(Ottawa, ON) – August 20, 2025 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation is pleased to announce the release of our second episode in an 8-part series on the Federal Indian Day School System with Conrad Saulis. Conrad is the Executive Director with the Wabanaki Council on Disability, and in this discussion, he shares candidly about his experience at the Tobique Indian Day School. He tells us why it’s important for Canadians to know more about the Day School System, and his thoughts on what comes next in the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and mainstream society.

Conrad is a proud Wolastoqey Nation citizen. Born and raised in the Wolastoqiyik First Nation community Neqotkuk (Tobique) in New Brunswick, Conrad attended the Tobique Indian Day School from Grades 1 to 6. He recounts stories about the environment of fear that was a part of daily school life. Conrad shares how the treatment the children received from the Sisters of Charity made him question Christianity. From a young age, Conrad could tell that the teachings found in the Bible did not correspond with the way students were being treated in school.

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Throughout the interview, Conrad speaks openly about the healing aspect of sharing one’s story and how there are still voices that must be heard. Voices that are often forgotten or left out of conversations, such as those of Indigenous people with disabilities. Conrad shares how government decisions that impact Indigenous Peoples’ lives need to stop being made unilaterally, for Reconciliation and better relations to grow.

This special podcast series is made possible with funding from the Indigenous Screen Office. Under the umbrella of the Roots and Hoots Podcast, this series features Indigenous scholars, historians, Survivors, and knowledge keepers from across Canada to hear their first-hand accounts, perspectives, and knowledge of the Federal Indian Day School System.

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 Indigenous Peoples.

The LHF has 30 educational exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history, which are free to borrow, and we are working on making exhibitions available online. LHF also has curricula for K-12 and for adults, along with Activity Guides, Workshops, and Training, 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