Legacy of Hope Foundation Launches Indigenous Oral Testimonies Activity Guide to accompany Oral Testimonies

(Ottawa, ON) January 20, 2020 – Ever since the Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) was founded in the year 2000 we have been working to educate Canadians about the Residential School System, its history, and ongoing impacts. Between 2006 and 2009, the LHF gathered the testimonies of over 600 Residential School Survivors from across the country. Our newest resource, the Let the Truth Be Told: Indigenous Oral Testimonies Activity Guide was developed so that those witnessing the Survivors’ Testimonies will have a richer experience where participants can be fully engaged and a part of the Reconciliation process.

Let The Truth Be Told will give teachers and students, and any adults willing to learn, the resources they need to examine the history of the Residential School System and to recognize the impact it has had and continues to have, on generations of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Another goal of this Guide is the exploration of Reconciliation and its foundations for understanding and meaningful action. Through these lessons, participants will work towards their own improved understanding of what it means for Indigenous and non-Indigenous People to work towards Reconciliation.

Using Oral Testimonies is a way of bringing Indigenous voices directly to participants which is what the Survivors who shared them had intended. This is putting Indigenous voices at the center of the learning experience and the process of using their Testimony shows recognition of the value of Indigenous voices and Oral Practices. Listening to Survivors speak about their experiences activates understanding, fosters empathy, and builds healthy caring that a textbook article or chapter could not achieve on its own.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for 20 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential School System (RSS) and subsequent Sixties Scoop (SS) on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Survivors, their descendants, and their communities to promote healing. The LHF works to encourage people to address discrimination and injustices in order to contribute to the equality, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples and to foster Reconciliation. To purchase a copy, or for more information about the LHF visit the Legacy of Hope Foundation website at www.legacyofhope.ca

For media inquiries:
Teresa Edwards, B.A. JD.
Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel
Legacy of Hope Foundation
Phone:  613-237-4806 Ext. 303 info@legacyofhope.ca