centre hosts the Kizhaay Anishinaabe Niin program to work with men on ending violence against women.
• February 2019: The organization launched the Waabogonee EarlyON Child and Family Centre to expand its services for families and children in the city. It integrated Indigenous perspectives and values tied to the land, family, and community into the curriculum of its new early years programming. The centre is one of five Indigenous organizations in the District of Thunder Bay to create learning spaces through provincial off-reserve funding.
• September 2019: The centre employs staff, such as Kiaya Drake, dedicated to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder community support.
• October 2019: The organization's cultural resource coordinator, Gloria Ranger, co-led a medicine walk during a 2019 environmental conference.
• September 2020: The centre hosted an eight-week online Pow Wow dance class taught by Deanne Hupfield.
• September 2020: The centre was one of the partner organizations that organized the virtual FASD Awareness Day Pow Wow 2020: Honouring Mothers, Honouring Families.
• July 2021: The centre collaborated with Magnus Theatre on the Collective Creation Project to develop and present the play Stolen, Azhen.
• January 2022: The organization hosted a virtual Healthy Harvest presentation about metabolism and diabetes in January 2022. Participants in the centre's programming were provided with medicine packages to prepare traditional tea.
• March 2022: The president of this centre signed a joint statement in March 2022 calling for the dissolution of the Thunder Bay Police Service. The centre argued that trust is broken and Indigenous people remain at risk while the local police maintain control of major crime investigations.
• May 2023: The organization hosted hand drum-making workshops for youth and men on the weekend of April 22-23, 2023. As of May 2023, sessions for men's hand drum teachings were scheduled to run bi-weekly from May 2 until June 27 at the centre. The centre's staff facilitated the events to help participants connect with their culture and begin healing journeys.
• July 2023: The centre hosted a student placement for Sarah Gorrie starting in December 2022. It collaborates with Roots Community Food Centre to provide traditional meals to the community on the last Friday of each month.
• April 2024: Marlene Pierre was one of the beginning members of this centre.
• August 2024: The center's cultural resource coordinator, Genevieve Desmoulin, provided land-based learning during a youth STEM camp.
• June 2025: The organization partnered with Roots Community Food Centre to deliver a land-based cultural teaching program for local students. Staff coordinated a culinary session where youth learned to prepare moose meat and bake bread in a wood-fired oven. The program focused on helping youth gain important life skills and culinary techniques through traditional food preparation.
• August 2025: The organization partnered with Roots Community Food Centre to provide traditional meals for seniors and Elders on July 25, 2025. It provides a monthly stipend to participants like Paul Francis to purchase fresh produce from the store at Roots Community Food Centre.
• August 2026: The organization partners with the Roots Community Food Centre to host monthly traditional meals for Elders and seniors. It operates a gardening program and the Wiisinadaa: Let's Eat Nutrition Support program to help urban Indigenous people connect with traditional foods. The centre sometimes brings Knowledge Keepers to these gatherings to share cultural stories and the significance of the food being served.
• August 2026: The organization hosted a workshop on August 19, 2026, for community members to create traditional ribbon skirts and shirts. The event was designed to support individuals in recovery and provide attire for ceremonies and International Overdose Awareness Day. The centre offers various cultural programs, including Anishinaabemowin language classes and teachings about traditional medicines.