A program that trains community wellness workers in the Northwest Territories is trying to find ways to keep going, now that a major source of funding has been axed.

The community wellness worker program was mainly funded by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, which learned on Friday that its federal funding has been cut.

The foundation funded healing projects for former students of Indian residential schools across Canada, many of whom had suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the schools.

On the day the foundation learned its funding has been slashed, a class of 15 newly-trained community wellness workers received their certificates at a ceremony in Inuvik, N.W.T., following 10 weeks of courses.

Officials with the Inuvialuit Regional Corp., which also provided funding for the program, say they want to keep the program going but they will need to find money to replace the lost Aboriginal Healing Foundation funding.

Inuvialuit Regional Corp. chair Nellie Cournoyea said the training program is important because graduates will be helping people in small communities heal from their residential school experiences.

"You're right where people are, you are right where people need help," Cournoyea told graduates at Friday's ceremony.

"The value of your knowledge that's been gained over these courses is going to help many, many, many people."

A total of 135 programs across Canada will lose funding as a result of the slashed funding for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

Other N.W.T. programs that are affected include the Tl'oondih Healing Society in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., the Fort Providence Residential School Society, and the Dene First Nation Healing project in Yellowknife.