(Ottawa, ON) – October 15, 2025 –  In this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon is pleased to be joined by publisher and filmmaker Rebeka Tabobondung. Rebeka is from Wasauksing First Nation on the shores of Lake Huron/Mnidoo Gamii (Spirit Lake). In this episode, Rebeka shares her journey into media and storytelling, and details on her latest docuseries, Spirit of Birth.

Rebeka describes herself as someone who grew up in many places, and perhaps what instilled in her a reverence for both storytelling and building community. Rebeka is the founder and editor-in-chief of Muskrat Magazine, a leading online Indigenous arts and culture magazine. She has been a powerful force in digital media for many years. Storytelling is at the heart of her work, and it’s a tradition she fights to preserve and share in a meaningful way. Woven through Rebeka’s work is a sense that stories and traditions shape both our worldview and our place within it.

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Rebeka’s latest film project, Spirit of Birth, is an eight-part series that she directs and hosts. The series follows Indigenous midwives and families as they restore traditional Indigenous birthing practices in their communities across Turtle Island. Rebeka shares the story of the honor she felt in being invited into six different Cree, Anishinaabe, and Mohawk communities to learn about the work they are doing. Each community is bringing back Indigenous birth sovereignty in a way that is meaningful for them, and it is incredibly sacred to hear from Rebeka about how this knowledge is being reclaimed.

The work Rebeka has been doing is propelling reconciliation forward. She sees Reconciliation as relationship building, noting that conversations must continue to happen and that systems need to change as a result. Rebeka notes that Canada must stay true to its core values and remain steadfast on the path of reconciliation – especially when facing external political pressures.

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 curricula 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