Life Promotion & Indigenous Education

My journey in Life Promotion began in 2021 when I co-created the Strengthening Our Connections to Promote Life: A Life Promotion Toolkit by Indigenous Youth. Since then, I have traveled across Turtle Island (Canada) sharing this toolkit with Indigenous communities, engaging in meaningful conversations, and supporting efforts to reclaim wellness through cultural teachings, land-based practices, and community-driven solutions.


Life Promotion stems from a passion to Indigenous people to learn how to love living life again. Life Promotion is a strength based approach that counters the deficit-based lens Indigenous people are often spoken through. It is rooted in our understanding of health and healing as well as our understanding of community. Life Promotion refers to the gifts we have been given and allows us to enhance our ability to live long and prosperous lives.

Life Promotion Toolkit

Work experience & Services

consultations

Providing education, professional development, and testimonies for communities and organizations in Life Promotion, Indigenous education, and harm-reduction.

  • Indigenous Student Mental Health Consultant, School Mental Health Ontario

  • Indigenous Strategic Advisory, Cannabis & Mental Health

  • People Impacted by Suicide Working Group, Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention

  • Indigenous Youth Contractor, Thunderbird Partnership Foundation

  • National Advisory Circle, First Peoples Wellness Circle

  • Gathering our Knowledge Bundles Advisory, First Peoples Wellness Circle

  • Indigenous Gender and Wellness Advisory Circle, CAMH: Shkaabe Makwa

  • Weshkiniijig Youth Council, Anishinabek Nation

  • Youth Council, Mental Health Commission of Canada

  • Youth Council, Healing Our Spirits Worldwide

  • Grant Assessor, Ontario Arts Council

project creation

Creating community projects, events, conferences, and gatherings for communities and organizations in Life Promotion, Indigenous education, and harm-reduction.

  • Indigenous Students Circle various events and gatherings, Laurentian University

  • Life Promotion Research Gatherings

  • Eagle Staff Feasts

  • National Life Promotion Gatherings

  • Life Promotion Toolkit, the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation

  • Queer & Trans Cannabis Use and Mental Health Zine, CHU Sainte-Justine

  • Indigenous Undergraduate Policy Paper, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance

  • Youth Council, Healing Our Spirits Worldwide

keynotes & presentations

Presenting key insights on Indigenous education, Life Promotion, and harm reduction for communities and organizations.

  • Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention Conference [2022-2025]

  • Healing Our Spirits Worldwide Conference [2023]

  • Dialogue for Life [2023-2024]

  • Yukon Mental Wellness Summit [2022]

  • Nishnawbe Aski Nation [2023]

  • Mental Health Commission of Canada [2022-2023]

  • Guardian Network Symposium [2024]

  • 4-H Ontario [2025]

  • Compass | Boussole | Akii-Izhinoogan [2025]

  • World Indigenous Suicide Prevention Conference [2022]

  • Association Internationale d’Étude des Littératures et Cultures de l’Espace Francophone [2025]

  • Ontario Native Education Counselling Association [2023]

workshops

  • rattles

  • Drum Shakers

  • beginner beadwork

  • advanced beadwork

  • Hand drum

  • bonebead breastplate

  • medicinal salves

  • medicinal teas

academic Publications

2021

2024

2025

Lafortune, Connor & Dubois Brooks, Emily. (2021). Indigenous Students. Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.

London-Nadeau, K., Lafortune, C., Gorka, C., Lemay-Gaulin. M., Séguin, J., Haines-Saah, R., Ferlatte, O., Chadi, N., Juster, R-P., Bristowe, S., D’Alessio, H., Bernal, L., Ellis-Durity, K., Barbosa, J., De Carlos, A. & Castellanos Ryan, N. (2024) Beyond struggle : A strengths-based qualitative study of cannabis use among queer and trans youth in Québec. International Journal of Drug Policy.

London-Nadeau, K., Lafortune, C., Gorka, C., Lemay-Gaulin. M., D’Alessio, H., Bristowe, S. & Castellanos Ryan, N. (2024) Barriers and opportunities in community-led cannabis research: Group reflections from a queer and trans youth-led research project. International Journal of Drug Policy.

London-Nadeau, K., Lafortune, C., Gorka, C., Lemay-Gaulin. M., D’Alessio, H., Bristowe, S. & Castellanos Ryan, N. (2024. Queer & Trans: Cannabis Use and Mental Health. What Can better Support Look Like? [zine]

Lafortune, Connor. (2025) The Apocalypse is Ongoing— Abolition Amongst Growing Annihilation. How Life Promotion is Guiding Indigenous Communities' Beyond Survival. Laurentian University.

Indigenous Students
Beyond Struggle
Cannabis Research
Zine
Beyond Survival

Life promotion videos

Life Promotion Toolkit: Spirituality

Life Promotion Toolkit: La Spiritualité

Life Promotion Toolkit: Life Promotion

Life Promotion Toolkit: La Promotion de la Vie

Mino Bimaadiziwin Podcast: Life Promotion

Les petites jasettes pédagogique pt. 1

Les petites jasettes pédagogique pt. 2

Life Promotion Toolkit: Life Promotion

Click here to listen!

Community partners