Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - September 21, 2024 - The Grey Buffalo Grandfather Wellness Lodge, a 36-bed facility run by the Winnipeg non-profit Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, has been officially opened after the destruction of the former Windy Hill Learning and Wellness Centre in 2018.

The facility, which had been operating for 11 years, was destroyed in a 2018 electrical fire.

The new lodge, which opened on Friday, includes forest trails, a sweat lodge, space for other ceremonies, and a medicine garden.

The lodge aims to serve as a sanctuary for healing the physical, emotional, spiritual, and socio-cultural aspects of the community.

The lodge's revenue will continue to support Ma Mawi's mission to offer cultural and land-based activities for Winnipeg's urban Indigenous community.

The lodge's design allows visitors to feel connected to the land, with large windows looking out to nearby forests.

The lodge honours the vision of the youth who created Windy Hill, who wanted a safe, alcohol-free space for Indigenous people to access land-based activities.