Braiding Mind, Body, and Spirit: A Culturally Grounded Resource for Settlement Funds and Daily Financial Wellness

TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2025 /CNW/ - Prosper Canada is proud to announce the release of Braiding Mind, Body, and Spirit: A Financial Wellness Bundle, a groundbreaking new resource created in collaboration with AFOA Canada and Simon Brascoupé, from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg. The bundle is intended to support Indigenous individuals, families, and communities in making confident, informed financial decisions, particularly around settlement payments.

Just as traditional bundles carry items of deep personal and spiritual significance, this financial wellness bundle brings together meaningful teachings, tools, and values to support long-term well-being. Designed with flexibility and cultural relevance in mind, Braiding Mind, Body, and Spirit allows individuals to choose what resonates with them, offering a resource that can be used and revisited throughout their lives.

"The idea for the financial wellness bundle started in a very personal way," says Brascoupé. "I kept thinking about traditional bundles, how they carry medicine, sacred items, and teachings."

He wondered, what if there was a financial resource that worked the same way? 

"Something you carry with you, not just for budgeting tips, but for healing, balance, and vision," he says. "A bundle that holds teachings from our Elders, cultural values, and practical tools for handling money, especially during big life moments, like receiving a settlement payment."

The development process included input from a dedicated working group of subject matter experts, frontline practitioners, and community members with lived experience receiving settlement payments. Together, they identified key topics and resources needed to navigate personal and financial wellness with confidence and care.

"In communities, I heard stories of hope and stress, of people dreaming about opening businesses, going back to school, helping family, but also feeling unsure of how to manage sudden wealth," says Brascoupé. "What they wanted was clear: Simple tools. Plain language. Cultural grounding. And flexibility. Something they could use in a workshop--or just sitting around the kitchen table."

That's what Braiding Mind, Body and Spirit became. 

"Our organization is proud to support this financial wellness bundle. It's a vital and much-needed resource that honours traditional knowledge while offering practical tools for building financial confidence and well-being," says Prosper Canada CEO Elizabeth Mulholland.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our working group and partners at AFOA Canada. Their commitment, insight, and deep expertise in Indigenous financial management were essential in shaping a resource rooted in both tradition and innovation.

We also offer special thanks to, the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA), for their generous funding and belief in the power of culturally grounded financial education. Their contributions were vital to bringing this vision to life.

This resource reflects what's possible when we honour Indigenous knowledge, respect community voices, and commit to building tools that reflect the values and lived experiences of the people they are meant to serve.

Prosper Canada 
Prosper Canada is a national charity driving bold change that enables more people to prosper. With government, business and community partners across Canada, we are expanding life-changing financial empowerment services, innovating for greater inclusion and impact, and removing barriers to financial well-being for people with low and modest incomes. Our goal is a Canada where everyone has the opportunity and support to achieve financial well-being and live with dignity, stability, and possibility. Learn more at www.prospercanada.org. 

SOURCE Prosper Canada

Media Contact: Wendy Abbott-Serroul, Senior Communications Manager, [email protected]