(Ottawa, ON) November 10, 2021 – On this week’s Roots & Hoots episode, host Gordon Spence, is pleased to be joined by Inuk hunter and elder Larry Audlaluk. Larry lives a semi-retired life with his wife in Grise Fiord, the northernmost community of Canada. He is a devoted grandfather and great-grandfather. Larry is the recipient of the Order of Canada and has also recently written a book entitled: What I Know: The Life of a High Arctic Exile which is a Governor General’s Literary Award Finalist. Larry and Gordon talk about survival in the Canadian Arctic, and the lessons learned along the way.

Larry Audlaluk’s family were a part of the High Arctic Relocation Program that took place during the Cold War in the 1950’s. The insensitivity of the bureaucracy at the time, was such that many families’ lives were forever altered. Larry was about 3 years old when his family was relocated from Northern Quebec, and he is today the longest-living resident of Grise Fiord. What he remembers most from that time, is the face of trauma from his parents. The darkness of the winter and the death of his father in the spring following their arrival, spoke to the true desolation of the lands. Larry says arriving up north, felt like landing on the moon. People were hungry and struggled to find water in the first couple years. Larry speaks about the relationship with the RCMP, who are said to have referred to the relocation, as a Rehabilitation Program internally. Larry details his experiences with such vividness.

These days the main issue that Larry finds the north and Nunavut are facing, is the exorbitant cost of living through shipping costs. He speaks to how the government are the only ones who can change the regulations, which specifically see increased shipping costs of 33% to Grise Fiord, which sits at the 77^th parallel north. Larry is passionate about making others aware of life up north, which he has even shared in a face to face with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. The work that Larry does, is with the hope and purpose that we learn from the past. He is a true leader in his community, and the stories he shares in the podcast and in his book, show the measure of his fortitude and wisdom. To listen: https://legacyofhope.podbean.com/e/episode-23-roots-and-hoots-interview-with-larry-audlaluk/

The LHF has been in operation for more than 21 years as a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential School System, Sixties Scoop, Day Schools and other colonial acts of oppression on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Peoples.

The LHF has 25 exhibitions that are available for loan for free. One exhibition, Escaping Residential Schools: Running for their Lives, is now available through an animated virtual video, along with the Survivors’ Oral Testimonies. The exhibition examines the experience of Survivors of the Residential School System and raises awareness on the impacts it has on our communities. For more information on the project, please visit: https://legacyofhope.ca/project/escapingrs/ The LHF is working on making its other exhibitions also available online.

The LHF also has curriculum from K-12 and for adults, along with Activity Guides, Workshops and Training, and Podcasts all aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history and the shared history of Residential Schools, the Sixties Scoop, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Day Schools. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding so as to eliminate racism and foster Reconciliation in Canada.