(Ottawa, ON) – January 11, 2023 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 11with Victoria Bomberry. Victoria is a Mohawk adult learner as well as parent to a child learning Mohawk and Cayuga on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. For Victoria and her family, supporting her son as he continues learning Mohawk and Cayuga is both a point of utmost importance and of pride.

Victoria was a part of an adult immersion program of the Mohawk language at Six Nations called Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa. Having the opportunity to learn Kanien’kéha prior to having her son and then being able to transmit it to him, is something that she is forever grateful for. The program funded students to learn in an immersive setting for 8 months or so. She shares that when her son was born, there was a Mohawk language nest on Six Nations. Through this language nest and with Victoria’s proficiency in the language, Mohawk became her son’s first language. Cultural activities were enmeshed in the program and it facilitated a great learning environment for families. Victoria outlines how access to the language wavered and English took precedence in everyday life when living off reserve. She shares: “I think that’s the biggest challenge as a parent of a young language learner. That we don’t have all the resources and we don’t have a broad community of support for them to see how valuable and how beautiful our language is.”

Voices from the Land is an Indigenous Languages Revitalization Project funded by Canadian Heritage. Over the course of the winter months of 2022, host Gordon Spence spoke with Indigenous language teachers, adult learners and parents and caretakers of children learning their Indigenous language. From Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe); to Nehiyaw (Cree); the Michif language; Kanien’kéha (Mohawk); Onʌyoteˀa·ká (Oneida); and Dȁn k’e (Southern Tutchone), language learners, teachers and parents across Turtle Island share their insights and experiences. The goal of these 21 interviews was to gain a sense of the barriers and successes to learning one’s own language. We invite you to hear their voices and learn from their truth, as the languages have taught them so much and they want to share.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 22 years. LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and impacts on 7 generations of Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) children, their families and communities from attending Residential and Day Schools. By fostering empathy and understanding, LHF encourages people to address discrimination and injustice and contributes to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples.

The LHF has more than 25 educational exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history that are free to borrow and is working on making exhibitions available online. LHF also has curricula for 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 and Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, etc. in order to offer solutions on how to be an ally. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding so as to eliminate racism against Indigenous Peoples.