PEIIndigenous people living away from their home territories in Prince Edward Island are finding a sense of community they may be missing with a little help from some friends.’Being around my community has filled a void for me,’ says SAFE program participant Delaney Kelly · CBC News · Posted: Oct 27, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesBlanket-making group gives off-reserve Indigenous people in P.E.I. a sense of communityA program run by the Native Council of P.E.I. for those living outside of Frist Nations is helping them find community. Participants say they’re finding connections and cultural support through the blanket-making workshops. CBC’s Delaney Kelly has more.Indigenous people living away from their home territories in Prince Edward Island are finding a sense of community they may be missing with a little help from some friends. The Native Council of P.E.I. hosts workshops that teach skills like blanket making through its Strengthening Aboriginal Families Effectively (SAFE) program. The goal is to provide cultural support for Indigenous people who don’t live on a First Nation reserve. Lynn Bradley, a longtime attendee, said the programming has been like medicine for her. “Being around my community has filled a void for me and has helped me along my journey immensely,” she said. Lynn Bradley says the Native Council of P.E.I.’s SAFE workshops are about more than just doing a fun activity — they help her connect to her culture and find a sense of belonging. (Delaney Kelly/CBC News)While everyone in the program comes from different First Nations, Bradley said they have formed their own community through their shared experiences and support for one another. She’s from Six Nations of the Grand River, a Mohawk community west of Toronto. She said being away from her community has made it difficult to connect to her cultural ways at times. “We’re displaced from our communities, we’re displaced from our families, we’re displaced from our teachings, our elders, our language,” she said. “Being able to come together with other people who are also experiencing that loss of connection, you form your own connection out of that.” The SAFE programming has grown over the years and is offered in different communities across the province. The people who attend the blanket-making program Bradley is in come from several different Indigenous nations, including Mi’kmaq, Mohawk, Inuit and Cree. Bradley said that is what makes their community so unique — they’re able to support each other’s cultural teachings. “It’s really neat because I can learn a certain word in Mi’kmaw and then I can talk to one of my friends and learn that same word in Cree,” she said.Some Indigenous people not living in their home territory say that living away from their community comes with a longing for connection. (Delaney Kelly/CBC NEWS)What stands out most to Bradley is how close she feels to the people in the program who she now calls her community. She has watched several of them grow up, and some now bring their own children to the workshops. “Everybody here, they may not be blood relatives, but we are their aunties,” she said. “Even though that bloodline isn’t there, they’re still family.” ‘It’s nice to have a community to come to’Brenda Dion has been the SAFE co-ordinator with the Native Council of P.E.I. since 2020, shortly after she moved to the Island from a rural community in northern Alberta. Dion has led a variety of activities through SAFE, and her goal is to always provide a safe place for Indigenous people to talk about any issues they’re facing and enjoy each other’s company. Brenda Dion, the SAFE co-ordinator with the Native Council of P.E.I., says being a part of the program has been meaningful. (Delaney Kelly/CBC News )Dion is working on more programming for the winter months that will focus on mental health and wellness. Even though she’s facilitating these workshops, she said they’ve helped her too. “I didn’t really have anybody to connect with other than, you know, my husband’s family and extended family. So it’s nice to have a community to come to and be accepted,” Dion said.“I love the families I work with and I really try my best to accommodate everybody. And I love seeing people’s faces, when they’re excited about learning something new because it gives me the chance to connect with them and build those relationships.” ABOUT THE AUTHORDelaney Kelly is a journalist with CBC P.E.I. who studied journalism at Concordia University. She was previously a reporter at Iori:wase in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory.
Indigenous people living off-reserve are forging community and connections in P.E.I.
