(Ottawa, ON) – April 2, 2025 – – On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, our host is pleased to be joined by a woman he both admires and calls a friend, Elder Belinda Vandenbroeck. Gordon and Elder Belinda both attended the Mackay Residential School in Dauphin, Manitoba and discuss their experiences in Northern Manitoba, their connections to the Ukrainian community there and the important role that culture plays in reminding them of who they are.

Elder Belinda is a joyful and spirited woman who helps light the path of healing for others. She is a Residential School Survivor from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. From a large family, Elder Belinda recounts her early memories of being sent to Residential School and how she always had a warrior spirit inside of her, unafraid to address wrongs or to stand up for herself. Elder Belinda shares about the love she has for learning and the reason she chose to return to school at the age of 45 and receive her BA in Native Studies from the University of Manitoba.

To listen to Indigenous Roots and Hoots please visit: https://bit.ly/rootsnhoots
Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/rnhpodcasts
Spotify: https://bit.ly/rnhspotify
Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/rnhgoogle
Amazon/Audible: https://amzn.to/43DaaeI
Podcast Addict: https://bit.ly/rnhpodaddict

Elder Belinda is over 50 years sober and has been on her healing journey ever since. She is passionate about being there for Indigenous Peoples who are on their own healing journeys, whether through one-on-one conversations, her work facilitating workshops with Wahbung Abinoonjiiag or serving on the Board of Directors for the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba. Much of Elder Belinda’s life has been dedicated to helping Indigenous Peoples remember who they are, connecting with the original teachings and helping them find self-love and balance. 

It is clear that Elder Belinda has a strong sense of who she is and through this knowing, has found her calling. In 2015, she helped co-found the Clan Mother’s Healing Village, sharing with the Roots and Hoots audience, Elder Mae Louise Campbell’s vision for the land. Clan Mother’s Healing Village and Knowledge Centre is a haven for Indigenous women and 2Spirit relatives, offering support to those who have been victims of trauma, sexual violence, and trafficking.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 25 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate Canadians about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential and Day School Systems and subsequent Child Welfare System on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Survivors, their descendants, and their communities to address discrimination against Indigenous Peoples, and to promote hope and healing in Canada. The LHF works to encourage Canadians to address discrimination and injustice to contribute to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of all.

The LHF has more than 30 educational exhibitions that educate Canadians about Indigenous history and that are free to borrow. LHF also has curriculums for K -12 and for adults, along with Activity Guides, Workshops and Training, and two Podcast series, all aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history and the shared history of Residential and Day Schools, the Child Welfare System, and other colonial acts of oppression. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding to eliminate ongoing racism against Indigenous Peoples and to foster Reconciliation in Canada.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Teresa Edwards, B.A., LL.B / J.D.
Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel
Legacy of Hope Foundation
tedwards@legacyofhope.ca