LIFE as Medicine: Circle of Indigenous Healing Arts

What LIFE as Medicine: Circle of Indigenous Healing Arts does

LIFE as Medicine: Circle of Indigenous Healing Arts is a not-for-profit collective founded in 2022 and based in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia (Mi'kma'ki), Canada. It offers Indigenous-informed art therapy programs, workshops, retreats, and certificate programs that integrate expressive arts therapy, land-based healing, ceremonial knowledges, Medicine Wheel frameworks, and Sharing Circle protocols. The organization is led by Dr. Fyre Jean Graveline, a Métis Grandmother, Two-Spirit art therapist, and educator with over 40 years of experience, alongside a circle of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit creative and expressive arts therapists, Grandmothers, Elders, and community workers.

Core offerings include the Me As Tree: We As Forest Eco-Arts Healing Retreat, RemaTree.ARTing, the InterDependence Certificate Series (7-week hybrid), Collaborative EagleVision (multi-door pathway arts-based experience), Walking Our Talk Self-Care Studio, and the grant-funded Sixties Scoop Survivors: Stories of Hope and Resiliency program. The organization also publishes written works, including Dr. Graveline's 'Well.come to LIFE as Medicine: All Healing Heals All' chapbook and a forthcoming 700+ page book in the AHHA series, distributed through its own online store and via Indigenous-owned Print X.

The business model is community-led and event-driven. Revenue is generated through participant registration fees on a four-tier sliding-scale pricing model called Reciproci.Tree ($444-$666 plus a pay-what-you-can Communi.Tree tier), self-published book sales, direct donations, crowdfunding (Kickstarter), and grant funding - notably from The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada. Programs are delivered in hybrid formats across Nova Scotia venues (The Old School, The Deanery Project, Camp Kidston) and online, with scholarships for Mi'kmaw community members. Target segments include Indigenous Peoples, Sixties Scoop Survivors and descendants, healing arts practitioners seeking professional development, and allies pursuing culturally responsive practice.

Name

LIFE as Medicine: Circle of Indigenous Healing Arts

Legal name

LIFE as Medicine: Circle of Indigenous Healing Arts

Website

https://lifeasmedicine.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

LIFE as Medicine is a not-for-profit Indigenous-led collective offering land-based, virtual, and hybrid art therapy retreats, certificate programs, and workshops for Indigenous Peoples, Sixties Scoop Survivors, healing arts practitioners, and allies in Mi'kma'ki and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Healing Arts Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134)

akta.pro primary industry

Holistic & Alternative Therapy Retreats (Naturopathy, Energy Work) (THAGAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Holistic & Alternative Therapies (Reiki, Sound Healing, Breathwork, Energy Work) (THAJAHAF), Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI), Holistic & Integrative Wellness Education (Ayurveda, Traditional Practices) (EDAAAHAH)

Keywords

• Indigenous healing arts
• Land-based retreats
• Expressive arts therapy
• Cultural revitalization workshops
• Trauma integration programs

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Workshop and Event Registration Fees: Revenue from land-based retreats (Me As Tree: We As Forest, RemaTree.ARTing), workshops (Collaborative EagleVision, Walking Our Talk), and certificate programs (InterDependence Certificate Series). Sliding scale pricing model with scholarship opportunities.
2. Self-Published Materials Sales: Sales of chapbooks and books through their online store, including 'Well.come to LIFE as Medicine: All Healing Heals All' and forthcoming titles. Revenue supports self-publishing of the full AHHA series.
3. Crowdfunding and Donations: Kickstarter campaigns and direct donations to support self-publishing efforts and organizational sustainability. Exceeded $7,777 goal with 100+ backers.
4. Grant Funding: Funding from The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation to provide healing opportunities for Sixties Scoop Survivors in Mi'kma'ki.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LIFE as Medicine: Circle of Indigenous Healing Arts delivers Indigenous-informed land-based, virtual, and hybrid healing arts programs, including eco-arts healing retreats (Me As Tree: We As Forest, RemaTree.ARTing), a 7-week hybrid InterDependence Certificate Series, arts-based supervision (Collaborative EagleVision), ongoing self-care studios (Walking Our Talk), specialized workshops for Sixties Scoop Survivors, and self-published chapbooks and books. Programs are grounded in the Medicine Wheel Framework, Sharing Circle protocols, and the EcoBricolage Methodology developed by Dr. Fyre Jean Graveline.

