Beendigen is the Ojibway word meaning come in.

Beendigen is an independent Native family healing agency governed by a nine member Board of Directors of First Nations Peoples.  Our vision is to provide safety and shelter to Aboriginal women and children experiencing women abuse and to facilitate the cycle of healing though the delivery of culturally appropriate programs and services to individuals and families.


Our Logo

The four circles around our logo represent the Circles of Life and all it's Teachings.

Our History

Beendigen Inc. was founded in 1978 by the Thunder Bay Anishnawbequek. It was established as a Crisis Home for Native women and children in need of food and shelter when dealing with women abuse. Also in the same year, the National Native Alcohol Drugs Assessment Prevention program was established to enhance the health and well-being of the First Nations People.

Recognizing the need for adequate housing when women & children left the Crisis Home. Beendigen established Wakaigin 1 Transitional housing in 1988. This first housing project was developed in conjunction with the construction of the new Crisis Home and consists of 14 semi- detached housing units. During the same year, the Outreach program was established to support the women residing in these transitional units.

Two years later, Beendigen developed Wakaigin II which resulted in the construction of additional housing units which were designated for permanent housing.

In 1991, Beendigen's Healing Our Own unit was created in response to the need for post crisis counselling, for women experiencing violence.

The Community Support Program was initiated in 1993 and was implemented to improve the Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual well-being of off-reserve Aboriginal Families, with particular emphasis on those with children 0-6 years of age. Presently, this program is now known as the Community Action Program for Children.

In 1997, the Aboriginal Pre\Post Natal Nutrition Program was developed to improve the nutritional health of Aboriginal mothers and their babies up to six months of age who live in the community of Thunder Bay.

The Transitional Housing Support Worker Program was established in the summer of 2000 and was fully implemented by the fall of 2001. This program was initiated to encourage women to live free of violence by connecting them with the necessary community support.

In conjunction with the Transitional Housing Support Worker Program two mandated groups were initiated "Living Free From Violence" and "Child Witness of Women Abuse".

In 2005, Beendigen's Native Women's Crisis Home & Healing Our Own Counseling Unit imalgamated into a new twenty four bed facility to meet the needs of the Aboriginal Community.