Four Worlds was born out of the intense deliberations and prayers of a gathering of Aboriginal elders and community leaders that was held on the Blood Indian Reservation on the high plains of Alberta in the last week of December 1982. Forty distinguished representatives of North American tribes met in search of a solution to the social devastation brought on by alcohol, poverty and an increasing sense of powerlessness.

The name Four Worlds is inspired by the ancient cultural and spiritual significance of the medicine wheel. The four cardinal points of the medicine wheel can be used to explain the complex reality of personal and community development. It is a symbol common to almost all Indigenous people in North, South and Central America. It can be found, in fact, in most tribal cultures around the world.

Four Worlds is a group of professionals and community-based practitioners dedicated to participatory development. Three people came together in 1983 to develop a practical response to the guidance of tribal elders. These three people have remained the core driving force of Four Worlds ever since. Many other dynamic and committed people have been drawn to our work over the years, and they form a pool of resources that we draw upon depending on the needs of each project. To allow us to respond effectively to the needs of the people and communities with which we work, we have established three corporate entities – Four Directions Inc., the Four Worlds Centre for Development Learning, and the Four Worlds Institute.