Product overview

LIFE as Medicine: Circle of Indigenous Healing Arts is a service-based organization offering a portfolio of healing arts programs, workshops, and publications. The core offerings include land-based and virtual eco-arts healing retreats (Me As Tree: We As Forest, RemaTree.ARTing), certificate programs (InterDependence Certificate Series), arts-based supervision (Collaborative EagleVision), self-care studios, and specialized workshops for Indigenous communities. The organization publishes books including Dr. Fyre Jean Graveline's 'Well.come to LIFE as Medicine: All Healing Heals All' chapbook and Andrea Currie's 'Finding Otipemisiwak'. Programs are delivered through hybrid (in-person/online), sliding-scale pricing models with scholarships for Indigenous participants, particularly Mi'kmaw community members. The organization operates through partnerships with venues like The Deanery Project, Camp Kidston, and The Old School Community Gathering Place.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Me As Tree: We As Forest Eco-Arts Healing Retreat Land-based eco-arts healing retreat facilitating personal and collective transformation through nature connection, tree meditation, living landscape eco-sculptures, wearable art creation with natural materials, ceremony, sacred fire, and collaborative forest co-creations. Delivered in Mi'kma'ki for Indigenous Peoples, families, and allies.
• RemaTree.ARTing Land-centred healing retreat honouring sacred nurturing through ReMatriating practices, ceremony, songs, story, eco-arts, and feasting to reconnect participants with Earth Mother energies and protective/care instincts. Limited to 30 participants.
• InterDependence Certificate Series 7-week hybrid (in-person and online) certificate series flowing through Medicine Wheel and Sharing Circle frameworks covering mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical healing with topics including Indigenous mindfulness, eco-bricolage, and ceremonial practices. Priced at $999 bundle or $199 per individual session, with full scholarships available.
• Collaborative EagleVision Multi-layered arts-based experience grounded in Indigenous ceremonial knowledges. Offered through Southern Door Pathway (Indigenous practitioners) and Western/Eastern Door Pathways. Includes 7-session online programs at $600 with split payment option and supervision hours for CRPO registration. Maximum 20 participants per pathway.
• Walking Our Talk Self-Care Studio Ongoing arts-based holistic self-care healing journey for healing arts practitioners exploring natural wellness metaphors through Indigenous perspectives, feminist philosophies, and ecological connection. Sliding scale pricing from $25 to $55 per session.
• Empowering Women and Girls Through Art Therapy Immersion course exploring stages of women's lives through traditional Ancestral teachings, self-portraiture, video, guest speakers, artmaking, and circle sharing focused on reconnecting with the Sacred Feminine.
• Sixties Scoop Survivors: Stories of Hope and Resiliency Grant-funded healing program for Sixties Scoop Survivors in Mi'kma'ki providing land-based and arts-based events, networking spaces, cultural supports, and individual, family, and group therapy sessions guided by a First Voice Leadership Team.
• Igniting Our HeartSpark Day-long community event combining ceremony, song, somatic practices, and artistic expression, offered in hybrid (Zoom and in-person) format at The Old School Gathering Place.
• Winter's End Gathering and Water Blessing Day of healing and reflection connecting through spirit, song, and berries, held at Seaforth Hall, Nova Scotia.
• Felting Feeling Faces Workshop Needlefelting workshop teaching participants to create felted faces using wool rovings and barbless needles, facilitated by Manitoba Métis Artist/Art Therapist Chris Larsen.
• Drum Making Workshop Workshop providing all supplies and materials for creating hand drums, with snacks and supper included.
• Ribbon Skirt-Making Workshop Two-day workshop on ribbon skirt-making offered free for Sixties Scoop Survivors, descendants, and support people.
• Art and Story Gathering for Sixties Scoop Survivors using streaming writing method and art materials to illustrate personal healing journey narratives.
• Well.come to LIFE as Medicine: All Healing Heals All (Chapbook) 50-page multi-sensorial chapbook by Dr. Fyre Jean Graveline weaving original poetry, art, and Healing Arts experientials, available in full-colour print, digital, and audio versions through the LIFE as Medicine online store.
• Finding Otipemisiwak: The People Who Own Themselves Book by Andrea Currie, First Voice Survivor of the Sixties Scoop, documenting her story as an adoptee and her journey reconnecting with Ancestors and original family, accompanied by a CBC Sunday Magazine interview.
• Circle Works: Transforming Eurocentric Consciousness Book by Dr. Fyre Jean Graveline published by Fernwood in 1998, foundational text referenced across the organization's programming.
• Healing Wounded Hearts Book by Dr. Fyre Jean Graveline published by Fernwood in 2005, foundational text referenced across the organization's programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully self-published 50-page chapbook with 130+ copies printed and distributed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Old School Community Gathering PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity gathering space in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia. Provides venue for workshops, events, and certificate programs. Collaborates on community sustainability initiatives.
• The Deanery ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit organization with focus on environment, arts, youth, community, natural building and permaculture. Provides venue for land-based retreats including Me As Tree: We As Forest events.
• Camp Kidston (United Church of Canada Arthur Kidston Memorial Camp)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides venue for Me As Tree: We As Forest Eco-Arts Healing Retreats and other land-based events in Middle Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia.
• Wild Art Therapy CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of Sustain.Ability for Arts Therapists workshop in alliance with LIFE as Medicine. Co-host of Art and Story event.
• Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs SecretariatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as part of gratitude community supporting LIFE as Medicine's work through space or sponsorship.
• Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and PEIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as part of gratitude community supporting LIFE as Medicine through space or sponsorship offerings.
• Musquodoboit Collaborative Food NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity food network collaborative partner supporting LIFE as Medicine events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wellbriety: An Indigenous wellness and recovery movement rooted in Native American traditions and the Medicine Wheel. Comparable in its use of Indigenous spiritual frameworks, holistic healing modalities, and community-led wellness programming similar to LIFE as Medicine's relational healing model.
• Thunderbird Partnership Foundation: A national Indigenous-led charitable organization in Canada focused on mental wellness, substance use, and cultural healing for First Nations. Directly comparable to LIFE as Medicine as an Indigenous-serving healing and wellness organization operating in Canada with culturally grounded programming.
• White Bison: An Indigenous nonprofit offering culturally based recovery, wellness, and healing programs grounded in Native American teachings. Comparable to LIFE as Medicine in serving Indigenous communities with culturally rooted healing, intergenerational trauma work, and community-based program delivery.
• Native American Connections: An Indigenous-led nonprofit providing behavioral health, housing, and community wellness services to urban Native American populations. Comparable to LIFE as Medicine in delivering culturally responsive wellness programming, Indigenous community focus, and trauma-informed service delivery.

