Kayas: Community DNA

The Kayas: Community DNA program is a community-driven initiative led by the Frog Lake First Nation Public Library in partnership with Trouvay, an organization dedicated to truth and justice, utilizing investigative genetic genealogy in collaboration with Indigenous knowledge. This project offers a unique opportunity for Frog Lake First Nations #121 & #122 members to explore identity, family lineage, and ancestral connections through the lens of DNA and oral history. "Kayas," meaning "long ago" in Cree, reflects the project’s mission to reconnect our people with their past through modern tools and traditional knowledge.

Frog Lake First Nations community members, their families, and the many communities that the Nation partners with will benefit through more knowledge being shared about genetic genealogy and capacity being build within community to do this work in a culturally safe, informed way. Families of missing people will benefit by potentially having their family members' identities returned to them, bringing closure and healing.