Anishnawbe Health Toronto

Anishnawbe Health Toronto (AHT) is a fully accredited community health centre located at 425 Cherry Street in Toronto, Ontario. Its model of care is rooted in Indigenous culture and traditions, making it the only facility in Toronto that serves Indigenous clients through both western and traditional approaches. AHT offers nearly 60 services and programs spanning primary care, mental health, traditional healing, diabetes education, child and family care, and supportive housing. Governed by a volunteer Board of Indigenous community members, AHT's mission is to improve, support, and promote the health, well-being, and healing of Aboriginal people in spirit, mind, emotion, and body. Anishnawbe Health Toronto (AHT) operates as a pioneering healthcare organization dedicated to restoring traditional Indigenous medicine and holistic care within an urban healthcare setting. Serving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals living in the Greater Toronto Area, AHT’s practice is built upon a comprehensive "Circle of Care" model. This approach integrates traditional healing modalities alongside Western medical services, recognizing that optimal health requires balanced support across the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions of the individual. At the core of AHT’s services is a team of Traditional Healers and Osh-ka-be-wis (Traditional Helpers) from diverse First Nation communities who work alongside physicians, nurses, and mental health professionals. These healers provide personalized traditional doctoring, spiritual counseling, and sacred teachings, as well as conducting essential ceremonies such as Sweat Lodge gatherings, seasonal Fasting, Shake Tent ceremonies, and Ancestor Feasts. Healers also deliver crucial end-of-life and palliative care, while visiting community spaces and schools to offer cultural grounding and guide youth in receiving their spirit names. Through its multidisciplinary network, Anishnawbe Health Toronto seamlessly incorporates traditional practices across its entire range of programs, including primary medicine, mental health and addiction support, child and family therapy, and diabetes prevention. By prioritizing cultural safety, self-determination, and the preservation of ancestral knowledge, AHT provides a vital, culturally rooted health home that fosters multi-generational healing and community resilience.