Regional players

• Wanuskewin Heritage Park: An Indigenous cultural and heritage site in Saskatchewan operating land-based cultural programming and education. Comparable in its Canadian Indigenous cultural focus and land-based programming model, though centered on heritage interpretation rather than therapeutic healing arts.

Broad incumbents

• International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA): International professional association supporting expressive arts therapy practitioners and training. Comparable in the expressive arts therapy domain and overlapping membership (Jean Tait is an IEATA member), but operates as a professional body rather than a service-delivery nonprofit.
• Esalen Institute: A pioneering holistic education and retreat center in California offering workshops, certifications, and personal transformation programs. Comparable to LIFE as Medicine in land-based holistic retreat delivery and certificate-style programming, but operating at much larger scale without an Indigenous-specific focus.
• Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: A lifelong learning center offering holistic education, wellness retreats, and professional certifications. Comparable to LIFE as Medicine in workshop-and-certificate program model and holistic/alternative therapy focus, but Omega is significantly larger and more diversified in audience.
• Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health: A large US holistic health and yoga retreat center offering workshops, professional trainings, and wellness programming. Comparable to LIFE as Medicine in retreat-based holistic wellness delivery and certificate/training programs, though Kripalu is much broader in audience and offerings.
• Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA): The national professional association for art therapists in Canada. Comparable as a Canadian institution connecting art therapy practitioners and credentials (Dr. Graveline and Jean Tait are registered through CATA), but broader in scope and not service-delivery focused like LIFE as Medicine.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lifeasmedicine2653
• Facebookfacebook.com/lifeasmedicinecircleofindigenoushealingarts
• Instagraminstagram.com/life_as_medicine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LIFE as Medicine: Circle of Indigenous Healing Arts