Being able to make tea or coffee in her own home is something Jennifer Wood worked hard to achieve. A far cry from where she and her family began when they first moved to Winnipeg.

"We were in an apartment in an upstairs of a house with our two daughters. We lived right downtown," said Wood of Dawn Rae Planners.

She and her family moved to the city from a reserve in 1983 and said it took her family more than a decade to finally get the house, a car and careers.

"You have to know the city. When you're coming in from the community into the city, you have to know what is available here. And you have to know what to stay away from," added Wood.

Being resourceful, she said, is what helped her make the transition to city life easier.

For hundreds of others, the move is intimidating and even foreign.

A recently released report said the system has to do a better job helping First Nations people who move to the city.

Those who do offer some supports agree.

"We don't want them to fall between the cracks and get lost. We want them to come here to be strong be productive, achieve their dreams - whatever that dream might be," said Diane Kelly, executive director of Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre.

Winnie Severight moved to Winnipeg 35 years ago.

She said it wasn’t easy.

“(Because) I didn't know where to go. First place I went to was Main Street - where our people hang out," said Severight.

She still wishes there was some place in Winnipeg that could teach people how to thrive, not just survive.

"There (are) a lot of people that come from the rez and they don't even know English and they don't understand and they say, ‘yeah, yeah,’ but don't really know what they're getting in to," added Severight.

Some wish people from northern First Nations had the same supports as those coming from other countries.

Talatu Shokpeka moved to the city from Nigeria five years ago.

It took her three years to get a house, a car and a job.

She now works at IRCOM, helping others make the move easier.

"The first thing people want is housing so we provide that they have housing. Then, we look at…other things. What are their goals, what are their plans and see how they're going to achieve that," said Shokpeka.

One of the ways IRCOM helps new Canadians and refugees is by providing housing, including one apartment building downtown.

Up to 300 people call the Ellen Street building home when they first arrive and they're taught basic skills like English and how to get around in the city.

Winnie Severight hopes one day more services like those will be offered to more people from Manitoba First Nations.