Elder Lina is a survivor, but she is so much more. There is a fire in her spirit that draws people to her – full of warmth and healing. She built a new life and opened the first exclusively Indigenous group home in Canada where she nurtured children who had been removed from their families and cultures through the foster care system. She encouraged them, guided them, and allowed them a place to heal so that they could become successful in their lives with their culture as their foundation.

“Her strength and resiliency are an inspiration,” says her daughter, Holly Fortier. “She has enriched so many lives that we’ll never know the full capacity of people who contribute their healing and success to her.”

For more of Elder Lina’s story, please watch A Mother’s Voice; A Film by Holly Fortier.