At Wiigiwaaminaan Lodge, homeless Indigenous people find shelter and culture

Steve's room at Wiigiwaaminaan Lodge is small, but there are signs that he's tried to make it homey in the four months he's lived here.

There's a bundle of sweetgrass hanging on the wall, and some of his beaded creations are strewn on his desk. Almost everything is packed onto his bed because he's been sweeping and vacuuming to clean up the place.

"A friend of mine told me about this place. It means I can have my life back," said Steve, 58.

CBC has agreed not to use Steve's last name because of the stigma of homelessness and because he has a young daughter with whom he is reconnecting.

He's a big man, but admits to "crying like a baby" the first time he participated in a sweat lodge. "I was in the presence of the ancestors," he said.

Wiigiwaaminaan winter shelter to help Indigenous Lo