We Need to Start Drumming Our Drum: The growing role of Alberta’s Friendship Centre Movement

By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(ANNews) – For more than 70 years, Friendship Centres have been a vital part of Indigenous community life across Canada. What began as a grassroots response to the challenges Indigenous people faced while moving into urban communities has grown into a network of organizations providing health, wellness, education, cultural connection, food security, and advocacy supports.

For Jeannette MacInnis, Interim CEO of the Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association (ANFCA), it is time for greater recognition of the work Friendship Centres provide every day.

“We got to stop being so humble and start drumming our drum and owning the moccasins that we walk in, because Friendship Centres do amazing work all across this province to uplift Indigenous people, and specifically urban Indigenous people,” MacInnis said.

The Friendship Centre movement began in the mid-1950s as Indigenous people increasingly moved into urban areas and created spaces where they could access support, community connection, and culturally relevant services. Over generations, Friendship Centres have evolved into frontline organizations responding to the changing needs of Indigenous communities.

Today, ANFCA supports 21 Friendship Centres across Alberta, each serving as a community hub for Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents.

A Career Built on Advocacy and Community

MacInnis’s journey into leadership has been shaped by decades of advocacy and community development. Born in Alberta, MacInnis is Nakoda Sioux from her mother’s side. Her career began in international community development, focusing on supporting women and children impacted by conflict..

After returning, MacInnis began working with the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres as Director of Health and Ending Violence Initiatives. During nearly a decade in that role, she worked with 25 Friendship Centres throughout British Columbia, developing strategies, programs, and partnerships.

“I worked there for almost 10 years working a lot with the government on different policies and legislation, developing projects and managing projects,” she explained.

When she returned to Alberta in 2018, MacInnis thought she was leaving the Friendship Centre movement behind. “I thought I would get away from the Friendship Centre movement, but once you’re in the Friendship Centre movement, it’s really hard to leave it,” she said.

Her work with ANFCA has focused on advocacy, government relations, communications, and strengthening partnerships to better support communities. “From a provincial perspective, our role is to support our 21 Friendship Centres and the communities they serve,” MacInnis said.

Meeting Growing Community Needs

Friendship Centres continue to expand their services as communities face new challenges, explained MacInnis. She emphasized that they support a diverse range of people, including First Nations, Métis, Inuit, status and non-status Indigenous people, as well as others seeking support. As needs continue to grow, Friendship Centres have become involved in areas such as food security, education, health prevention, and emergency response.

One of the fastest-growing areas of service has been food security. MacInnis explained that while food programs were not originally a primary focus for many Friendship Centres, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased demand.

“Our Friendship Centres are heavily involved in food security,” she said. “That is not a space that they thought that they would ever walk in, but since COVID, it has increased exponentially.”

According to MacInnis, Friendship Centres across Alberta provide approximately 300,000 points of food security supports annually through programs such as meal services, food hampers, restaurant gift cards, and community food banks. This work demonstrates how Friendship Centres continue adapting to community needs while supporting overall wellness.

Creating Safe and Inclusive Spaces

A major priority for ANFCA has been ensuring Friendship Centres remain safe spaces for everyone. Across Alberta, Friendship Centres signed a safe space declaration designed to strengthen inclusion and support for community members, including 2SLGBTQ+ relatives and survivors of gender-based violence. “That ensured that all of our 2SLGBTQ relatives were walking into a safe space and knew they were going to be supported,” MacInnis said.

She believes safety and belonging must be at the centre of all community services. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, you should be in a safe space when you walk into a Friendship Centre,” she said.

Recognizing Emergency Response Work

MacInnis also wants Friendship Centres recognized for their role during emergencies and disasters. “I really want them to be acknowledged as frontline responders in the emergency and disaster area,” she said.

During wildfires, floods, and evacuations, Friendship Centres often become places where people access food, mental health supports, cultural connection, and community assistance. “When they evacuate, that’s where they go. They go to a Friendship Centre in a community, especially our First Nations and Métis settlement people,” MacInnis explained.

She believes this work must be recognized within emergency management systems. “They need to be acknowledged for that,” she said.

Indigenous Wellness and Social Prescribing

MacInnis is also advocating for greater recognition of the role Friendship Centres play within healthcare. “I’m a big advocate for social prescribing,” she said.

Social prescribing connects people with community supports that address social, emotional, and cultural needs alongside medical care. MacInnis believes Friendship Centres have been practicing this approach for generations.

“Social prescribing is the new terminology, but really based on the Indigenous value and tradition of providing all the supports that an individual needs on their wellness journey,” she explained.

From Elder programs and addiction recovery supports to nutrition programs and health education, Friendship Centres provide services that support the whole person. “There’s things that Friendship Centres do on that healthcare journey that they’re not acknowledged for,” she said.

Building the Future

Looking ahead, MacInnis believes the future of Friendship Centres depends on continued investment in youth, Elders, and community leadership.

ANFCA supports youth engagement through initiatives such as the Provincial Emerging Adults Committee and the Rise Up leadership program. “There’s lots of great things that are happening with Rise Up to support youth to be the best that they can be, from leadership skills to volunteering, and to feeling supported and that their interests are acknowledged,” MacInnis said.

She also highlighted the importance of Elders’ guidance through ANFCA’s Elders Wisdom Circle. “They are our knowledge holders and knowledge keepers that keep us on track,” she said.

For MacInnis, the future goal is clear: Friendship Centres must be recognized for the essential role they already play. “I want our centres, Friendship Centres, to be acknowledged as the frontline serving agencies that they are in all aspects of health and well-being,” she said.

After more than seven decades of service, MacInnis believes the story of Friendship Centres deserves to be better known.

“I should walk into a room and say Friendship Centres, and people go, ‘Oh yeah, we know about them.’ And we’re not there yet.”